Ten Titanic Myths | Psychoanalysis | Gender & Personality | Pseudoscience in Universities | ‘Patience Worth’

SI MJ Cover_SI JF 10 V1 3/29/12 9:41 AM Page 1

the Magazine for Science and Reason Vol. 36 No. 3 | May/June 2012

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Published by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry May June pages BOX_SI new design masters 3/29/12 9:00 AM Page 2

AT THE CEN TERFOR IN QUIRY –TRANSNATIONAL

Paul Kurtz, Founder Joe Nickell, Senior Research Fellow Richard Schroeder, Chairman Massimo Polidoro, Research Fellow Ronald A. Lindsay, President and CEO Benjamin Radford, Research Fellow www.csicop.org Bar ry Karr, Ex ec u tive Di rect or Richard Wiseman, Research Fellow

James E. Al cock*, psy chol o gist, York Univ., Tor on to Thom as Gi lov ich, psy chol o gist, Cor nell Univ. Jay M. Pasachoff, Field Memorial Professor of Mar cia An gell, MD, former ed itor-in-chief, Wendy M. Grossman, writer; founder and first editor, Astronomy and director of the Hopkins New Eng land Jour nal of Med i cine The Skeptic magazine (UK) Observatory, Williams College Kimball Atwood IV, MD, physician; author; Sus an Haack, Coop er Sen ior Schol ar in Arts and John Pau los, math e ma ti cian, Tem ple Univ. Newton, MA Sci en ces, professor of phi los o phy and professor Massimo Pigliucci, professor of philosophy, of Law, Univ. of Mi ami Steph en Bar rett, MD, psy chi a trist; au thor; con sum er City Univ. of New York–Lehman College ad vo cate, Al len town, PA Harriet Hall, MD, family physician; investigator, Stev en Pink er, cog nitive sci en tist, Harvard Univ. Willem Betz,MD, professor of medicine, Univ. of Brussels Puyallup, WA Ir ving Bie der man, psychol o gist, Univ. of C.E.M. Han sel, psy chol o gist, Univ. of Wales Philip Plait, astronomer; lecturer; writer South ern CA David J. Helfand, professor of astronomy, Mas si mo Pol id oro, sci ence writer; au thor; ex ec u tive Sandra Blakeslee, science writer; author; New York Columbia Univ. di rect or of CI CAP, It a ly Times science correspondent Doug las R. Hofstad ter, pro fes sor of human Anthony R. Pratkanis, professor of psychology, Sus an Black more, vis it ing lec tur er, Univ. of the West un der stand ing and cog ni tive sci ence, In di ana Univ. Univ. of CA, Santa Cruz of Eng land, Bris tol Ger ald Hol ton, Mal linc krodt Profes sor of Phys ics and Benjamin Radford, investigator; research fellow, Mark Boslough, physicist, Sandia National Laborato- pro fes sor of his to ry of sci ence, Har vard Univ. Committee for Skeptical Inquiry ries, Albuquerque, NM Ray Hy man*, psy chol o gist, Univ. of Or e gon James “The Amazing” Randi, magician; CSICOP Hen ri Broch, phys i cist, Univ. of Nice, France Le on Jar off, sci en ces ed itor emer i tus, Time founding member; founder, James Randi Jan Har old Brun vand, folk lor ist; pro fes sor emer i tus Stuart D. Jordan, NASA astrophysicist emeritus; Educational Foundation of Eng lish, Univ. of Utah science advisor to Center for Inquiry Office of Mil ton Ro sen berg, psy chol o gist, Univ. of Chic a go Mar io Bunge, phi los o pher, McGill Univ., Montreal Public Policy, Washington, DC Wal la ce Sam pson, MD, clin i cal pro fes sor of med i cine, Robert T. Carroll, emeritus professor of philosophy, Ser gei Ka pit za, former ed i tor, Rus sian edi tion, Sacramento City College; writer Sci en tif ic Amer i can Stan ford Univ.; ed i tor, Sci en tif ic Re view of Sean B. Carroll, molecular geneticist; vice president Barry Karr, executive director, Committee for Al ter na tive Med i cine for science education, Howard Hughes Medical Skeptical Inquiry, Amherst, New York Am ar deo Sar ma*, chairman, GWUP, Ger ma ny Institute, Madison, WI Law rence M. Krauss, foundation professor, School Richard Saunders, vice president, Australian Thomas R. Casten, energy expert; founder and of Earth and Space Exploration and Physics Dept.; Skeptics; educator; investigator; podcaster; chairman, Recycled Energy Development, director, Origins Initiative, Arizona State Univ. Sydney, Australia Westmont, IL Harry Kroto, professor of chemistry and Eu ge nie C. Scott*, phys i cal an thro pol o gist; ex ec u tive John R. Cole, an thro pol o gist; ed i tor, Na tion al biochemistry, Florida State Univ.; Nobel laureate di rect or, Nation al Cen ter for Sci ence Ed u cation Cen ter for Sci ence Ed u ca tion Ed win C. Krupp, as tron o mer; di rect or, K.C. Cole, science writer; author; professor, Grif fith Ob ser va to ry, Los Angeles, CA Rob ert Sheaf fer, sci ence writer Univ. of Southern California’s Annenberg Paul Kurtz, professor emeritus of philosophy, El ie A. Shneour, bi o chem ist; au thor; president and School of Journalism SUNY at Buffalo research director, Bi os ys tems Re search In sti tute, Fred er ick Crews, lit er ary and cul tur al crit ic; pro fes sor Law rence Kusche, sci ence writer La Jol la, CA emer i tus of Eng lish, Univ. of CA, Berke ley Le on Le der man, emer i tus di rect or, Fer mi lab; Seth Shostak, senior astronomer, SETI Institute, Rich ard Dawk ins, zo ol o gist, Ox ford Univ. No bel lau re ate in phys ics Mountain View, CA Geof frey Dean, tech ni cal ed i tor, Perth, Aus tral ia Scott O. Lil i en feld*, psy chol o gist, Emory Univ., Simon Singh, science writer; broadcaster; UK Cor nel is de Ja ger, pro fes sor of as tro phys ics, Atlanta, GA Dick Smith,film pro duc er; pub lish er; Ter rey Hills, Univ. of Utrecht, the Neth er lands Lin Zix in, former ed i tor, Sci ence and N.S.W., Aus tral ia Dan i el C. Den nett, Aus tin B. Fletch er Pro fes sor Tech nol o gy Dai ly (Chi na) Keith E. Stanovich, cognitive psychologist; of Phi los o phy and di rect or of Cen ter for Cog ni tive Je re Lipps, Mu se um of Pa le on tol o gy, Univ. of CA, Stud ies, Tufts Uni v. Berke ley professor of human development and applied psychology, Uni v. of Toronto Ann Druyan, writer and producer; CEO, Eliz a beth Loft us*, pro fes sor of psy chol o gy, Cosmos Studios, Ithaca, NY Univ. of CA, Ir vine Rob ert Stein er, ma gi cian; au thor; El Cer ri to, CA Sanal Edamaruku, president, Indian Rationalist Da vid Marks, psy chol o gist, City Univ., Lon don Vic tor J. Sten ger, emer i tus pro fes sor of phys ics Association and Rationalist International Mar io Men dez-Acos ta, jour nal ist and sci ence writer, and as tron o my, Univ. of Ha waii; ad junct pro fes sor Edzard Ernst, professor, Complementary Medicine, Mex i co City of phi los o phy, Univ. of CO Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Exeter and Kenneth R. Miller, professor of biology, Karen Stollznow*, linguist; skeptical investigator; Plymouth, Exeter, UK Brown Univ. writer; podcaster Ken neth Fed er, pro fes sor of an thro pol o gy, Marv in Min sky, pro fes sor of me dia arts and sci en ces, Jill Cor nell Tar ter,as tron o mer, SE TI In sti tute, Cen tral Con nec ti cut State Univ. M.I.T. Barbara Forrest, professor of philosophy, Moun tain View, CA Da vid Mor ri son, space sci en tist, NA SA Ames Re search Car ol Tav ris,psy chol o gist and au thor, Los Ange les, CA SE Louisiana Univ. Cen ter An drew Fra knoi, as tron o mer, Foot hill Col lege, Rich ard A. Mul ler, pro fes sor of phys ics, Univ. of CA, Da vid E. Thom as*, phys i cist and math e ma ti cian, Los Al tos Hills, CA Berke ley Per al ta, NM Kend rick Fra zier*, sci ence writer; ed i tor, Joe Nick ell, sen ior re search fel low, CSI Neil de Grasse Ty son, as tro phys i cist and di rect or, SKEP TI CAL IN QUIR ER Jan Willem Nienhuys, mathematician, Waalre, Hay den Plan e tar i um, New York City Christopher C. French, professor, Department The Netherlands Ma ri lyn vos Sa vant, Pa rade mag a zine of Psychology, and head of the Anomalistic Lee Nis bet, phi los o pher, Medaille Col lege con trib ut ing ed i tor Psychology Research Unit, Goldsmiths College, Univ. of London Steven Novella, MD, assistant professor Stev en Wein berg, pro fes sor of phys ics and as tron o my, Yves Gal i fret, executive secretary, of neurology, Yale Univ. School of Medicine Univ. of Tex as at Austin; No bel lau re ate Bill Nye, sci ence ed u ca tor and tel e vi sion host, l’Union Rationaliste E.O. Wil son, Univ. pro fes sor emer i tus, organismic and Nye Labs Luigi Garlaschelli, chemist, Università di Pavia evolutionary biology, Har vard Univ. James E. Oberg, sci ence writer (Italy); research fellow of CICAP, Rich ard Wis e man, psy chol o gist, Univ. the Italian skeptics group Irm gard Oe pen, pro fes sor of med i cine (re tired), of Hert ford shire, England Maryanne Garry, professor, School of Psychology, Mar burg, Ger ma ny Victoria Univ. of Wellington, New Zealand Lor en Pan kratz, psy chol o gist, Or e gon Health Benjamin Wolozin*, professor, Department of Mur ray Gell-Mann, pro fes sor of phys ics, San ta Fe Sci en ces Univ. Pharmacology, Boston Univ. School of Medicine In sti tute; No bel lau re ate Robert L. Park,professor of physics, Univ. of Maryland Marv in Zel en, stat is ti cian, Har vard Univ.

* Mem ber, CSI Ex ec u tive Coun cil (Af fil i a tions giv en for iden ti fi ca tion only.) May June pages BOX_SI new design masters 3/29/12 9:00 AM Page 3

Skep ti cal In quir er May/June 2012 | Vol. 36, No. 3

30 COLUMNS The Roswellian Syndrome: FROM THE EDITOR How Some UFO Myths The Roswell Syndrome Develop . . . and Pseudoskepticism ...... 4 JOE NICKELL AND JAMES MCGAHA NEWS AND COMMENT Hot Dispute on Healing Claims: ‘Perse- 37 cution’ That Isn’t/Doubtful News Blog Launched/CSI Helps Expose Woolly The Trouble with Mammoth Video Hoax/Evolution Advo- Pseudoskepticism cate Asa Gray Featured on American LAWRENCE TORCELLO Scientists Stamp Series...... 5

IN VES TI GA TIVE FILES 42 Ghost Author? The Channeling of We Can’t Treat Soldiers’ PTSD ‘Patience Worth’ without a Better Diagnosis JOE NICK ELL...... 15 PETER BARGLOW THINKING ABOUT SCIENCE Psychoanalysis and Social 50 Constructivism The Ongoing Decline MAS SI MO PI GLI UC CI ...... 18 of Religion NOTES ON A STRANGE WORLD ELIE A. SHNEOUR Ten Myths about the Titanic MAS SI MO POLIDORO ...... 20 SPECIAL REPORTS PSYCHIC VIBRATIONS Join the Boycott to Protest the CIA 8 Cover-Up of President Obama’s A Feeble Challenge to Trips to Mars Evolution from ‘Reasons ROBERT SHEAFFER ...... 22 to Believe’ THE SCIENCE OF MEDICINE BRIAN BOLTON Pseudoscience in Our Universities STEVEN NOVELLA ...... 24

12 SCIENCE WATCH Famous Alien Abduction Gender Personality Differences: in Pascagoula: Planets or P.O. Boxes, Evidence or Ideology? Reinvestigating KENNETH W. KRAUSE ...... 26 a Cold Case JOE NICKELL SKEPTICAL INQUIREE Dealing with Believers During Skeptical Investigation REVIEWS BENJAMIN RADFORD...... 29

Is Science the Antidote Being Reasonable NEW AND NOTABLE ...... 55 to Deepak Chopra’s about Neuroscience LETTERS TO THE ED I TOR...... 61 Spirituality? MASSIMO PIGLIUCCI...... 57 MARK ALFORD...... 54 Who’s in Charge? Free Will and the THE LAST LAUGH...... 66 War of the Worldviews: Science of the Brain Science vs. Spirituality by Michael Gazzaniga by Deepak Chopra and Leonard Mlodinow Answers for Kids from Thinking: An Bigfoot on Film: A Twelve to Eighty-Two Unnatural Act Comprehensive Guide KEITH TAYLOR...... 56 HARRIET HALL...... 58 ROB BOSTON...... 60 e Magic of Reality: How Unnatural Acts: Critical inking, e Bigfoot Filmography: Fictional We Know What’s Really True Skepticism, and Science Exposed! and Documentary Appearances in by Richard Dawkins by Robert Todd Carroll Film and Television by David Coleman May June pages BOX_SI new design masters 3/29/12 9:00 AM Page 4

[ FROM THE EDITOR Skep ti cal In quir er™ THE MAG A ZINE FOR SCI ENCE AND REA SON

ED I TOR Kend rick Fra zi er The Roswell Syndrome . . . and Pseudoskepticism ED I TO RI AL BOARD James E. Al cock, Thom as Cas ten, Ray Hy man, Scott O. Lilienfeld, Joe Nick ell, Amar deo Sar ma, Eugenie C. Scott, he bread and butter of skeptical investigation is the critical analysis of spe- Karen Stollznow, David E. Thomas, Leonard Tramiel, Benjamin Wolozin cific claims. Take some dramatic popular claim and subject it to all the CON SULT ING ED I TORS Sus an J. Black more, tools of skeptical analysis. Dissect it, examine it, test it. Drill down narrowly Ken neth L. Fed er, Barry Karr, E.C. Krupp, T Da vid F. Marks, Jay M. Pasachoff, Rich ard Wis e man and deeply to see if there’s any substance. More often than not, the outcome is CON TRIB UT ING ED I TORS Austin Dacey, D.J. Grothe, notably different from what had been claimed. We do that all the time. Harriet Hall, Kenneth W. Krause, Chris Moon ey, Sometimes, however, it is good to step back a bit and look at the larger pic- James E. Oberg, Rob ert Sheaf fer, Karen Stollznow Ben ja min Rad ford ture. Look for patterns and try to elucidate some general lessons or principles DEPUTY ED I TOR MAN A GING ED I TOR Julia Lavarnway that can be a useful guide to our broader understanding. We also do that a lot ART DI RECT OR Chri sto pher Fix in these pages. PRO DUC TION Paul E. Loynes We have two such articles in this issue: Joe Nickell and James McGaha’s “The ASSISTANT EDITOR Julia Burke Roswellian Syndrome” and Lawrence Torcello’s “The Trouble with Pseudo - WEBMASTER Matthew Licata skepticism.” PUBLISH ER’S REP RE SENT A TIVE Bar ry Karr COR PO RATE COUN SEL Steven Fox, Nickell is a master of investigating specific claims, but here he teams with Brenton N. VerPloeg astronomer and retired Air Force pilot McGaha to take a broader look at the BUSI NESS MAN A GER Pa tri cia Beau champ prototypical “crashed saucer” claim of our time, the notorious Roswell incident, FIS CAL OF FI CER Paul Pau lin to show how this and other prominent UFO myths develop. Roswell has now SUBSCRIPTION DATA MANAGER Jacalyn Mohr been thoroughly debunked to the satisfaction of most critical-minded people, STAFF Melissa Braun, Cheryl Catania, Roe Giambrone, Leah Gordon, An tho ny San ta but it is still believed and beloved by UFO enthusiasts, filmmakers, local tourist Lu cia, John Sul li van, Vance Vi grass bureaus, and mythmakers everywhere. COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Paul Fidalgo Looking at what happened at Roswell, Nickell and McGaha (very usefully, I IN QUIRY ME DIA PRO DUC TIONS Thom as Flynn think) identify a process they call the “Roswellian Syndrome.” Something triggers DI RECT OR OF LI BRAR IES Tim o thy S. Binga

a UFO report (often something real, if not as dramatic as perceived), then it is The SKEP TI CAL IN QUIR ER is the of fi cial jour nal of the Com mit tee for Skeptical Inquiry, debunked, then it goes underground. We think it’s forgotten, but it isn’t. Then an in ter na tional organ i za tion. begins an intricate mythmaking process, and the (now much more elaborate) story reemerges as a conspiracy tale with more mythologizing and growing media The SKEP TI CALIN QUIR ER(ISSN 0194-6730) is pub lished bi month - hype. (From my editorial perch here in Albuquerque, I witnessed this process ly by the Com mit tee for Skeptical Inquiry, 3965 Rensch Road, unfold over the past third of a century with Roswell.) Nickell and McGaha take Am herst, NY 14228. Print ed in U.S.A. Pe ri od icals post age paid at Buf fa lo, NY, and at ad di tion al mail ing of fi ces. Sub scrip tion us through this process, briefly describing the original incident, the original de- pri ces: one year (six is sues), $35; two years, $60; three years, $84; sin gle is sue, $4.95. Ca na di an and for eign or ders: bunking, the story’s submergence, the subsequent mythologizing, and then the Pay ment in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank must ac com pa - tale’s reemergence with the aid of mystery-mongering book authors and an often ny or ders; please add US$10 per year for ship ping. Ca na di an and for eign cus tom ers are en cour aged to use Vi sa or Mas ter - nearly out-of-control media bandwagon effect. Card. Canada Publications Mail Agreement No. 41153509. The Roswellian Syndrome can be seen playing out again and again in other Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: IMEX, P.O. Box key UFO cases. Nickell and McGaha apply it to the Flatwoods, Kecksburg, 4332, Station Rd., Toronto , ON M5W 3J4. In quir ies from the me dia and the pub lic about the work of the and Rendlesham Forest cases, also favorites of UFO enthusiasts. The processes Com mit tee should be made to Barry Karr, Executive Director, of mythmaking, folkore, and fakelore are all readily apparent. They suggest that CSI, P.O. Box 703, Am herst, NY 14226-0703. Tel.: 716-636- 1425. Fax: 716-636-1733. Email: [email protected]. they have identified a genuine pattern, and they hope by doing so to promote Man u scripts, let ters, books for re view, and ed i to rial in quir ies more critical thinking regarding these and other sensationalized cases. should be sent to Kend rick Fra zi er, Ed i tor, SKEP TI CAL IN QUIR ER, 944 Deer Drive NE, Al bu querque, NM 87122. Fax: 505-828- In his article, Torcello, a bioethicist and philosopher at Rochester Institute 2080. EMAIL: [email protected]. Be fore sub mit - of Technology, takes a philosophical look at both scientific and unscientific ting any man u script, please con sult our Guide for Au thors for styles, ref er en ce requirements, and submittal re quire ments. thinking. He notes that skeptical rigor is inherent in good science, and he reap- It is on our website at www.csi cop.org/pub lications/guide. plies an older term, pseudoskepticism, to the rejection of assertions already firmly Or you may send a re quest to the edi tor. Ar ti cles, re ports, re views, and let ters pub lished in the SKEP TI- established through the rigorous scientific process; nonexperts make a show CALIN QUIR ERrep re sent the views and work of in di vid u al au thors. of openly contradicting well-established scientific conclusions. Pseudoskepti- Their pub li ca tion does not nec es sa ri ly con sti tute an en dorse - ment by CSI or its mem bers un less so stat ed. cism describes much of what we see in public discourse about some scientific Cop y right ©2012 by the Com mit tee for Skeptical Inquiry. All matters—from modern medicine to climate change—that certain groups find rights re served. The SKEP TI CALIN QUIR ERis availa ble on 16mm mi - cro film, 35mm mi cro film, and 105mm mi cro fiche from Uni - objectionable. Identifying it as such is a start in distinguishing the real science ver si ty Micro films In ter na tion al and is indexed in the Read - from the bogus. ers’ Guide to Pe ri od i cal Lit er a ture. Sub scrip tions and chan ges of ad dress should be ad dressed —KENDRICK FRAZIER to: SKEP TI CAL IN QUIR ER, P.O. Box 703, Am herst, NY 14226-0703. Or call toll-free 1-800-634-1610 (out side the U.S. call 716- 636-1425). Old ad dress as well as new are nec es sa ry for change of sub scrib er’s ad dress, with six weeks ad vance no - tice. SKEP TI CAL IN QUIR ER sub scrib ers may not speak on be half of Committee for Skeptical Inquiry CSI or the SKEP TI CAL IN QUIR ER. Post mas ter: Send chan ges of ad dress to SKEP TI CALIN QUIR ER, P.O. “... promotes scientific inquiry, critical investigation, and the use Box 703, Am herst, NY 14226-0703. of reason in examining controversial and extraordinary claims.” May June pages BOX_SI new design masters 3/29/12 9:01 AM Page 5

[ NEWS AND COMMENT

Hot Dispute on Healing Claims: ‘Persecution’ That Isn’t HAYLEY STEVENS

I first saw the Healing on the Streets ditions for which medical supervision The Bath Chronicle, whose editor (HOTS) team on my way to a meeting should be sought.” read my blog post and thought it was through the city center of Bath in Som- Healing on the Streets responded by newsworthy, was the first to publish the erset, United Kingdom. I’d never en- claiming that they were being perse- story, which was then picked up by a countered the group before, and at first cuted “by a group generally opposed to news syndicate. The first I knew of this I thought they might be psychic healers. Christianity.” They also claimed that the was when a local journalist told me that Out of curiosity, I took one of the ASA’s ruling was telling them to recant it was likely the story was going to “go leaflets that were on display in a holder their faith. This wasn’t the case, and this national” and that I might “end up in nearby. It’s a habit. Ever since battling a claim made me decide to come forward the Daily Mail as the bad guy in this.” life-threatening illness in my teens, I’ve and explain in a post on my personal He was right. I did end up as the bad been very aware of people making un- blog that I was the complainant and guy: I became “atheist Hayley Stevens” substantiated claims about treating and that I didn’t make the complaint be- who used ASA as a weapon to persecute healing health conditions. I’ve been the cause they were Christian but because and censor Christians. vulnerable person who was tempted of the specific claims they were making. I ended up on the local news twice, into such treatments. I pick up leaflets, defending my complaint to the ASA take business cards, and cut adverts out Ever since battling and explaining that I wasn’t persecuting of magazines and newspapers on a reg- anybody but was simply challenging ular basis if I think the claims being a life-threatening claims made about specific illnesses that made are spurious. illness in my teens, didn’t appear to be evidence based. It turns out it wasn’t a group of psy- I’ve been very aware There were polarizing reactions to the chic healers but Christians from local story. Many people who didn’t agree churches who wanted to pray for the of people making with the outcome of the ASA com- healing of strangers on the street. Their unsubstantiated plaint shouted about religious freedom and censorship. However, the protests intentions seemed good, but it was the claims about wording on the leaflet that set alarm against the ASA adjudication seemed to bells ringing. The group claimed that treating and healing miss the point. The ruling had nothing to do with religion but was actually healing triggered by prayer could cure health conditions. about specific medical claims. Nobody conditions from multiple sclerosis, ad- should be exempt from being required diction, and cancer to asthma, arthritis, and paralysis. My gut reaction was that I should submit a complaint to the Ad- vertising Standards Author ity (ASA), an independent advertising regulatory body in the United King dom, to see if they agreed that the ad was in breach of Committee of Adver tising Practice (CAP) codes. The ASA upheld my complaint and also expressed strong concern that the ads might discourage people from seeking essential treatment for conditions for which medical supervision should be sought. As a result, the ASA summarized, “The ads must not appear again in their current form. We told HOTS not to make claims which stated or im- plied that, by receiving prayer from their volunteers, people could be healed of medical conditions. We also told them not to refer in their ads to medical con- The Healing on the Streets group claims to be able to heal complaints ranging from arthritis to cancer through the “power” of prayer.

Skeptical Inquirer | May/June 2012 5 May June pages BOX_SI new design masters 3/29/12 4:04 PM Page 6

to provide evidence to back up their pression is a more important job. CSI Helps Expose Woolly claims, religion-based or not. As I The day after one of my local news Mammoth Video Hoax replied to one of my harsher online appearances, a stranger recognized me critics, it is fine to pray for the ill to in a shop because of the coat I had Benjamin Radford recover if that is how you choose to been wearing. He told me how he and cope; just don’t tell strangers on the his wife had been desperate for an an- According to a story in the Sun tabloid street their cancer might be healed swer before she died of lung cancer a newspaper, a video surfaced that seems to that way. That steps over a line, and few years ago. He said, “It’s good that show a live woolly mammoth—an animal I refuse to stay quiet about it. we have people like you who stand up that scientists say has been extinct for After one of my appearances on for those who can’t stand up for them- about four millennia. The “jaw-dropping” the local news, somebody made a selves.” Those words will stay with me footage, which shows a dark, blurry crea- complaint to my employers in what I for a long time. ture crossing a river, was allegedly “caught be lieve was a malicious attempt to I think my story demonstrates by a government-em ployed engineer last terminate my employment. All that I one very important thing: standing summer in the Chukotka Autonomous know is that they were from the local up for what we know is right and Okrug region of Siberia.” church ward and asked my employers speaking out against what we know The video was an Internet sensation what they were doing “employing is wrong can result in a tangible and made headlines around the world in someone like that.” My boss repri- achievement. One person can make early February 2012. Some Bigfoot believ- manded me that day for being “irre- a difference; all you have to do is act. ers and Loch Ness monster lovers mur- sponsible,” a charge I believe is unfair, Be that person. Make that difference. mured their tentative ap proval, hoping it but luckily I didn’t lose my job and proved that large unknown (or assumed Hayley Stevens is a skeptical podcaster, wasn’t officially disciplined in any way. writer, and public speaker. She is the founder extinct) animals still exist in Earth’s remote I was advised by my employer not to of Project Barnum, an educational resource wilds. write anything more about the ASA about psychic trickery, and also hosts the Discussions popped up all over the complaint and told not to do any popular Righteous Indignation podcast. web, including on the Doubtful News blog Being a reformed ghost hunter, she can often and the Facebook page of the MonsterTalk more media appearances. However, be found trying to educate people about the I’m writing about my experience here pseudoscience involved in the majority of podcast. While most people didn’t neces- because fighting for freedom of ex- ghost and monster research. sarily believe that the blurry figure in the video was really a woolly mammoth as claimed, viewers were sharply divided about what, exactly, it was. Some suspected Doubtful News Blog Launched the video was an outright hoax—a com- Benjamin Radford puter-generated elephant or mammoth digitally inserted into a real river scene. The blog Doubtful News, whose slogan The blog came about because there Many others, however, were convinced is “Paranormal and pseudoscience was no one-stop source of breaking that the animal was real: not a mammoth news ... because people really believe news of interest to critical thinkers but instead a bear with a large fish in its this stuff,” was recently launched. The that was not primarily straight sci- mouth crossing a stream. ence offerings or opinions. Doubtful Doubtful News feed provides links to I investigated the video at the request News delivers the fringe news that original sources of Internet news stories of LiveScience.com and noted several sus- may not get attention right away. The picious aspects, including its brevity and about a wide variety of topics related to theme woven through the stories is the fact that the man who posted the science, pseudoscience, and skepti- that critical thinking is essential for piece, a paranormal enthusiast named cism, including anti-vaccination, astrol- understanding what is going on in the Michael Cohen, has been involved with ogy, cryptozoology, UFOs, mass hysteria, world. The format, with multiple up- several other videos of questionable au- ghosts, crop circles, hoaxes, psychics, dates daily, allows for stories to be thenticity (if not outright hoaxes). I also superstition, and much more. Posts are posted days ahead of their appearance in larger outlets, the skeptical consulted Hollywood visual effects artist primarily written with a skeptical bent, literature and even before appear- Derek Serra, who concluded among other providing brief commentary and some ance in blogs and podcasts. things that the video image “appears to background while encouraging readers have been intentionally blurred.” Access is available via the web site doubt- to seek out the source and inquire for Several days after I posted my analysis fulnews.com, Twitter @doubtfulnews, and themselves. of the video, I got an email from a man Sharon Hill, comanager of the blog Facebook www.facebook.com/doubtful- named Ludovic Petho, who directed me to with Torkel Ødegård, explained: news.

6 Volume 36 Issue 3 | Skeptical Inquirer May June pages BOX_SI new design masters 3/29/12 4:04 PM Page 7

[ NEWS AND COMMENT

Evolution Advocate Asa Gray Featured on American Scientists Stamp Series

Botanist and evolutionary scientist Asa Gray, a contemporary and supporter of Darwin, is one of four scientists honored on commem- orative postage stamps in the third American Scien tists issuance of the U.S. Postal Service. Gray, a professor of natural history at Har- vard for thirty-one years, met Darwin in 1851 and later boldly supported Darwinism in America against objections of religious leaders and others. Gray served as president of the American Association for the Ad vance - ment of Science from 1863 to 1873. Chemist Melvin Calvin, physicist Maria Goeppert Mayer, and biochemist Severo Ochoa are the other three scientists hon- Mammoth or bear? Some claim the blurry subject of this video still is a woolly mammoth. Others see a more pedestrian bear. ored on the 2011 “Forever” first-class footage he filmed at the Kitoy River in was used to make this fake sighting.” stamps. Each stamp shows a collage fea- Siberia’s Sayan Moun tains in the sum- Petho noted that his original video turing a photograph and a signature of the mer of 2011. Petho filmed the river had been available on YouTube since scientist along with equations, diagrams, or scene during a ten-day solo hike in the July 2011. I then wrote a follow-up letters associated with his or her research. mountains as part of a video project piece exposing the hoax, which ap - “With these stamps,” said a Postal Service about his grandfather’s escape from a peared on CBS News, MSNBC, The statement, “the Postal Service honors four Siberian POW camp in 1915. The Christian Science Monitor, and else- Americans who, while dedicating their lives to footage was identical to the woolly where. Lee Speigel of the Huffington understanding the fundamental pro cesses of mammoth video with one glaring dif- Post wrote an excellent piece on the nature, made extraordinary contributions to ference: “I don’t recall seeing a mam- hoax as well, focusing more on how the advancement of science.” The previous moth; there were bears, deer, and the hoaxers got Petho’s footage; Petho American Scientists issuances (four each) sable,” he told me, “but no woolly is in the process of seeking legal re- were in 2008 (SI, July/August 2008) and mammoths. I had no idea my footage course for copyright violation. n 2005 (July/August 2005). Here are the 2011 stamps and the short bios printed on the reverse side of sheets of twenty.

Melvin Calvin (1911–1997) was the first scientist to trace in detail the process of photosynthesis and conducted pioneering research on using plants as an alternative energy source. He won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1961.

Asa Gray (1810–1888), one of the first professional botanists in the United States, advanced the specialized field of plant geography and became the principal American advocate of evolutionary theory in the mid-nineteenth century.

Maria Goeppert Mayer (1906–1972) developed a theoretical model that helped explain the structure of the atomic nucleus; for this work she became the only woman other than Marie Curie to win a Nobel Prize in Physics.

Severo Ochoa (1905–1993), a biochemist, was the first scientist to synthesize ribonucleic acid (RNA) and com- peted in the race to decipher the genetic code. Ochoa won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1959.

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[SPECIAL REPORT

A Feeble Challenge to Evolution from ‘Reasons to Believe’

Biblical creationism purports to be a legitimate alternative to evolution. This report outlines numerous problems with one Christian ministry’s creationism curriculum.

BRIAN BOLTON

uring the past six months I at- It follows that RTB embraces super- throughout the program. In fact, evolu- tended a multipart audio-visual naturalism as a valid mode of explanation is not an atheistic doctrine. Dprogram at the Georgetown Pa - tion of observed phenomena. Specific - The strongest argument against this lace Theater in Texas promoting biblical ally, the Bible “describes reality beyond unwarranted insinuation is that the vast creationism as an alternative to neo- the natural world,” and it possesses “su- majority of people who endorse evolu- Darwinian evolution. The program, pernatural accuracy.” In plain language, tion are religious believers. They are sponsored by the Main Street Baptist God is responsible for everything. This called “theistic evolutionists,” typically Church, consisted of a series of thirteen position contradicts that of the entire de vout Christians—Catholics, Method - one-hour presentations delivered every scientific community, which accepts ists, Episcopalians, Lutherans—but per- other Sunday morning. The curriculum only natural causal mechanisms. sons of other faiths as well who accept was developed by a fundamentalist RTB cannot be regarded as a legiti- the scientific validity of evolution and re- Chris tian ministry located in California mate scholarly endeavor, because it be- gard the Genesis stories as possessing (with an Austin chapter) called “Reasons gins by asserting that the truth is only poetic or metaphoric truth. to Believe” (RTB). A Christian apolo- known before any investigation is ever A related epithet creationist oppo- gist trained to deliver the RTB curricu- carried out. RTB does not propose hy- nents invoke to stigmatize evolution is lum presented the course, and the potheses derived from the Genesis cre- that it is “materialistic,” meaning that syllabus was composed of chapter-by- ation stories that can be tested and spiritual factors are excluded from con- chapter critiques of the arguments and which are subject to empirical dis - sideration. All scholarly disciplines are evidence summarized in prominent evo- confirm ation. The divine creation ex- predicated on the assumption of philo- lutionary biologist Richard Dawkins’s planation cannot be refuted because it sophical naturalism, which holds that book The Greatest Show on Earth. is assumed to be true a priori as an ar- nonnatural explanations are beyond the There are many problems with the ticle of faith—a textbook example of realm of empirical investigation. assumptions, rationale, and logic of the circular reasoning. RTB curriculum. Inerrancy and Faith Atheism and Materialism The foundational postulate of RTB Supernaturalism and Circularity The brochure that announced the RTB theology is that the Bible is God’s word RTB promulgates a comprehensive agen- program and briefly described some and is therefore without error. Re- da of Christian apologetics that rejects features of the curriculum suggested an phrased, the Bible is absolutely accurate all other belief systems and sacred texts. association between evolution and the and truthful in every statement. This as- The RTB theology is premised on two philosophy of atheism. Specifically, a sumption is rejected by most Christian primary faith-based doctrines consid- reference to “neo-Darwinian evolution and Jewish denominations. ered true beyond all doubt and immune as espoused by famed atheist Richard The Bible contains hundreds of erro- from all criticism: the God of the Bible Dawkins” and the assertion that “Richard neous assertions and contradictory state- is the only authentic deity, and the Bible Dawkins is the face of atheism today” ments, which have been catalogued in is his perfect word. imply this connection, which is repeated numerous books. Further more, the well-

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known stories, including the Genesis criticisms of evolution are organized specifying difficulties in some lines of creations, the Noachian deluge, the Mo- around the thirteen chapters in Daw- evidence will weaken the multidiscipli- saic Deca logue, and the life of Jesus, kins’s book. The underlying strategy as- nary argument for evolution and were all adapted from earlier pagan folk- sumes that identifying problems with thereby establish support for Genesis tales and legends. Also, the inerrantists evolution will enhance the case for bib- creationism commits the fallacy of ar- cannot agree among themselves, with lical creationism. This premise violates guing from ignorance. This tactic young-Earth advocates promoting a lit- two basic logical principles. would be valid only if there were just eral six-day creation and old-Earth pro- First, evolution and biblical cre- two acknowledged alternative explana- ponents conforming their beliefs to the ationism do not constitute “two sides of tions, only one of which was true. Nei- geological time scale. a debate.” Evolution is a scientific fact ther of these requirements of alternative The doctrine of inerrancy is accepted that is supported by a monumental cor- and disjunctive syllogisms is satisfied by by adherents on the basis of faith, which pus of evidence generated by fifty dis- the creationists. entails a commitment or allegiance that ciplinary specialties, whereas Genesis reflects personal conviction alone. Be - creationism consists of two stories that Creationist Confusion cause faith operates in the absence of ev- total about 1,400 words and were Biblical creationism is one of many re- idence, or may even contradict evidence, adapted from two distinct Sumerian- ligious creation myths that are sincerely it is by definition not a rational process. Babylonian creation myths. Counter- believed by their adherents, including Hence, RTB’s self-descriptors, “scientific,” poising evolution against creationism those from which the two Genesis sto- “rational,” “educated,” and “thought ful,” are entails a false equivalence, specifically ries were derived. Further more, the hardly warranted. that of equating and comparing evi- biblical creationists do not even agree dence-based science with Bible-based among themselves, arguing for two very Spurious Strategies mythology. To suggest that creationism different time translations that differ by The RTB program is predicated on the is a legitimate theory is a woeful misuse a factor or multiple of almost one mil- fallacies of false equivalence and argu- of language. lion. In actuality, there are numerous ing from ignorance. The curriculum’s Second, the RTB presumption that creation stories, such as those of the

Skeptical Inquirer | May/June 2012 9 May June pages BOX_SI new design masters 3/29/12 9:01 AM Page 10

“It is error only, and not truth, that shrinks from inquiry.” – Thomas Paine You Are Invited to Join the Center for Inquiry To Act, Combat, and Promote…

Since 1976, three remarkable organizations have been at the forefront of efforts to promote and defend critical thinking and freedom of inquiry. The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (founded in 1976), the Council for Secular Humanism (1980), CSI Fellow and SkEPTICAl INquIrEr Editorial Board Member and the Center for Inquiry James Alcock leads a class at a Skeptics’ Toolbox event. The Toolbox (1991) have advocated, has been held every year, except once, since1992. championed, and, when necessary, defended the freedom to inquire—while Your Help Is a Necessity! ACT, COMBAT, and PROMOTE demonstrating how the fruits Each year, magazine of objective inquiry can be We are currently focused on three subscriptions fund a smaller used to understand reality, goals central to our core objectives: percentage of this work, even refute false beliefs, and achieve as the need for activism in- Act to end the stigma results that benefit humanity. attached to being creases and the population nonreligious. we serve grows. In many ways, our organizations have been ahead of their Combat religion’s More than ever, CFI and its time. Now, they are privileges and its influence affiliates depend on the on public policy. truly 3 For Tomorrow. generosity of our supporters Through education, advocacy, both to fund daily operations Promote science-based publishing, legal activism, skepticism and critical thinking. and to build capital and their network of regional for the future. branches, CFI and its affiliate Make your most generous gift

organizations continue to today, or request information on Your support today can provide support for everyone planned giving or a bequest. who seeks a better life—in protect tomorrow for us all. For more information, return the this life—for all. Your generous gift can perpetuate our work toward attached card or contact us at: Center for Inquiry the kind of world you—and Development Office your grandchildren—can feel P.O. Box 741 Amherst, NY 14226 proud to live in. 1-800-818-7071 [email protected] website: www.centerforinquiry.net May June pages BOX_SI new design masters 3/29/12 9:01 AM Page 11

SPECIAL REPORT]

Australian Aborigines and the native peoples of the Americas, as well as Is- lamic, Hindu, and Confucian concep- tions. Moreover, the stipulation that only If there were reasons or evidence that supported one of the two alternative explanations Genesis creationism, then faith would not be can be true is violated by the position necessary. ...The creationists’ dogged search for reasons adopted by those Christians and Jews who are labeled theistic or God-di- to believe betrays their claims of faith. rected evolutionists. These believers subscribe to the view that God imple- mented evolution as the process by which all life-forms developed over brief formulations in the two Genesis with virtually no success, despite refor- time, including humankind. Clearly, creation stories: mulations as “scientific creationism” and this position accepts evolution as thor- “intelligent design.” 1. God created man and woman oughly compatible with the Bible, find- Three factual conclusions not ac- in his own image (Gen. 1:27). ing different truths in each. knowledged by RTB put the creationist 2. God formed man from the By devoting their energies to an on- endeavor in concrete perspective. First, dust of the ground and breathed going attack on evolution, the propo- every scientific organization in the life into him (Gen. 2:7). nents of biblical creationism also deflect world rejects creationist claims. Second, 3. God removed a rib from the attention from the major defect in their mainstream Christian and Jewish de- man and made a woman (Gen. unrelenting mission of political advo- nominations reject biblical inerrancy 2:21–22). cacy. This is of course the complete lack and endorse human evolution. Third, of empirical evidence supporting their Do these declarations constitute a eight U.S. Supreme Court, Federal Ap- belief in the literal truth of the Genesis “rational creationist belief ”? Have the peals Court, and Federal Court deci- creation stories. More over, RTB now RTB scholars provided the “irrefut able, sions have ruled that creationism can- unbelievably asserts that “the appear- empirical, evidence” that they demand not be taught in public school science ance of design shifts the burden of of evolution proponents to support their classes because it is a religious doctrine. proof to evolutionists.” How ludicrous Godly image/dust of the ground/woman Finally, the relentless effort of bib - given that evolutionists have generated from man’s rib “theory” of human ori- lical creationism advocates to ad duce all of the evidence while creationists gins? No, they have not done so. In their reasons and assemble arguments to but- have not presented one iota of experi- view they don’t have to conduct re- tress their views demonstrates that they mental evidence in support of their search because their postulation of do not possess authentic faith. True folktales. scriptural inerrancy guarantees that the faith does not require any justification, Genesis verses are historically and bio- because faith the unquestioning jus- Human Evolution is logically accurate. Of course, we know tification for all doctrinal beliefs. If The critical issue for creationists is their that humans are not exempt from the there were reasons or evidence that sup- belief that God created man and laws of nature, regardless of what the ported Genesis creationism, then faith woman as adults 100,000 years ago ex- Bible says. would not be necessary because cre- actly as described in the Bible. They re- Undisclosed Information ationism would be a valid scientific the- ject the overwhelming evidence that ory. The creationists’ dogged search for modern humans evolved from apelike The RTB program is a carefully selected reasons to believe betrays their claims ancestors over a span of several million presentation of information and argu- of faith. n years. Creationists deny that our closest ments designed to dispute the evidence living cousins are chimpanzees, gorillas, supporting human evolution out of the Brian Bolton is a retired psy- and orangutans. erroneous belief that the case for Gene- chologist living in George- What explanation of human origins sis creationism will be therefore en- town, Texas. is favored by Bible creationists? They hanced. Creationists have battled to have invoke their doctrine of “special cre- their views included in public school sci- ation” of humans, presented in three ence classrooms for the past forty years

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Famous Alien Abduction in Pascagoula: Reinvestigating a Cold Case

Among reports of extraterrestrial encounters, the 1973 claim of two Mississippi men to have been taken aboard a flying saucer remains controversial. Was it a real encounter or a hoax? Or is that a false dichotomy?

JOE NICKELL

harles Hickson, the chief claim - and possessed clawed hands. The legs ductees.” Harder tried unsuccessfully to ant in the Pascagoula, Miss issippi, were joined, pedestal-like, and the en- hypnotize the men (Clark 1998, 717) C UFO abduction case, died of a tity glided (see Figure 1). but did conclude they had experienced heart attack on September 9, 2011, at the The two men claimed they were “an extraterrestrial phenomena [sic].”1 age of eighty. Until his death he main- taken aboard the spacecraft, where they Hynek believed the pair had at least had tained the truth of his alien en counter— were examined, after which they were “a very real, frightening experience” part of the UFO “flap” of 1973 (Peebles returned to their fishing site. Un nerved, (Blum with Blum 1974, 24–25). The 1995, 241–45). It has remained (after the they sat in a car to regain their compo- sheriff ’s de partment also felt the men Betty and Barney Hill case of 1961) “the sure (with Hickson, at least, drinking were telling the truth, and Hickson re- second most famous UFO-abduction whiskey), then reported their experi- quested and passed a lie-detector test case in history,” according to UFO his- ence to the sheriff. arranged by the agent with whom the torian Jerome Clark (1998, 714). Although the UFO reported by the men had signed a contract to promote men had apparently not been seen by their story. Parker suffered a breakdown Very Close Encounter people on the heavily traveled nearby and was briefly hospitalized (Clark Hickson, then forty-two, was fishing highway (Randle 2001), there had been 1998, 714–17). from an old pier on the Pascagoula other UFO sightings in the area, includ- The men’s fantastic report drew River with a friend, nineteen-year-old ing on the night in question. The UFOs much skepticism. Famed UFO skeptic Calvin Parker Jr., on the night of Octo - were variously described—some saw a Philip J. Klass noted discrepancies in ber 11, 1973. Hickson claimed they helicopter-like object; one person re- Hickson’s account (for instance, once heard a “zipping” sound and en coun- ported a supposed “experiment” from an referring to the creatures as having a tered a glowing object—an elongated Air Force base; and so on (Clark 1998, “hole” for a mouth but later calling it a UFO—hovering above the ground. 715; Blum with Blum 1974, 14–19). “slit”). Klass also pointed out that the Three robotlike aliens exited from the lie-detector test was conducted by an craft; although they were gray hu- Controversy “inexperienced” polygraph operator and manoids just over five feet tall, they The pair’s veracity was accepted by that Hickson refused to take another were otherwise of a type not reported UFO believers J. Allen Hynek of the administered by an expert police exam- before or since (Nickell 2011): each en- Center for UFO Studies (CUFOS) and iner. Based on other evidence—includ- tity lacked a neck, exhibited only slits James Harder of the Aerial Phe nomena ing the fact that Hick son had once for eyes and mouth, had a nose and ears Research Organization (APRO), both been fired for improperly obtaining that were sharply pointed protrusions, of whom rushed to interview the “ab- money from employees under his su-

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SPECIAL REPORT]

pervision—Klass concluded the case said that the aliens “paralyzed” him be- 36), Hickson described the UFO as “a was a hoax ([1974] 1976, 347–69; 1989, fore carrying him aboard the UFO in blue light,” adding: “It circled a bit.” He 18–19). what sounds like a hypnagogic fantasy. emphasized it was blue, saying, “And The imagery might even have been you think you dreamin’ about some- A Solution triggered by Hickson actually sighting thing like that, you know” (original So which was it: a genuine alien abduc- something—almost anything—that, emphasis). Hickson also reported that tion or a hoax? Or is that a false di- while he was in the waking-dream it made “a little buzzin’ sound—nnnnn - chotomy? In reviewing the case, I state, appeared to be a “UFO.” During nnnnn, nnnnnnnnn” (Blum with Blum thought there might be another possi- a recorded interview with Sheriff Fred 1974, 31). Bright lights and odd noises bility: the two men, who might have Diamond (Blum with Blum 1974, 30– can also be part of the waking-dream been drinking before the incident (as Hickson admitted he was after), might have dozed off. Hickson could then have entered a hypnagogic (“waking dream”) state, a trancelike condition between waking and sleeping in which The men’s fantastic report drew much skepticism. some people experience hallucinations, Famed UFO skeptic Philip J. Klass noted discrepancies in often with bizarre imagery, including Hickson’s account (for instance, once referring to the creatures strange beings (aliens, ghosts, etc.). This state may be accompanied by what is as having a “hole” for a mouth but later calling it a “slit”). called “sleep paralysis” (the body’s in- ability to move due to still being in the sleep mode). In fact, Hickson not only reported the bizarre imagery but also

Figure 1. Recreation of Hickson and Parker’s encounter, based on several sketches made from their descriptions. (Drawing by Joe Nickell)

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experience, as can the sense of floating tion was vulnerable: he had recently not proof of initial hoaxing. (Mavromatis 1987, 148). Hickson joined the shipyard where Hickson When all the facts are weighed, the stated, “I couldn’t resist [the extraterres- worked and was residing with the preponderance of evidence appears not trials], I just floated—felt no sensation, Hick sons.) It would have been signifi- only to favor the hypothesis involving no pain” (Blum with Blum 1974, 32). cant if Parker had himself been in a the hypnagogic state but to provide These phenomena, coupled with the hypnagogic state, since “suggestibility is corroboration as well. The realization paralysis and fantastic imagery, corrob- high during this state” (Goldenson may not benefit the late Charles Hick- orate the diagnosis of a hypnagogic ex- 1970, I: 574). Interestingly, when the son, but it could help others who hear perience. two men were left alone in a room at of supposed alien abductions to rest in Of additional corroborative value are the sheriff ’s office, where they were se- peace. n other factors, including Hickson’s de- cretly tape recorded (Clark 1998, 716), scription of the aliens as speaking inside they did not make incriminating state- Acknowledgments his head (Clark 1998, 715), be cause a ments as they might have if perpetrat- I am grateful to Major James McGaha feature of hypnagogia is the sense of ing a hoax but acted more like people (USAF retired) and CFI Libraries Director perceiving “with whole consciousness.” comparing notes to see if they were in Tim Binga for help with this article. This explains the bright lights and clar- agreement with each other. Note 1. The men were later hypnotized by another person (Hickson and Mendez 1983).

References Blum, Ralph, with Judy Blum. 1974. Beyond But if Hickson had a hypnagogic experience, what about Earth: Man’s Contact with UFOs. New York: Parker? Actu ally, he need not have been in such a state Bantam Books. Clark, Jerome. 1998. The UFO Encyclopedia, vol. 2. himself because, as he told officers, he had passed out at Detroit, Michigan: Omnigraphics, 714–19. Goldenson, Robert M. 1970. The Encyclopedia of the beginning of the incident and failed to regain Human Behavior: Psychology, Psychiatry, and consciousness until it was over. Mental Health. New York: Doubleday. Hickson, Charles, and William Mendez. 1983. UFO Contact at Pascagoula. Tucson, Arizona: Wendelle C. Stevens. Klass, Philip J. (1974) 1976. UFOs Explained. New York: Vintage Books. ———. 1989. UFO Abductions: A Dangerous ity of his experiences, since hypnagogic Still, some of Hickson’s behavior is Game, updated edition. Buffalo, New York: visions often seem particularly illumi- questionable. For example, he kept Prometheus Books. Mavromatis, Andreas. 1987. Hypnagogia: The nated, vivid, and de tailed (Mavromatis adding to his story. He claimed on a tel- Unique State of Consciousness between Wake ful - 1987, 14–52, 148). evision show a month later that the in- ness and Sleep. New York: Routledge & Kegan But if Hickson had a hypnagogic ex- terior lights of the UFO had been so in- Paul. Nickell, Joe. 2011. Tracking the Man-Beasts. perience, what about Parker? Actu ally, tense as to cause eye injury lasting for Amherst, New York: Prometheus Books, he need not have been in such a state three days, although an extensive hospi- 184–86. himself because, as he told officers, he tal examination the day after the inci- Peebles, Curtis. 1995. Watch the Skies! A Chronicle had passed out at the beginning of the dent had shown no such eye damage of the Flying Saucer Myth. New York: Berkley Books. incident and failed to regain conscious- (Klass 1974, 349–50). But this is a famil- Randle, Kevin D. 2001. Pascagoula (Mississippi) ness until it was over (United Press In- iar story: even accounts of the truest oc- abduction. In Story 2001, 423–24. ternational 1973). Later he “remem- currences gain distortions and embell- Story, Ronald D. 2001. The Encyclopedia of Extra- terrestrial Encounters. New York: New Amer- bered” bits and pieces of the alleged ishments over time, so why should ican Library. encounter. This would be consistent Hickson’s story be any different? UFOl- United Press International. 1973. Wire-service with an example of folie à deux (a ogist Kevin D. Randle (2001) insists story, “Creatures” (Pascagoula, Mississippi, French expression, the “folly of two”) in Hickson’s alterations “went be yond that.” October 12). In Blum with Blum 1974, 9–11. which a percipient convinces another of Specifically, he says, “These changes some alleged occurrence (as by the seemed to be in response to criticisms Joe Nickell is CSI’s senior research fellow. He has power of suggestion, the force of a and appeared to be an attempt to smooth been investigating alleged paranormal phenom- dominant personality, or the like) or the out rough spots in the story.” But to me ena since 1969 and is the author (or coauthor other person simply acquiesces for that just signals Hickson’s defensiveness or editor) of over thirty books. His website is whatever reason. (Young Parker’s posi- brought on by people ridiculing him— www.joenickell.com.

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[ INVESTIGATIVE FILES JOE NICKELL Joe Nickell is CSI’s senior research fellow. His doctorial dissertation (1987) was titled “Literary Investigation.” His website is www.joenickell.com.

Ghost Author? The Channeling of ‘Patience Worth’

earl Lenore (Pollard) Curran tience in a typical communication. “Nay, other agency,” an explanation adopted by (1883–1937) (Figure 1), wife of ’tis a piddle, not a stream, ye search. Spiritualists and other mystics, the truth PJohn H. Curran of St. Louis, be - Mayhap thou sendest thy men for bar- can be easily demonstrated (as magician gan in 1913 to receive poems and novels, leycorn. ’Twould then surprise thee Milbourne Christopher has explained): via Ouija board, from a seventeenth- should the asses eat it.” And so on, in when the board is out of sight and the century Puritan English woman named her quaint, facile manner. alphabet scrambled, only gibberish is “Patience Worth.” Patience had suppos- A New York Times reviewer praised spelled out. (Curran rejected such “con- edly been born in England in 1649 and her style: “Notwithstanding the serious ditions” [1920, 399].) immigrated to America, where she was quality and the many pitifulnesses and Fantasy Proneness slain by Indians at the age of forty-five, tragedies . . . [there is] much humor of although no historical record has ever a quaint, demure kind . . . [and] the plot Indeed, I find that Pearl Curran ex- been found for her. is contrived with such skill, deftness, hibits several traits consistent with hav- Some 216 years later, “Patience” and ingenuity as many a novelist in the ing a fantasy-prone personality. Such made her debut one July evening while flesh might well envy” (qtd. in Christo- persons are sane and normal but gener- Curran and a friend, who was a writer, pher 1970, 128). ally enjoy a rich fantasy life, which may were playing with a Ouija board. With One Elizabethan scholar, a Profes - include experiencing a previous life- their fingers pressing on the planchette, sor Shelling, was less impressed. As he time. “While they are pretending,” state it began to spell out a strange message: stated: Many moons ago I lived. Again The language employed is not that I come — Patience Worth of any historical age or period; but, my name — where it is not the current English of the part of the United States in The message unleashed a flow of Pa- which Mrs. Curran lives, it is a dis- tience Worth writings that eventually tortion born of superficial acquain- tance with poetry and a species of filled whole volumes: The Sorry Tale, would-be Scottish dialect ... the Hope Trueblood, and The Pot Upon the borrowing of some dialect words and Wheel were followed soon by Light from the clear misuse, misunderstanding Beyond and Telka. By 1918, the phan- and even invention of many others. ... There is an easy facility of tom writer had her own Patience Worth phrase almost wholly in our contem- Magazine, which lasted ten issues porary idiom and showing nowhere (Christopher 1970, 128–30). the qualities of the language of Eliz- abeth’s or any previous age. (qtd. in Historical Fiction Christopher 1970, 129) Curran eventually abandoned the cum- I concur with this assessment. bersome Ouija board, discovering that Moreover, as is now well known, the Patience Worth could guide her fingers productions of the Ouija board are ac- while she typed and could speak tually due to “the involuntary muscular through Curran’s voice while a friend actions of the players”—as the effect was took dictation “at a tremendous speed” described in toy maker Isaac Fuld’s ap- (Cavendish 1974). “Go Ye to the lighted Figure 1. Pearl Curran channeled “Patience Worth” from 1913 plication for a patent on the device. Al- until her death in 1937. (Photo by Joe Nickell from original at hall to search for learning?” asked Pa- though Fuld added, “or through some Missouri Historical Society)

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Wilson and Barber in their classic study (1983, 354), “they become totally ab- sorbed in the character and tend to lose awareness of their true identity.” They may believe they receive special messages from paranormal entities, possess psychic powers, or the like. A short autobiographical sketch penned by Cur- ran reveals her to have been an imagi- native child who played the piano at her uncle’s Spiritualist church. Of her supposed communication with Patience Worth, she wrote: “I am not a Spiritu- alist, but am in sympathy with the fur- therance of psychic facts and believe that the pioneers of today are but grop- ing toward fact. I am not a ‘medium’ in the common sense. Am deeply interested in the study of psychic phenomena, using myself as a study” (emphasis added, Curran 1926, 15). Figure 2. The “Patience Worth” papers at the Missouri Historical Society in St. Louis are a trove of “automatic” writings. “Patience Worth” seems to have been, according to philosopher Charles E. Cory (1927, 432), Curran’s “other self,” a form of alter ego. He characterizes the phenomenon as follows (1927, 433–34): I accept the judgment that Patience Worth is a genius of no mean order. And, perhaps, there is in the genius of this writer a concrete illustration of what freedom a mind may achieve when released from the inhibitions that clog and check the normal consciousness. She is a dissociated self, and this dissociation has taken place in such a way as to free her from the burdens and concerns of life, from all the claims that split the will and bind the fancy. And perhaps in this fact, and all that it implies, lies the condition of her genius. The division of the self has resulted in a division of labor. To Mrs. Curran falls the care of the needs of the body, and the interests of the social life. Their reactions and distractions are hers. ... But turn to this dissociated mind and the conditions have changed. The work of adjusting the organism to the environment being left to the other self, the inhibitions which per- ception places upon the imagination are removed. This sets free and un - fettered the mind of Patience Worth. In the realm of the idea she lives, and there she sustains herself without effort. She acknowledges no tie or bond that might take her out of her Figure 3. A few surviving telltale documents like this reveal that Pearl Curran did not merely take spirit dictation but engaged dream. She is a dreamer that never in the revision process—like ordinary writers. (Photo by Joe Nickell at Missouri Historical Society) awakens. And the conditions of this

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spell are, in a way, the conditions of ous boxed documents and twenty-nine Conclusions her genius. With her our moments of bound volumes of typescripts (Figure 2). The weight of the evidence—the lack abstraction, moments that life affords Even though it is known that “Patience” us the luxury of thought and imagi- of historical record for “Patience nation, are prolonged indefinitely. could compose on demand (Prince Worth,” the fantasy proneness of Cur- They are, in fact, a fixed condition. In [1927] 1964, 56, 281–300), I found evi- ran (consistent with producing an other words, she lives only in a world dence that some of the writings were the imaginary “other self”), the writings’ of thought. And so far she has shown product of the creative process—show- no desire to displace the other self, questionable language, and the evi- ing various revisions—rather than, as al- dence of the editing and revision and alternate with her in the role of leged, mere dictation from the supposed action. To do so would result in es- process—indicates that Patience was spirit of the nonexistent “Patience sential modification of her con- merely a persona of Curran’s. Worth” of the seventeenth century. sciousness, and put her under inhibi- I can relate to that: When I visited tions from which she is now free. For example, I found two versions of the archives I was accompanied by a a 1920 poem, “My Love Is Old.” In the Although Curran refused to be hyp- number of my own personas, including bound typescript, vol. 12, p. 2302, the notized, and it is said she did not go paranormal investigator, historical last line of the poem reads, “Who into a “trance” while writing (Prince document examiner, poet, fiction writer, bending whispers forget, forget.” But [1927] 1964, 428, 431), her dissociated there is an earlier loose manuscript of editor, literary critic, forensic linguist, mode is clearly similar to what today that same page with the typed line handwriting expert, photographer, and would be recognized as “self-hypno- originally reading, “Who bending re- more—all of which played their role in sis”—a state she entered and left easily. sponds forget, forget”—but the word my examination of the manuscripts. The Therefore she probably would have responds has been stricken and the word century-old case can now be closed. It is been an excellent subject had she whispers penned instead. about time. n agreed to undergo hypnosis. Interest - Several poems had fold marks in the Acknowledgments ingly, Curran eventually discovered she paper, indicating they had been mailed to could write short stories of her own but persons for whom they were written— I am grateful to the many people who as- sisted with my research, including Kath leen emphasized that she could “feel the dif- one “For Grace Parrish,” for in stance. ference between the conscious effort of Kelly and Larry Jewell of the Ration alist When that poem appeared in the bound Society of St. Louis, the generous staff of the ordinary manner of writing, as typescripts, numerous changes in punc- the Missouri Historical Society Ar chives, against the unconscious manner in tuation and line divisions had been made, CFI Libraries Director Timothy Binga, and which the Patient Worth material and stanza divisions had been added. my assistant, Ed Beck. I am especially grate- comes to me” (1920, 403). More telling is another poem for Parrish ful to John and Mary Frantz for their crucial financial support. containing some very different text in the Smoking Gun typescripts, revised wording, a line added, Note But Curran was not just receiving “dic- and changes in punctuation and line di- tation.” Like other writers (including 1. This document is in the third of three fold- visions. ers of loose documents dated September 8–15, me) before and since, she embarked on Quite revealing is a typed page of yel- 1924, Patience Worth Collection, Missouri His- the creative process and was carried to lowed copy paper with penciled notation torical Society, St. Louis, Missouri. that far-away place in the mind whence (“3 carbons please”) that is rough ly typed References inspiration comes, producing things and marked over. A few typed lines have that often seemed quite mysteriously Cavendish, Richard. 1974. Encyclopedia of the Un- been crossed out (having read, “How explained. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, bestowed—as if from one of those god- could I know until you came how close 278. desses of art in Greek mythology, the God was/How could I comprehend the Christopher, Milbourne. 1970. ESP, Seers & Psy- Muses. Curran may have simply per- chics: What the Occult Really Is. New York: Cross and all the agony . . .”). There are Thomas Y. Crowell, 124–31. ceived her muse as a character named also numerous penned edits and revisions Cory, Charles E. 1927. In Prince (1927) 1964, Patience Worth. in Pearl Curran’s handwriting, as well as 428–37. I have researched the matter over the a note to someone addressed as “honey” Curran, Pearl. 1920. A note for psychologists. In Prince (1927) 1964, 392–403. years. In 2010, after speaking to the Ra- (presumably a typist) to “break it up—it ———. 1926. Autobiographical sketch. In Prince tionalist Society of St. Louis on “Hunt- will look better I think,” apparently re- (1927) 1964, 11–15. ing for Ghosts and Spirits,” I was able to ferring to the line breaks (see Figure 3).1 Prince, Walter Franklin. (1927) 1964. The Case of study Pearl Curran’s writings at the Mis- Patience Worth. New Hyde Park, New York: I suspect that there were once many University Books. souri Historical Society Archives (which more such drafts but that they were Wilson, Sheryl C., and Theodore X. Barber. 1983. very graciously accommodated me on a subsequently destroyed, replaced by The fantasy-prone personality: Impli cations day they were otherwise closed). For five what manuscript experts call “fair for understanding imagery, hypnosis, and parapsychological phenomena. In Imagery, hours I pored over the Pearl Cur- copies”—that is, neat, final versions as Current Theory, Research and Application . Anees ran/“Patience Worth” papers—numer- preserved in the bound volumes. A. Sheikh (ed.) New York: Wiley, 340–90.

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[THINKING ABOUT SCIENCE MASSIMO PIGLIUCCI Massimo Pigliucci is professor of philosophy at the City University of New York–Lehman College, a fellow of the American Association for the Advance ment of Science, and author of Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk. His essays can be found at www.rationallyspeaking.org.

Psychoanalysis and Social Constructivism

here seems to be an emergent con- theories of knowledge were correct rather for the same underlying socio- sensus in philosophy of science about the nature of science. They then logical reasons that have to do with the Tthat Freudian psychoanalysis has turn around and use this suggestion as social structure of science, particularly been degraded to the status of pseudo- an indirect critique of the social con- with the distribution of power within science—just as Karl Popper suggested structivist research program in the soci- that structure. when he starting writing about the “de- ology of science. Social constructivism isn’t taken se- marcation problem,” the question of Social constructivism is the idea that riously either by scientists themselves or what separates science from non- science is, in a strong sense, a social ac- by philosophers of science, and for good science, at the beginning of the twenti- tivity that is “constructed” by its mem- reasons. Boudry and Buekens quote eth century. (Popper’s other example of ber participants—that is, the scientists. André Kukla as pointing out that the pseudoscience was Marxist theorizing In a weak sense this is obvious: science field is replete with “reverse switch - about history.) Indeed, recently news- is indeed a social activity engaged in by eroos”: “[You] put forth a strong version papers in both England and the United a certain type of human being. But in of the hypothesis [about how science States commented on the departure of the strong sense this amounts to the works], and when it gets into trouble, Frank Cioffi, one of the leading critics claim, as sociologist Harry Collins in- you retreat to a weaker version, pre- of Freud within philosophy of science. famously put it, that “the natural world tending that it was the weaker thesis A colleague of mine, Maarten Bou - in no way constrains what is believed to that you had in mind all along.” dry at the University of Ghent (Bel- be.” As another champion of social con- But, argue Boudry and Buekens, gium), has recently added an interesting structivism, David Bloor, put it, “[The Freudian psychoanalysis does indeed fit twist to the status of Freudian psycho- sociology of scientific knowledge is] the description of “science” given by social analysis in a paper he cowrote with Filip symmetrical in its style of explanation. constructivists. The above-mentioned Buekens that was published in the jour- The same types of cause would explain, Cioffi, for instance, pointed out that nal Theoria in 2011. Boudry and say, true and false beliefs.” In other Freud (and his followers and eventual ri- Buekens have argued that psychoanaly- words, scientific theories are accepted vals) didn’t seem to be aware of the fact sis provides a good model of what sci- or rejected not because they do or do that he was interpreting evidence refuting ence would be like if social constructivist not match the empirical evidence, but his theory as yet another instance of confirmation of the theory. For instance, Freud thought that his patients had an (obviously unconscious) desire to see his theories fail, which would naturally account for the patients sometimes behav- Freud was winning regardless of the evidence: ing in ways contrary to what the theory would predict. In essence, Freud was win- if the latter confirmed the theory, good; ning regardless of the evidence: if the lat- if it didn’t, it was the result of his patients’ ter confirmed the theory, good; if it didn’t, unconscious resistance—also “predicted” by the theory! it was the result of his patients’ unconscious resistance—also “predicted” by the theory! This isn’t very different from psychics who explain the failure of controlled experiments on their alleged abilities by invoking a negative effect on psi “energy” caused by the proximity of skeptics.

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Boudry and Buekens also note that because the very idea of a Freudian- tonian to relativistic physics. It wasn’t critics like Cioffi and several others type mental landscape is a (extremely the result of new empirical discoveries have demonstrated that it is pretty flexible) figment of Freud’s (and his or theoretical insights but more obvi- much impossible to pin down any or- colleagues’) imagination. Collins’s com- ously the outcome of changed cultural thodox or standard theory of psycho- ment about theories being uncon- sensibilities. analysis distinct from an array of “im- strained by the natural world—while munizing strategies” concocted to twist absurd in the case of actual science— Ironically, some psychoanalysts have uncooperative evidence into supporting fits psychoanalysis (and any other pseu- themselves embraced social construc- the psychoanalyst’s claim. Again, this is doscience) perfectly well. tivism, perhaps (unconsciously?) aware what one typically observes in propo- But, one might object, psychoanaly- that the sociological doctrine, if extended nents of pseudoscience, from parapsy- sis has made progress. For instance, the to real science, would provide a perfect chology to UFOlogy, from creationism Freudian concept of penis envy was shield for the respectability of their spec- to astrology. gradually abandoned during the second ulations (hey, scientists do it too!). In the Boudry and Beuekens’ conclusion is half of the twentieth century, to be end, constructivist sociologists of science that critics of psychoanalysis have ex- re placed by new concepts like “breast would do much better in aiming their posed the fact that the theory is, indeed, envy” and “vagina envy” (I kid you not) a social construction of psychoanalysts in a number of psychoanalytical schools. tools at pseudoscience, all the while rec- themselves. There are no facts of the As Boudry and Buekens point out, ognizing that science is a very different matter to be discovered about how the however, this change is not at all anal- kind of beast, one for which the natural Freudian mental landscape works, ogous to, say, the transition from New- world does a lot of the “constraining.” n

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[NOTES ON A STRANGE WORLD MASSIMO POLIDORO Massimo Polidoro is an investigator of the paranormal, lecturer, and cofounder and head of CICAP, the Italian skeptics group. His website is at www.massimopolidoro.com.

Ten Myths about the Titanic

he sinking of the Titanic has become a modern folktale; as such, its story has been clouded by many myths and misconceptions that are still flourishing a century after the disaster. Legends began spreading before the ship had T even begun to sink in the Atlantic Ocean that terrible night in April 1912.

1) The Unsinkable Ship. One of been discovered recently that the cophagus that depicted a face so the most often repeated claims is White Star Line had told the scary that many thought it meant that the White Star Line, owner New York Times in 1892—that is, bad luck. It was not a mummy, of the ship, had claimed that the six years before Robertson wrote then, but only the cover of a sar- Titanic was unsinkable. In truth, his book—that they were plan- cophagus. It probably belonged to the company never made that ning to build ships of the same a priestess of the cult of the god claim; however, at the time of the exact kind as the one later de- Amen-Ra; Pearson’s magazine had Titanic’s fitting out, there was a scribed by the writer. They also devoted a cover story to it in the special edition of The Shipbuilder told the Times that the first one August 1909 issue. It was quite a magazine in which the ship was might be named Gigantic. Not well known archaeological item, described as “practically unsink- bad for a hint! then, housed at the British Mu- able” due to its double bottom and seum. Despite the many legends sixteen watertight compartments. 3) No Pope, Please. This one can be linked to it, the sarcophagus was found repeated in most books just a beautiful relic from ancient 2) A Predictable Disaster. Fourteen dealing with strange omens related Egypt, and it never left the mu- years before the Titanic disaster, to the disaster. Rumors have it that seum (it certainly never was on the the novel Futility by Morgan the Titanic’s hull number was Titanic), where it can still be seen Robertson described the sinking 360604, which, when viewed in Room 62. of a gigantic ship called the Titan through a mirror, spells the anti- after it hit an iceberg in the Catholic statement “NO POPE” 5) The Priceless Rubaiyat. It is Atlantic in the month of April. —a heresy in the ultra-Catholic claimed that the copy of The A case of prophecy? Not quite. parts of Belfast, where the ship Rubaiyat, a selection of poems at- Martin Gardner, in his The Wreck was built. However, it is just a tributed to Omar Khayyám of the Titanic Foretold?, explains myth; as every scholar of the Ti- (1048–1131), a Persian mathe- that if you were a sea writer like tanic will tell you, the hull number matician, astronomer, and Robertson and wanted to write was a much less scary 401. philosopher, present aboard the a catastrophic novel about the Titanic was absolutely priceless. sinking of a ship during peace 4) Curse of the Mummy. The story It’s true that the book was a time, an iceberg would be the about the curse of the Mummy of deluxe edition purchased at only thing that could do the job. Amen-Ra destroying the Titanic is Sotheby’s by an American collec- The most likely place for ships to pure fantasy as well. However, it tor—the cover had a peacock de- meet icebergs was in the Atlantic stems from an actual story related sign made from gold and studded Ocean, and the month of April by journalist and famous Spiritual- with over one thousand rubies was the riskiest time because ist William T. Stead, a passenger and emeralds. But far from the warmer weather causes bergs to on the ship who lost his life the usually claimed fortune, the book wander south. The risk presented night before the disaster. Stead had been bought for just £405 at in the novel was actually very real, told it to some of his First-Class the auction. It would certainly not and other ships had also gone friends, who survived and related be worth the millions of dollars through such accidents in the it to journalists, who in turn sensa- needed to attempt a salvage expe- past. As for the characteristics tionalized it incredibly. The story dition (many such missions so far and the name of the ship, it has tells of the painted lid of a sar- have never found The Rubaiyat).

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6) No Binoculars Aboard Ship. centration of water in the bow 9) The Extreme Survivor. It is This is partially true; the lookouts significantly. Second, it has been often reported that fireman Frank of the Titanic did not have any shown that any significant Tower not only survived the sink- binoculars, which were on the amount of water abaft boiler ing of the Titanic but was also ship but inaccessible. The original room no. 4 would have resulted aboard the Empress of Ireland second officer, David Blair, was in capsizing of the Titanic about when she collided with the discharged right before departure thirty minutes earlier than the Storstad and later on the Lusitania because a new chief officer, actual time of sinking. Addition- when that vessel was torpedoed Henry Wilde, was brought on ally, the lighting would have been and sunk by a U-boat in May board by Captain Smith. The re- lost about seventy minutes after 1915 off the southern coast of Ire- maining officers’ ranks were the collision due to the flooding land. The truth, as usually happens therefore changed, and Blair was of the boiler rooms. with such unlikely legends, is that the one removed to make way for no person by the name of Frank 8) The Captain Shot Himself. A Wilde. The binoculars were in- Tower appears in any crew lists for few days after the sinking, wild side a locker in the cabin that those three vessels. and contradicting stories about Blair had originally occupied, but the final moments of Captain 10) The Double Ship Conspiracy. when he left the ship he mistak- Edward Smith began circulating. What about the story that it was enly took the keys along. Histori- It was said that he shot himself not the Titanic that went down ans, however, are of the opinion when he realized that the ship in the Atlantic but its twin sister, that binoculars would have made was doomed; it was also said that the Olympic, in order to scam the no difference in spotting the ice- after the sinking he was seen in surance company? First related berg on the pitch black night of swimming desperately in order to by Robin Gardiner and Dan van the sinking. save babies from the icy waters. der Vat in the book The Titanic 7) Open Those Watertight Doors! In truth, there is no evidence ei- Conspiracy, the idea was that an According to one theory, if the ther that Smith committed sui- already-damaged Olympic (dis- watertight doors had been cide or that he tried to save ba- guised as the Titanic) was pur- opened, the Titanic would have bies. Smith was certainly posefully sunk in order to collect sunk on an even keel and there- re sponsible in part for the disaster, insurance money. Apart from the fore, perhaps, remained afloat having failed to slow the ship absurdity of the theory, it was long enough for rescue ships to after receiving many notices of ice shown to be false when parts of arrive. In reality, this would have in the area during the day. How- the wreck were recovered. The been impossible. First, there were ever, it is likely that Captain Titanic’s construction number no watertight doors between the Smith died, like most of the other 401 was found on all of them. first four compartments—thus it officers did, while trying to save as The number of the Olympic was was impossible to lower the con- many passengers as possible. 400. n

The myth that a mummy’s curse destroyed the Titanic stems from a story that William T. Stead (center) related to fellow First-Class passengers. Stead’s tale may have been inspired by a 1909 cover of Pearson’s magazine (right).

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[ PSYCHIC VIBRATIONS ROBERT SCHEAFFER Sheaffer's “Psychic Vibrations” column has appeared in the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER for more than thirty years; its high- lights have now been published as a book (Create Space 2011). Sheaffer blogs at www.BadUFOs.com, and his website is www.debunker.com.

Join the Boycott to Protest the CIA Cover-Up of President Obama’s Trips to Mars

ate boycott of pay-per-impression advertising funded news website Ex- aminer.com. ... Examiner.com’s corporate publication ban against the Seattle Exopolitics Examiner is an Illuminati agenda-inspired media hit targeting the columnist who revealed President Barack Obama’s participa- tion in the CIA’s secret Mars visita- tion program [http://tinyurl.com/ 7bc93mo]. Pieces on Examiner.com are presented to make you think you’re reading a news story. Once a colleague and I were discussing one of Webre’s absurd columns on Examiner.com that claimed NASA was promoting (not de bunk - ing) fears of an “extinction level event” from Comet Elenin (http://tinyurl.com/ 3njgzfj). He asked me, “What kind of newspaper is publishing crazy stuff like ou just can’t make this stuff up. on his website, “Webre is a marginal and this?” I replied, “I don’t think it’s actually For the past few years I have been controversial figure in the network of ex- a newspaper; it’s more like this guy’s Yreporting from time to time on opolitics researchers and activists that has blog.” In his feud with Examiner.com, the absurd claims of a group of UFOl- formed around the world. Webre’s writ- Webre spelled out Examiner.com’s busi- ogists who call their study exopolitics— ing and behavior is seen as too bizarre ness model: “political implications of the extra-ter- and controversial for most credible ex- restrial presence.” That there is an opolitics researchers to use” (http://ex- During 2009 many of the writers were receiving $0.01 per page view. “extra-terrestrial presence” on Earth, opolitics.org/Exo-Comment-98.htm). Examiner.com later offered a variety they have no doubt. Alfred Lambre- Nonetheless, Webre’s far-out articles on of pay scale options to their writers. mont Webre claims to have been the Examiner.com were being read by as Examiner.com now bases compensa- founder of exopolitics, al though in re- many as 400,000 people each month— tion on variables such as subscrip- ality Michael Salla can probably claim until recently, that is, when Exam - tions, page view traffic and session length. ...Examiner.com derives the that dubious honor; Webre’s website is iner.com finally gave him the boot. bulk of its revenue from consumer exopolitics.com, and Salla has exopoli- Webre’s colleague Jon Kelly, “a (reader) click-throughs. Every time tics.org. world-famous expert in the application you as a reader click through to read Lately Webre’s claims have gotten so of voice-based disclosure technology an article on Examiner.com, the bizarre (e.g., a war between the An - for revealing UFO secrets” (whatever company is paid a royalty by its advertisers. dromeda Council and the Reptilians and that means), writes (http://tinyurl.com/ Americans being teleported to a secret cgymy3p): Let’s see, one cent per page at 400,000 base on Mars to meet with aliens) that Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Tribunal pages per month gets you $4,000 a even others in exopolitics have become Judge and founder of Exopolitics Al- month, although Webre suggests that alarmed and begun distancing them- fred Lambremont Webre is calling might be only in a good month. So the selves from him. As Salla recently wrote for consumers to occupy an immedi- formula for success as a UFO writer

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seems to be: make up the most outra- 5) in broad daylight, but no one else saw http://tinyurl.com/7vup348), success- geous claims you can think of and put it. (See my book UFO Sightings, Prome - fully replicated Heflin’s photos in ex- it on Examiner.com, then sit back and theus Books, 1998, pp. 91–93.) In these actly this manner by using a suspended collect the coins dropping into the hop- photos, distant objects are hazy because lens cap. per. And here am I, stupidly wasting my of the Los Angeles smog, but the UFO However, only in 2006 did a still- time and effort writing skeptical arti- is sharp—probably because it is tiny and anonymous person, using the alias cles! Webre does not say exactly what very close to the camera. For many years “Enkidu,” make an extremely impor- happened to get him kicked off Exam- the original prints could not be investi- tant finding. In a discussion thread on iner.com. It cannot be that they are gated because Heflin claims that an in- the conspiracy-oriented website Above concerned about their journalistic cred- vestigator came to his house, flashing an Top Secret (www.abovetopsecret.com/ ibility, for they have none. Webre does ID supposedly from NORAD, and con- forum/thread208479/pg1), Enkidu ar- say, however, “Examiner.com has been fiscated them. (At least Heflin did not gues that Heflin unintentionally cre- criticized for its lack of verification and claim that the Men in Black came for ated a 3D photo of his UFO. Assum - fact-checking of stories published on his prints or that the dog ate them.) So ing that the UFO was attached in some the site, including accusations of plagia- all we had left were copies made from way to the truck, by moving the camera rism.” the originals. The Air Force’s Project a few inches between the exposures, Webre’s request is simple: “Please let Bluebook listed the Heflin photos as a Heflin has produced a near-perfect your friends and networks know you “hoax.” stereo pair, as can be seen in stereo are boycotting Examiner.com because However, “In 1993, Heflin’s Pola roid viewers. The photos in Figure 1 were it is promoting the CIA’s Obama on originals surfaced unexpectedly under reversed by Enkidu to allow easier Mars cover-up, and its direct assault on mysterious circumstances” (http://tiny viewing of the 3D effect without a the Truth movement and Truth move- url.com/75bp7ba). Heflin had retired stereo viewer by simply crossing one’s ment journalists like Alfred Lambre - from busy and smoggy southern Cali - eyes. When you do that, the UFO is mont Webre.” How about that for a fornia to a small town in northern Cal- seen to be tiny. It’s clearly farther away Facebook status? ifornia. He says that he received two than the truck’s mirror but much closer calls from a mysterious woman telling than the roadside vegetation or the dis- * * * him to check his mailbox. When he did, tant trees. Responding to criticism, he said he found his original three UFO Enkidu writes, “Yes, it’s possible that A ‘Classic’ UFO Photo, Now in 3D! polaroids in a plain brown envelope. Or the UFO moved between the time the In Santa Ana, California, on August 3, Heflin just made the whole thing up— first photo was taken and the second. 1965, highway worker Rex Heflin took the “loss” of the originals as well as their But it would have to move exactly hor- three photos of a supposed UFO “recovery.” Heflin died in 2005. izontal to the way the camera moved, through the window of his van using his Skeptics have argued that Heflin’s because there’s no apparent difference Polaroid instant camera. NICAP and UFO appears to be a tiny model, just a in the size of the top part of the ship. It many prominent UFOlogists have long few inches in size, hanging from some- could only tilt forward. It didn’t go up touted this series of photos as “classic.” thing like a fishing pole propped up or down, and it didn’t get nearer or This object supposedly flew right over over the cab of his van. William K. closer. The odds of that happening are the Marine Corps El Toro Air Station Hartmann, who investigated the case pretty slim.” Great work, Enkidu—the and the Santa Ana Freeway (Interstate for the Condon Report (Case 52, Heflin photos are busted! n

Figure 1. Internet commenter Enkidu argues that Rex Heflin inadvertently created a 3D image with two of his photos, supporting the argument that the UFO is actually a tiny model.

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[ THE SCIENCE OF MEDICINE STEVEN NOVELLA Steven Novella, MD, is assistant professor of neurology at Yale School of Medicine, the host of the Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe podcast, author of the NeuroLogica blog, executive editor of the Science-Based Medicine blog, and president of the New England Skeptical Society.

Pseudoscience in Our Universities

he group Friends of Science in Universities in particular are supposed demonstrable pseudoscience as if it were Medicine has recently formed in to be the exemplars of scholarship and a legitimate science. The exact same TAustralia, and they now have over intellectual legitimacy. People believe thing can be said about teaching home- 400 professional members. They felt the universities are intellectual leaders, not opathy, for example, as if it were legiti- need to come together over a disturbing followers, and they are correct (or at least, mate science-based medicine. trend—the infiltration of rank pseudo- they should be). Teach ing a topic in a The argument above should not be science into once respected universities. university is absolutely an endorsement difficult to make and should resonate It is a sign of our times that we have of the legitimacy of that topic. We can with academics. It has worked well in to defend having standards of good sci- distinguish between teaching about the United Kingdom, spearheaded ence in the practice of medicine and the something and teaching the thing itself. mostly by David Colquhoun, who has teaching of a science-based curriculum It is okay to teach about so-called com- used freedom of information requests in universities. High standards of sci- plementary and alternative medicine to obtain the CAM curricula at univer- ence in medicine are necessary in order (CAM) as a sociological phenomenon or sities teaching CAM, and then simply to ensure, as best as we can, that treat- even as an example of pseudoscience. sent them to the dean and/or board of ments and interventions are safe, effec- Practi tioners also need to learn about any trustees of the university. This one act tive, and ethical. It is extremely compli- method their patients may be using or has led to the removal of CAM courses cated and tricky to determine safety and about which they are curious. Credu - from universities in the United King- efficacy. Humans suffer from numerous lously teaching CAM, however, is an en- dom. Simply shining a light on what mechanisms of self-deception, cognitive dorsement, the granting of the impri- was happening was enough. flaws and biases, poor grasp of statistics, matur of the university. In the United States we are having and perceptual failings that are likely to It is tempting to cater to prevailing a harder time, although we have had lead us astray. In fact our biases tend to fads, to acquiesce to the vocal advocates some successes also. The American systematically lead us to false conclu- and give them what they want, espe- Medical Student Association (AMSA) sions that we wish to be true, rather cially when there isn’t much protest. has been infiltrated by CAM propo- than to the truth. That is exactly what intellectual in- nents who have managed to get re- These flaws, biases, and cognitive er- tegrity is about, however—doing the quirements for CAM to be taught in rors make it difficult to come to reliable right thing because it is right, not be- American medical schools. Of course, conclusions in any area of exploration, cause it is popular or expedient. we can still teach about CAM (which I but perhaps particularly so in the ap- I will acknowledge perhaps the only actually advocate) rather than promote plied science of medicine. This field is legitimate argument on the other side: pseudoscience—something that is not further plagued by placebo effects, that of academic freedom and diversity a subtle distinction but is often difficult which represent the above effects in ad- of opinion. I agree with the principle that for some to make. dition to a complex emotional and a university should also be a place for the Australia is perhaps having the most physical response to the nonspecific as- free exchange of ideas and should not difficult time with this issue, leading to pects of getting attention from an at- easily impose censorship. Proponents of the formation of the Friends of Science tentive practitioner. nonsense, however, have taken this prin- in Medicine. Their request is simple: no Science is the only system that we ciple too far. Academic freedom needs to pseudoscience in universities. They have developed that systematically con- be tempered with quality control. Profes- have helped bring the debate to the trols for all of these biases and flaws to sors should not be allowed to teach ab- forefront. CAM’s greatest ally in infil- see through to reliable information. solutely anything they want without trating universities is stealth. I have Science endeavors to be transparent, limit. The university has a duty to ensure seen this infiltration occur deliberately thorough, and rigorous. The application that the minimal standards of academic under the radar with the stated goal of of scientific principles has demonstra- legitimacy are met. avoiding too much attention, which bly transformed medicine (and human This duty includes ensuring that sci- might draw criticism. This violates the knowledge in general) for the better. As ence is taught in science classes. This de- principle of transparency, and it illus- a society we should not lightly abandon bate has come up with reference to trates why focusing attention on this the principles of science or try to teaching creationism as science as a mat- trend is so useful. change them to meet the needs of the ter of academic freedom. Such freedom Of course, CAM proponents are not current fads. does not extend to the point of teaching going to just lie down and go away.

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There have been many responses to the is that if an idea has survived for hun- a marketing concept has been somewhat criticism of teaching CAM in medical dreds or thousands of years it must be le- successful—and even that it has gained schools, none of which is valid. In Aus- gitimate. This is demonstrably false. popularity recently (although not as much tralia, the most frequently quoted de- Galenic medicine (bloodletting, purging, as advocates would have you think). That fender of teaching on nonsense in uni- etc., based on the notion of the four hu- is entirely irrelevant, however, to the ques- versities is Iain Graham, professor at mors) survived for thousands of years, tion of whether or not any particular Southern Cross University’s School of and yet it was based on complete and CAM modality is science-based and ap- Health. He is quoted in several articles, utter primitive nonsense. In fact its ten- propriate for a university curriculum but this quote responding to criticism drils still exist. There is still bloodletting, (which is the question at hand). from John Dwyer, emeritus professor of cupping (which is just another form of Universities are supposed to be medicine at the University of New bloodletting), and similar practices going thought leaders with intellectual stan- South Wales, is representative: on in the world. It was replaced in the dards that rise above the mere notion of Professor Dwyer’s sweeping discus- West because of the advent of science in popularity. They are supposed to uphold sion about the issue are to do with medicine—a trend that Graham appar- academic standards of scholarship, espe- quackery really, and the rooting out ently wants to reverse. cially in scientific disciplines with high of poor practise. But if we look his- Graham’s second swing and a miss: standards in science. It is therefore very torically at the evolution of health “Eighty per cent of Australians seek al- odd and disturbing to defend a university care and the health professions, there ternative therapies,” Graham is quoted as are many similarities with where policy based upon popularity. Should we things started. saying by Australian newspaper the allow surveys of public opinion to deter- He mentioned homeopathy for Northern Star. “Obviously orthodox mine whether or not we teach creation- ex ample, well homeopathy is as old as medicine is not working for everyone” ism or astrology in our universities? Greek Hypocrates in terms of prac- (www.northernstar.com.au/story/2011/ It is good to see some organized tising medicine. (Australian Broad - 12/12/alternative-therapy-course-not- casting Company 2011) backlash against the infiltration of pseu- magic/). I highly doubt that the 80 per- doscience and nonsense into the very Here we have a blatant misstate- cent figure is correct. Most such figures institutions that should be teaching ment of fact combined with a logical are highly inflated by including all sorts against such things. It is good to see fallacy. Graham probably (if I am being of practices in the CAM category, such more and more articles written about generous) did not mean to state that as exercising and eating organic food— this topic—we want attention for the homeopathy can be traced back to an- and sometimes prayer is included. U.S. issue. We want a discussion of the mer- cient Greece, just that some CAM surveys show the percentage of CAM its of our position verses the pro-CAM therapies can. Homeopathy was in - use is around 33 percent (NIH 2008), position. Let’s have a very public debate vented by Samuel Hahnemann about but this is mostly things like massage about the facts, about what is science, 200 years ago (Novella 2009). and chiropractic manipulations. Home - and how we as a society should deter- But I wonder what CAM modalities o pathy use is around 3–4 percent, and mine what medical interventions are he had in mind. Chiropractic? About 100 acu punc ture 6–7 percent. In fact, only worth our public support. years ago. Therapeutic touch? A few manipulation and massage were in We will confidently stand by our decades ago. Acupunc ture is a complex the double digits. position. CAM proponents, like crea - This is all marketing deception. Cre- question, but what passes for acupunc- tionists, have nothing but weak and ture today is less than 100 years old. Per- ate a false category (CAM), pad it out fallacious—and long discredited—argu - haps he was thinking about bloodlet- with commonly used methods, and then ments on their side. n ting or trepanation. claim that the extreme fringes are there- However, it is true that some basic fore getting more popular. I don’t know References concepts, like the notion of “life energy,” how Graham got to 80 percent (I doubt Australian Broadcasting Company. 2011. Uni crit- can trace their roots to ancient Greece such methods are that much more pop- icised for teaching alternative therapies (De - cem ber 9). Available online at www.abc.net. and other ancient cultures. However, ular in Australia than in the United au/local/stories/2011/12/09/3387574.htm. such notions are pre-scientific nonsense. States) but it is close to one survey from NIH. 2008. 2007 National Health Interview Sur- vey (NHIS) Adult Alternative Medicine Scientists abandoned the notion of life 2007 that found that 69 percent of Aus- Public Use File (althealt) IDN Variables energy over a century ago because there tralians used one of the seventeen most Wednesday, June 4, 2008. Available online was no evidence that such a force exists popular forms of CAM in the last year at ftp://ftp.cdc.gov/pub/health_statistics/ NCHS/dataset_documentation/NHIS/2007 (and there still isn’t). After figuring out (Xue et al. 2007). However, that study /althealt_freq.pdf. all the basic processes of life, there was included in its list martial arts, yoga, mas- Novella, S. 2009. Homeopathy awareness week (blog entry). NeuroLogica (June 15). Avail able essentially nothing left for the alleged sage, meditation, and taking multivita- online at http://theness.com/neurologica life force to do. mins. I am not sure what taking multi - blog/index.php/homeopathy-awareness- week/. For some reason, however, Graham vitamins says about the popularity of Xue, C.C., A.L. Zhang, V. Lin, et al. 2007. Com - believes that antiquity in science is a homeopathy, but apparently Graham plementary and alternative medicine use in Australia: A national population-based survey. virtue—the “argument from antiquity” thinks it is significant. Journal of Alternative and Comple mentary Med- logical fallacy. The unstated assumption In any case, I will grant that CAM as icine 13(6) (July/August): 643–50.

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[ SCIENCE WATCH KENNETH W. KRAUSE Kenneth W. Krause is a contributing editor and “Science Watch” columnist for the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. He may be contacted at [email protected].

Gender Personality Differences: Planets or P.O. Boxes, Evidence or Ideology?

Why are people so afraid of the idea that choose people-centered over thing- The “true extent of sex differences in the minds of men and women are not centered professions—that is, the human personality,” he argued, “has identical in every way?—Steven Pinker, somewhat narrow mental trait exam- been consistently underestimated.” Del The Blank Slate (2002) ined was interest. Giudice now compares personality dis- Other studies have explored broader parities to those of other psychological he mere suggestion that one group gender differences in personality—a re- constructs like vocational interests and of people is cognitively or emo- lated and at least equally sensitive do- aggression. When properly measured, Ttionally distinct from another can main. In a highly influential 2005 he reports, gender personality differ- leave many of us speechless and squir- paper, for example, Janet Hyde, Uni - ences are “large” and “robust.” Indeed, ming in our seats. The effect is intensi- versity of Wisconsin–Madison profes- roughly 82 percent of his cohort deliv- fied, of course, in the regrettable event sor of psychology and women’s studies, ered personality profiles that could not of historical discrimination, especially rebuked the popular media and general be matched with any member of the when the differences are alleged to be public for their apparent fascination opposite sex. innate. with an assumed profusion of deep psy- So by what method should re - Scientists of many stripes have chological variances between genders searchers measure these distinctions? bravely confronted, struggled with, and (Hyde 2005). The Europeans broke new ground by evidently resolved the issue as it per- After reviewing forty-six meta- combining three techniques. First, to tains to “race.” Such classifications lack analyses on the subject, Hyde proposed enhance reliability and repeatability, sturdy biological bases, the current con- a new model. The gender similarities hy- they estimated differences based on la- sensus holds, and their very existence pothesis (GSH) holds that “males and tent factors rather than observed scores. relies on nothing more concrete or de- females are similar on most, but not all, Second, instead of employing the so- pendable than cultural convention and psychological variables.” Because most called “Big Five” variables (ex tra version, political expediency.1 differences are negligible or small, and agreeableness, conscientiousness, neu- Gender or sex (I use the terms inter- because very few are large, Hyde con- roticism, and openness to experience), changeably here) is similar in some re- tended, “men and women as well as Del Giudice and company applied fif- spects, but it is clearly distinct in others. boys and girls are more alike than they teen narrower traits in order to assess Some biological differences between are different.” Physical aggression and personality with “higher resolution.” Fi- men and women are both unmistakable sexuality were offered as exceptions. nally, they chose multivariate over uni- and abundantly appreciated. Combat But in a new study, “The Distance variate effect sizes—thus ag gregating can erupt, however—perhaps most furi- Between Mars and Venus,” Hyde’s rather than averaging variances—to ously in intellectual circles—over ques- renowned hypothesis was directly and more accurately reveal “global” sex dif- tions involving mental differences and, expressly challenged by a trio of Euro- ferences. assuming their existence, over their pro- peans led by Marco Del Giudice, evo- Hyde swiftly posted her response. posed causes. lutionary psychologist at the University Roundly disparaging Del Giudice’s sta- In a recent column (SI, July/August of Turin, Italy (Del Giudice et al. 2012). tistical method, she charged that it “in- 2011), I investigated the origins of fe- Having subjected a sample of 10,261 troduces bias by maximizing differences.” male “underrepresentation” in high-end American men and women between In the end, she continued, the Europeans’ science, technology, engineering, and ages fifteen and ninety-two to an as- “global” result is merely a single and math. The latest analyses had suggested sessment of multiple personality vari- “uninterpretible” dimension that only that rather than being discriminated ables, Del Giudice obtained results he “blur[s] the question rather than offering against, qualified women tended to and his team described as “striking.” higher resolution.” The GSH stands in-

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tact, she insisted. The true expanse between genders, Hyde argued, is anything but astronomical: instead, it more resem- bles “the distance between North Dakota and South Dakota.” Either way, a third researcher teased, “you’ll still have a mighty long way to walk.” Richard Lippa, professor of psy- “Contemporary gender re searchers, chology at California State Uni versity, Fullerton, proposed an attractive anal- particularly those who adopt social ogy in the Italian’s de fense. Con sider constructionist and feminist ideologies, sex differences in body shape, he suggested. The ap proach underlying often reject the notion that biologic factors Hyde’s GSH would average certain trait ratios—shoulder-to-waist, waist- directly cause gender differences.” to-hip, torso-to-leg length, for example—and likely declare that men and women have similar bodies. By contrast, — Richard Lippa, professor of psychology Del Giudice’s multivariate method would probably generate the much at California State University, Fullerton more intuitive conclusion that “sex differences in human body shape are quite large, with men and women having distinct multivariate distributions that overlap very little.” The Italian offered a similar and equally effective analogy comparing male and female faces. Del Giudice finds Hyde’s “single dimension” criticism ironic indeed be cause his method’s essential point, he says, was to integrate multiple personality factors rather than isolate them. Most dramatically in univariate terms, those traits included sensitivity, warmth, and appre- hension (higher in women), and emotional stability, dominance, vigilance, and rule-consciousness (higher in men). Nor does he see an interpretability problem. Del Giudice’s “weighted blend” of fifteen personality traits, he argues, provides a concrete and meaningful description of global differences informing us of a 10 to 20 percent overlap between male and female distributions. He denies as well Hyde’s claim that his techniques were either controversial or prone to maximizing bias. To the contrary, he told me, his team simply “thought hard about the various artifacts that can deflate sex differences in personality, and took steps to correct them.” Steven Pinker’s provocative query denouncing our fear of sex differences was largely rhetorical, of course. He an- swered the question soon after asking it: “The fear,” he acknowledged, “is that different implies unequal” (Pinker

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2002). If we momentarily assume that fects on mating- and parenting-related have played a larger role.” gender personality differences are sub- behaviors.” In his closing comments to me, the stantial, the next issue to confront might Even so, Hyde answers, more than Californian echoed much of what be whether those differences are driven one evolutionary force may be at play Steven Pinker has so courageously rec- more by culture or biology. In either here. Although sexual selection can ognized in recent years with regard to case, certain groups may be forced to re- produce sex differences, she admits, the broader subject of group diver- think some much cherished ideas and other forms of natural selection can gences. The ongoing examination of sex practices. render sex similarities. “The evolution- differences in personality may or may Lippa recently probed the ultimate ary psychologists,” she reckons, “have not be tainted by feminism or other “nature vs. nurture” question in a review forgotten about natural selection.” ideologies. But given the in quiry’s great of two meta-analyses and three cross- On these limited questions, truly sensitivity and profound implications, cultural studies on gender differences in common ground seems scarce indeed. Lippa’s comments—crafted in the both personality and interests (Lippa Why should the authors interpret the finest tradition of true skepticism— 2010). In the end, he discovered that evidence so differently? Of course no bear repeating here: women tend to score significantly member of any group or human insti- “I believe this is not a topic where higher over time and across cultures in tution is impervious to personal or ‘ignorance is bliss.’ We have to examine the Big Five categories of agreeableness philosophical biases. One might rea- the nature of sex differences objec- and neuroticism and, as others have sonably expect academics to be more tively. ... We should, as researchers, be found since, that they gravitate more objective than others, but for what it’s open to all possible explanations. And worth, that has seldom been my expe- toward people-centered rather than then, as a society, we have to decide thing-centered occupations. rience as a science writer. whether we want to let the differences The Californian then described two In his review, Lippa argued generally be whatever they may be, or work to re- basic sets of nonexclusive theories that “contemporary gender re searchers, duce them.” under which such evidence is typically particularly those who adopt social Words to inquire by. So let the re - evaluated. Biological theories, of course, constructionist and feminist ideologies, search into gender differences continue, focus on genes, hormones, neural devel- often reject the notion that biologic fac- as the Europeans urge, unfettered by ir- opment, and brain structure, for exam- tors directly cause gender differences.” relevant politics or pet, self-serving ple. These models are inspired by our And, more pertinent here, he claims causes. I suspect we have little to fear. knowledge of evolution. By contrast, that Hyde has long “ignored ‘big’ dif- social-environmental theories concen- ferences in men’s and women’s inter- But let science characterize our differ- trate on stereotypes, self-conceptualiza- ests,” and that the GSH “is, in part, mo- ences objectively, whatever their nature tion, and social learning. Here, cultural tivated by feminist ideologies and and degree. Then, if necessary, we’ll de- influences are thought to dominate. ‘political’ attitudes.” cide together—as an open and in- Supporters of distinct sub-theories Hyde denies the accusation categor- formed community—how best to cope would no doubt evaluate the evidence ically: “The GSH is not based on ide- with them. n in varying ways. But significant gender ology,” she told me. “It is a summary of Note differences that are consistent across what the data show . . . data from mil- 1. Two excellent books have recently re viewed cultures and over time, Lippa contends, lions of subjects.” However, one might the scientific and cultural particulars of “race” for are more likely to reflect underlying bi- note of the Wisconsinite’s pioneering a popular audience: Ian Tattersall and Rob De ological rather than social-environmen- paper that a great deal of concluding Salle’s Race? Debunking a Scientific Myth (Texas tal causes. Similarly suggestive, the au- space was consumed decrying the per- A&M University Press, 2011) and Race and the Genetic Revolution: Science, Myth, and Culture, ed- thor says, is the fact that such ceived social costs of gender difference ited by Sheldon Krimsky and Kath leen Sloan divergences tend to be greater in rela- claims, especially to women, rather than (Columbia University Press, 2011). tively “modern,” individualistic, and further illuminating or summarizing gender-egalitarian societies. the data. References: In his new paper, Del Giudice chose Del Giudice appears to find the Del Giudice, M., T. Booth, and P. Irwing. 2012. The distance between Mars and Venus: not to directly engage the difficult issue of bias somewhat less motivating. Measuring global sex differences in personal- question of underlying causes. None - If sex differences are small, he suggests, ity. PLoS ONE 7(1): e29265. theless, he reminds us that evolutionary we have little to explain and more time Hyde, J.S. 2005. The gender similarities hypoth- principles—sexual selection and paren- to discuss incorrect stereotypes—“this esis. American Psychologist 60: 581–592. Lippa, R.A. 2010. Gender differences in person- tal investment theories, in particular— is the main appeal of the GSH.” He ality and interests: When, where, and why? provide us with ample grounds to “ex- agrees that “ideology has played a part Social and Personality Psychology Compass pect robust and wide-ranging sex in the success of the GSH.” Nonethe - 4(11): 1098–1110. Pinker, Steven. 2002. The Blank Slate: The Modern differences in this area.” Most person- less, he maintains that the aforemen- Denial of Human Nature. New York: Penguin ality traits, he says, “have substantial ef- tioned “methodological limitations Viking.

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[SKEPTICAL INQUIREE BENJAMIN RADFORD Benjamin Radford is a research fellow at the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and author or coauthor of six books, including Tracking the Chupacabra: The Vampire Beast in Fact, Fiction, and Folklore.

Dealing with Believers During Skeptical Investigation

A friend of mine is getting into amateur ghost hunting, and he asked me, In these situations I’m typically doing a skeptic, to join him on his investigations. I ordered your book Scientific two things at once. The main objective Paranormal Investigation in preparation. Other ghost hunters are joining is, of course, trying to understand the : us, all of them believers as far as I know. Do you have any advice for original claims and solve the mystery. But skeptics dealing with believers in paranormal activities? the second goal is watching the other in- Q —Jack Sager vestigators to examine (and sometimes document) their methods. A lot of times watching others “investigate” teaches me Dealing with believers is and attacking him or her as a person. how not to do it. a big part of a paranormal Ridicule and mockery of sincere Criticizing their methods or gear investigator’s job, and my people has no place in skeptical para- (such as pointing to their blinking, : general advice is to always normal investigation. Not only will it beeping EMF detector and saying, treat them with courtesy tarnish your reputation and that of “You know that doesn’t really detect A and respect. Beyond that, other skeptical investigators, but it is ghosts, right?”) is unlikely to be produc- how you deal with them depends largely counterproductive and will sabotage the tive. They have their own investigation on what role they have in the investiga- investigation. With the rare exceptions techniques (usually copied directly tion—typically as either claimants or of frauds and hoaxers, most people who from pseudoscientific TV shows like coinvestigators. experience and report paranormal phe- Ghost Hunters) and are rarely interested nomena are sincere, honest people who in a skeptic’s perspective. Believers as Claimants simply didn’t understand something While I’m there it’s not my job to Believers who actually saw the ghost, they experienced. Your job as an inves- teach the ghost hunters how to do their UFO, or other unexplained phenome- tigator is to understand and explain job (if they ask my advice, that’s another non should be treated primarily as eye- what happened to the best of your abil- thing). Now and then I’ll ask polite witnesses. They have information an ity—not necessarily to convince the be- questions about their premises and as- investigator needs to understand the liever that you’re right and they’re sumptions, but for the most part I don’t phenomenon and potentially solve the wrong. challenge them at the time. I’ve actually mystery, and there is no benefit to being had some really interesting, productive, anything but courteous and polite. Your Believers as Coinvestigators respectful discussions with believing job is to get as much information from On the other hand, sometimes the be- ghost hunters and psychics that have them as possible and try to understand lievers are not making the original greatly helped me understand their what they experienced—in other words, claim but instead are coinvestigators worldviews and approaches. to establish the claim. (not necessarily working together but at It sounds like you can approach it During investigations, you will be least in the same place at the same from two routes: as an investigator or talking with people who are approach- time). Ghost hunters are usually so busy as an observer. The main difference is ing the topic from a different point of anomaly hunting that they neglect (or research and preparation: If you’re view (or who are already convinced of forget) to address the original paranor- going in as an investigator, you should the validity of only one interpretation mal claims (see my recent “Skeptical research (and be fully prepared to inves- of the event they experienced). Good Inquiree” column on anomaly hunting, tigate) the claims. If you’re just going to investigation is about finding the facts May/June 2011). watch what happens, that’s a lot less and revealing the truth; it is not about I often encounter this scenario during work and can be both fun and funny. attacking a person’s intelligence, credi- TV shoots where producers have assem- My advice is to enjoy the investigation, bility, or motives. The question of bled a team mixed with believers and and if you’re going to explain to your whether an eyewitness truly saw a ghost skeptics (usually in about a 10:1 ratio). friend what he (or the other ghost is a factual issue, not a personal one. You Other times when I’m at a supposedly hunters) are doing wrong, either wait must make a clear distinction between haunted location, less-skeptical ghost until you’re asked and respond diplo- criticizing a person’s logic or evidence hunters are there doing their own thing. matically or bring it up later. n

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An analysis of four classic flying-saucer incidents reveals how debunking can send a mundane case underground, where it is transformed by mythologizing processes, then reemerges—like a virulent strain of a virus—as a vast conspiracy tale. Defined by the Roswell Incident (1947), this syndrome is repeated at Flatwoods (1952), Kecksburg (1965), and Rendlesham Forest (1980).

JOE NICKELL and JAMES MCGAHA

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ear the very beginning of the modern UFO craze, in the summer of 1947, a crashed “flying disc” was reported to have been recovered near N Roswell, New Mexico. However, it was soon identified as simply a weather balloon, whereupon the sensational story seemed to fade away. Actually, it went underground; after subsequent decades, it resurfaced as an incredible tale of extraterrestrial invasion and the government’s attempt to cover up the awful truth. The media capi- talized on “the Roswell incident,” and conspiracy theorists, persons with confabulated memories, outright hoaxers, and others climbed aboard the bandwagon.

We identify this process—a UFO incident’s occurring, being debunked, going underground, beginning the mythmaking processes, and reemerging as a conspiracy tale with ongoing mythologizing and media hype—as the Roswellian Syndrome. In the sections that follow, we describe the process as it occurred at Roswell and then demonstrate how the same syndrome developed from certain other famous UFO incidents: at Flatwoods, West Virginia (1952); Kecksburg, Pennsylvania (1965); and Rendlesham Forest (outside the Woodbridge NATO base) in Eng- land (1980). Between us, we have actually been on-site to investigate three of the four cases ( Joe Nickell at Roswell and Flatwoods, and James McGaha—a former military pilot—at Rendlesham).

Roswell (1947) Here is how the prototype of the Ros wel lian Syndrome began and developed: Incident. On July 8, 1947, an eager but relatively inexperienced public information officer at Roswell Army Airfield issued a press release claiming a “flying disc” had been recovered from its crash site on an area ranch (Berlitz and Moore 1980; Korff 1997). The next day’s Roswell Daily Record told how rancher “Mac” Brazel described (in a reporter’s words) “a large area of bright wreckage” consisting of tinfoil, rubber strips, sticks, and other lightweight materials. Debunking. Soon after these initial reports, the mysterious object was identified as a weather balloon. Although there appears to have been no attempt to deceive, the best evidence now indicates that the device was really a balloon array (the sticks and foiled paper being components of dangling box-kite–like radar reflectors) that had gone missing in flight from Project Mogul.

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It is now known that Marcel made claims about his own background—that he had a college degree, was a World War II pilot who had received five air medals for shooting down enemy planes, and had himself been shot down—that were proved untrue by his own service file.

the wreckage, often made self-contradictory and inflated assertions, giving, for example, grossly exaggerated statements about the amount of debris, its supposed imperviousness to damage, and other matters. It is now known that Marcel made claims about his own background—that he had a college degree, was a World War II pilot who had received five air medals for shooting down enemy planes, and had himself been shot down—that were proved untrue by his own service file (Fitz gerald 2001, 511). Kal Korff (1997, 27), who uncovered many of Marcel’s deceptions, found him “exagger- ating things and repeatedly trying to ‘write himself ’ into the history books.” As he described the debris, Marcel said the sticks resembled balsa but were “not wood at all” and had “some sort of hieroglyphics on them that nobody could decipher” (apparently referring to the floral designs). As well, Mogul represented an attempt to use the airborne devices’ there were “small pieces of a metal like tinfoil, except that it instruments to monitor sonic emissions from Soviet nuclear wasn’t tinfoil” (Berlitz and Moore 1980, 65). tests. Joe Nickell has spoken about this with former Mogul Faulty memory was another problem. For example, Curry Project scientist Charles B. Moore, who identified the wreck- Holden, an anthropologist from Texas Tech, claimed a student age from photographs as consistent with a lost Flight 4 archaeological expedition he led had actually come upon the Mogul array. (See also Thomas 1995; Saler et al. 1997; U.S. crashed flying saucer and the bodies of its extraterrestrial crew. Air Force 1997.) Holden’s wife and daughter, however, insisted that he had never Submergence. With the report that the “flying disc” was told them of such an event; neither was there any corroboration only a balloon-borne device, the Roswell news story ended in his personal papers. Holden was ninety-six when he provided almost as abruptly as it had begun. However, the event would his account to UFOlogist Kevin Randle, at which time his wife linger on in the fading and recreative memories of some of told Randle her husband’s memory “wasn’t as sharp as it once those involved, while in Roswell rumor and speculation con- had been. He sometimes restructured his life’s events, moving tinued to simmer just below the surface with UFO reports a them in time so that they were subtly changed” (Fitz gerald part of the culture at large. In time, conspiracy-minded 2001, 514). Roswell mortician W. Glenn Dennis, who provided UFOlogists would arrive, asking leading questions and help- information on alien “bodies” at the Roswell AAF Hospital, ing to spin a tale of crashed flying saucers and a government also seriously misremembered and confabulated1 events. Ac- cover-up. cording to James McAndrew’s The Roswell Report: Case Closed Mythologizing. This is the most complex part of the syn- (U.S. Air Force 1997, 78–79), Dennis’s account “was compared drome, beginning when the story goes underground and con- with official records of the actual events he is believed to have tinuing after it reemerges, developing into an elaborate myth. described” and showed “extensive inaccuracies” that included “a It involves many factors, including exaggeration, faulty mem- likely error in the date by as much as twelve years.” ory, folklore, and deliberate hoaxing. The processes that create folklore also played a role in For example, exaggeration played a large role in the shaping the Ros well legend. As reported in Leonard String- Roswell case. Major Jesse Marcel, who had helped retrieve field’s book Situation Red: The UFO Siege (1977), a great

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number of tales proliferated about an alleged crash of an The Roswell Incident. Its authors were Charles Berlitz (who extraterrestrial craft and the retrieval of its humanoid oc- had previously written the mystery-mongering best seller cupants. The many versions of the story—what folklorists The Bermuda Triangle, containing “invented details,” exag- call variants—are proof of the legend-making, oral-tradi- gerations, and distortions [Randi 1995, 35]) and William tion process at work. The aliens were typically described as L. Moore (who was a suspect in the previously mentioned little, big-eyed, big-headed humanoids, a type that began “MJ-12” hoax [Nickell with Fischer, 1992, 81–105], as well to be popularly reported after they were described by “ab- as author of The Philadelphia Experiment, an expanded ver- ductees” Betty and Barney Hill in 1961 (Nickell 2011, 184– sion of another’s tale that itself proved to be a hoax [Clark 86). The pickled corpses were secretly stored—mostly 1998, 509]). The Roswell Incident’s book jacket gushed: “Re- anonymous sources claimed—at a (nonexistent) hangar-18 ports indicate, before government censorship, that occu- at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, or pants and material from the wrecked ship were shuttled to some other location subsequently supposed to be Area 51 a CIA high security area—and that there may have been a (the U.S. govern ment’s secret test facility). From a folkloris- survivor!” It adds that “. . . Berlitz and Moore uncover as- tic point of view, the crash/retrieval stories seem to function tonishing information that indicates alien visitations may as “belief tales,” that is, legends told to give credence to a actually have happened—only to be hushed up in the in- folk belief—in this instance a burgeoning one (Nickell terest of ‘national security.’” 1995, 196–97). The book is replete with distortions. Consider rancher Roswell folklore was obviously fed in part by deliberate Mac Brazel’s original description of the scattered debris he fakelore. Related hoaxing began in 1949 when—as a part of found on his ranch—strips of rubber, sticks, tinfoil, tough the forthcoming sci-fi movie The Flying Saucer (1950)—an paper, and tape with floral designs (Nickell 2009, 10)—the actor posing as an FBI agent avowed its claim of a captured same as shown in photos (U.S. Air Force 1997, 7) and con- spacecraft was true. In 1950, writer Frank Scully reported in sistent with a Mogul balloon array with radar reflectors. his Behind the Flying Saucers that the U.S. government pos- However, Berlitz and Moore impose a conspiratorial inter- sessed three Venusian spaceships complete with humanoid corpses. Scully got his information from a pair of confidence pretation, saying that in a subsequent interview Brazel “had men who were hoping to sell a petroleum-locating gadget al- obviously gone to great pains to tell the newspaper people legedly derived from alien technology. By 1974, a man named exactly what the Air Force had instructed him to say regard- Robert Spencer Carr was giving talks in which he claimed ing how he had come to discover the wreckage and what it firsthand knowledge of where the preserved aliens were hid- looked like.” In fact, Brazel quite outspokenly insisted, “I am den; however, the late claimant’s son reported that his father sure what I found was not any weather observation balloon,” made up the entire yarn. Other Roswell hoaxes in cluded the and he was right: the debris was from a Project Mogul array, ineptly forged “MJ-12 documents” (that continue to fool much of it foiled paper from the radar targets (Berlitz and UFOlogist Stanton T. Friedman); a diary that told how a Moore 1980, 40). family came upon the smoldering crashed saucer and injured Berlitz’s and Moore’s The Roswell Incident launched the aliens (but was written with an ink not manufactured until modern wave of UFO crash/retrieval conspiracy beliefs, 1974); and the notorious “Alien Autopsy” film, showing the promoted by additional books (e.g., Friedman and Berliner dissection of a rubbery extraterrestrial who appeared to be 1992), television shows, and myriad other venues. Roswell from the distant Planet Latex (Nickell 2001, 118–21). conspiracy theories were off and running, typically linked Reemergence and Media Bandwagon Effect. In 1980 the to strongly anti–U.S. government attitudes. The Roswellian story resurfaced in the media with publication of the book Syndrome would play out again and again.

Roswell folklore was obviously fed in part by deliberate fakelore. Related hoaxing began in 1949 when—as a part of the forthcoming sci-fi movie The Flying Saucer (1950)—an actor posing as an FBI agent avowed its claim of a captured spacecraft was true.

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pecting that witnesses were mistaken or that the meteor might have broken apart, he insisted that “to be logical” we should believe that there was “a flight of aerial machines” that were “maneuvering in formation.” For some reason they lost control, but one managed to land at Flatwoods. Its pilot emerged “in a space suit” but, observed, headed back to the craft, which—like two others that “crashed”—soon “vaporized” (Sander son 1967, 37–52). Sanderson was followed in 2004 by Frank C. Feschino Jr., who published—with an introduction and epilogue by Stanton T. Friedman—The Braxton County Monster: The Cover-Up of the Flatwoods Monster Revealed. Feschino interviewed elderly witnesses, who, according to the book’s promotional copy, “wanted to talk about the story for the first time in fifty years.” For example, Kathleen May, the beautician who was with Flatwoods (1952) the boys when they encountered About 7:15 PM on September 12, 1952, the “monster” in 1952, recalled a at the tiny village of Flatwoods, Brax ton mysterious “government” letter County, West Virginia, some boys on the that had been shown her by local school playground saw a fiery UFO ap- reporter A. Lee Stewart Jr. She parently land on a hilltop. Running to a claimed it told of experimental nearby home, they ob tained a flashlight craft the “Navy Depart ment” op- and were joined by a beautician, her two erated in the area the evening of sons, and a dog. As the unlikely group the incident. Feschino huffs: “The went up the hill toward a pulsating light, test ship explanation told to Mrs. one boy aimed a flashlight at a pair of eyes May in the mysterious letter was not even remotely possible shining through the dark. The group saw a tall “manlike” in 1952. The Air Force knew that Mrs. May did not see a entity with a round face surrounded by a “pointed hood-like meteor in Flat woods. So they convinced her that it was some- shape.” Suddenly the monster emitted a high-pitched hiss- thing explicable, like an experimental ship. But there were no ing sound and swept at them with “a gliding motion as if experimental ships in 1952!” (Feschino 2004, 336). Actually, afloat in midair,” while exhibiting “terrible claws.” The group according to reporter Stewart, what he had shown May was ran in panic, and the next day skid marks and a black gunk only a press release for an issue of Collier’s magazine with an were found at the site (Nickell 2000). at tached photo of a moon ship (Feschino 2004, 323–36). The incident attracted journalists, writers (like paranor- malist Ivan San der son), and apparently two Air Force in- Kecksburg (1965) vestigators in civilian clothes. Soon, the UFO was identified About forty miles southeast of Pitts burgh, in Kecksburg, as a meteor; seen in three states, it had only ap peared to land Pennsyl vania, on December 9, 1965, a boy playing outdoors when it disappeared behind the hill. The pulsating light was saw an object plummet into nearby woods. In fact, a brilliant obviously one of three airplane beacons in view at the site. aerial object had been seen by numerous observers over a large The tall “monster” was believed to have been a large owl on area. The Greens burg Tribune-Review reported in its county a limb (since then, more evidentially determined to have edition of December 10, “Unidentified Flying Object Falls been a barn owl [Nickell 2000]), and a local man identified Near Kecksburg” and “Army Ropes Off Area.” However, that the ground traces as caused by his pickup truck and its leak- newspaper’s city edition headlined its story “Searchers Fail ing oil pan. The case soon slipped into obscurity. To Find Object” (Gordon 2001, 288). From photographs of Fifteen years elapsed, then Sander son included the case the cloud train from the object, Sky & Telescope magazine as Chapter 3 of his Uninvited Visitors (1967). The credu- (February 1966) identified it as a very bright meteor (a type lous Sanderson (once fooled by a rubber Sasquatch frozen of fireball known as a bolide). The story went underground. in ice [Nickell 2011, 87–90]) opined that the Flat woods The Kecksburg incident remained ob scure until Septem- incident involved multiple UFOs—citing contradictory ac- ber 19, 1990, when it became the season opener for NBC’s counts of, in each instance, a single object. Instead of sus- Unsolved Mysteries. The show launched the story as one of a

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crashed UFO, its secret retrieval, and a government conspir- light plus an apparent vehicle with “a pulsing red light on acy to hide the truth. Nearly a quarter of a century after the top” and “blue lights underneath.” As the patrolmen pro- original incident, two local men had begun to claim that be- ceeded closer, the object “maneuvered through the trees and fore authorities arrived they had entered the wooded area disappeared” (Halt 1981). The following day, three seven- and encountered a large metallic object, shaped like an acorn, inch-diameter depressions were found at the site. That partially embedded in the earth. At the back of the object, night “burn marks” were seen on trees, and radiation read- the witnesses said, using wording that is curiously similar to ings were also obtained. On an audiotape made by Deputy that of the Roswell incident, were markings like ancient Base Commander Lt. Col. Charles Halt that same night, Egyp tian “hieroglyphics.” And, also like the Roswell case, one hears an unidentified person call out regarding the the UFO was allegedly transported to Wright-Patterson Air bright light, “There it is again . . . there it is,” with a five- Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, where it was kept in a sealed second interval (“Rendle sham” 2011). Later that night building (Gordon 2001, 288–90). Such shared motifs (as “three starlike objects” were seen in the sky; one to the folklorists call story elements) suggest the Kecksburg inci- south, Halt (1981) said, “was visible for two or three hours dent was influenced by the Roswell story. One source even and beamed down a stream of light from time to time” claimed bodies were recovered at Kecksburg but subse- (Butler et al. 1984; Ridpath 1986; Hesemann 2001). quently retracted the claim (Young 1997). As we now know, a bolide (a brilliant meteor) streaked The various later claims do not fare well, and more than over southern England at the time of the first Ren dle sham fifty residents of Kecksburg sent a petition to Unsolved sighting. Subsequently, the Suffolk police investigated the Mysteries attempting to forestall the broadcast. These in- initial sighting and determined that the only light visible cluded the fire chief in 1965, Ed Myers, and a couple, Va- from the area was that of the Orford lighthouse (Ridpath lerie and Jerome Miller, whose home the TV show wrongly 1986).The Orford Ness beacon stood in the very direction claimed had served as a “military command post” during airmen were looking and flashed at the same five-second the UFO recovery. Actually, both the Air Force and the interval reported for the UFO. Later, other claims were state police reported the day after the incident that nothing convincingly de bunked: the red and blue lights were from had been discovered and that all that had been carried from a police car; the “landing” depressions were rabbit diggings; the site was search equipment (Young 1997). “burn marks” on pines were axe blazings oozing resin; the low radiation readings had been taken with equipment not Rendlesham Forest (1980) intended to measure background radiation and were there- For three days in late December 1980 in East England, a fore meaningless; and the starlike lights were probably in- series of UFO close-encounter incidents occurred in Ren - deed stars, namely Sirius, Vega, and Deneb (“Rendle sham” dle sham Forest, located between two British NATO 2011; Ridpath 1986). Mean while, the Rendlesham story bases—RAF Bent waters and RAF Woodbridge—that remained unpublicized for almost three years. were at the time being leased by the United States Air In October 1983 the story leaked out and made head- Force. The incidents began in the early morning of Decem - lines in the British tabloid News of the World: “UFO Lands ber 26 (although sources disagree, some giving December in Suffolk—and That’s Official.” It was followed by a book, 25 or December 27) and lasted for three successive days. Sky Crash: A Cosmic Conspiracy (1984), written by Brenda Security patrolmen witnessed a bright streaking light that Butler, Jenny Randles, and Dot Street and based in part on appeared to crash into the forest. Investigating, the men hypnosis sessions with “Art Wallace”—actually former U.S. soon saw lights they attributed to a UFO—a bright white Airman Larry Warren who was the News of the World’s in-

Shared motifs (as folklorists call story elements) suggest the Kecksburg incident was influenced by the Roswell story. One source even claimed bodies were recovered at Kecksburg but subsequently retracted the claim.

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formant. Warren’s claim to have been a witness to the Davenport, Peter B. 2001. Phoenix (Arizona) lights. In Story 2001, 426–28. Rendlesham incident has been disputed by others, including Feschino, Frank C., Jr. 2004. The Braxton County Monster: The Cover-Up of the Flatwoods Monster Revealed. Charleston, West Vir ginia: Quarrier Halt (“Rendle sham” 2011). By this time bizarre rumors had Press. surfaced that a com mander had met three little humanoid Fitzgerald, Randall. 2001. In Story 2001, 507–14. Frazier, Kendrick, Barry Karr, and Joe Nickell, eds. 1997. The UFO Inva- extraterrestrials who had emerged from the landed UFO, sion: The Roswell Incident, Alien Abductions, and Government Cover- but the alleged contactee denied it (Butler et al. 1984, 86). Ups. Amherst, New York: Prometheus Books. In time, Jenny Randles, who helped hype the Rendle- Friedman, Stanton T., and Don Berliner. 1992. Crash at Corona: The U.S. Military Retrieval and Cover-Up of a UFO. New York: Paragon House. sham incident, came to doubt the extraterrestrial connec- Goldenson, Robert M. 1970. The Encyclopedia of Human Behavior, in two tion, stating, “While some puzzles remain, we can probably vols. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company. say that no unearthly craft were seen in Rendle sham Forest. Gordon, Stan. 2001. In Story 2001, 288–90. Halt, Lt. Col. Charles. 1981. Report of January 13, given in Fitzgerald 2001, We can also argue with confidence that the main focus of 487. the events was a series of misperceptions of everyday things Hesemann, Michael. 2001. In Story 2001, 487–88. encountered in less than everyday circumstances” (qtd. in Korff, Kal K. 1997. What really happened at Roswell? SKEPTICAL INQUIRER 21(4) (July/August): 24–30. “Rendle sham” 2011). Nickell, Joe. 1995. Entities: Angels, Spirits, Demons, and Other Alien Beings. Amherst, New York: Prometheus Books. * * * ———. 2000. The Flatwoods UFO Monster. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER 24(6) (November/December): 15–19. No doubt other instances of the Ros wellian Syndrome ———. 2001. Real-Life X-Files. Lexington: Uni versity Press of Kentucky. could be given (even beyond UFO encounters), but the ———. 2009. Return to Roswell. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER 33(1) (January/Feb- ones we have presented here are major examples of the type. ruary): 10–12. ———. 2011. Tracking the Man-Beasts: Sas quatch, Vampires, Zombies, and Of course, each is different in its own way (for example, the More. Amherst, New York: Prometheus Books. Rendlesham Forest case had a much briefer period of sub- Nickell, Joe, with John F. Fischer. 1992. Mysterious Realms: Probing Paranor- mergence than did Roswell). And some famous UFO in- mal, Histor ical, and Forensic Enigmas. Buffalo, New York: Prometheus Books. cidents—the Phoenix Lights of 1997, for instance (Daven - Randi, James. 1995. The Supernatural A-Z: The Truth and the Lies. London: port 2001)—have not followed the same course. (For one Brockhampton Press. apparent reason, it did not involve a specific site on the Rendlesham Forest incident. 2011. Available online at http://en.wikipedia .org/wiki/Rendlesham_Forest_incident; accessed March 31, 2011. ground visited by investigators.) Ridpath, Ian. 1986. The Woodbridge UFO incident. In Frazier, Karr, Nickell Nevertheless, we believe we have identified a genuine 1997, 166–70. pattern in cases in which, during a period of submergence, Saler, Benson, Charles A. Ziegler, and Charles B. Moore. 1997. UFO Crash at Roswell: The Genesis of a Modern Myth. Old Saybrook, Connecticut: the mythologizing tendency has been at work followed by Konecky & Konecky. a reemergence—rather like a new, more virulent strain of a Sanderson, Ivan T. 1967. Uninvited Visitors: A Biologist Looks at UFOs. New virus. It appears that UFOlogists are always looking for a York: Cowles. Story, Ronald D. 2001. The Encyclopedia of Extraterrestrial Encounters. New Holy Grail case to verify their belief in extraterrestrial vis- York: New American Library. itation, and when that does not pan out (most UFO reports Stringfield, Leonard H. 1977. Situation Red: The UFO Siege. Garden City, prove little more than misidentifications, ambiguous sight- New York: Double day. Thomas, Dave. 1995. The Roswell incident and Project Mogul: Scientist ings, fake photos, and the like) they seek out the old cases participant supports direct links. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER 19(4) (July/Au- and are rewarded with much more sensational testimony. gust): 15–18. By identifying and analyzing this process, we hope to pro- U.S. Air Force. 1997. The Roswell Report: Case Closed. Authored by Captain James Mc Andrew for headquarters USAF; Washing ton, DC: U.S. Gov- mote more critical thinking regarding these and other sen- ernment Printing Office. sationalized cases. n Young, Robert R. 1997. ‘Old Solved Mysteries’: The Kecksburg UFO incident. In Frazier, Karr, Nickell 1997, 177–83. Acknowledgments Special thanks are due Timothy Binga, director of CFI Libraries, and Lisa Nolan, CFI librarian, for their repeated help with this report. Joe Nickell, PhD, is a skeptical UFOlogist who has written extensively about alleged extraterrestrial visitations in his Note various books, including Entities and Tracking the Man- 1. Confabulation is a distortion of memory in which gaps in one’s rec- Beasts. He contributed to The Encyclopedia of Extrater - ollection are unintentionally filled in with fictional experiences (Golden - son 1970, I: 249). restrial Encounters and coedited The Alien Invasion. James McGaha, major, USAF retired, is a former special References operations and electronic warfare pilot and now an as- Berlitz, Charles, and William L. Moore. 1980. The Roswell Incident. New tronomer and director of the Grasslands Observatory, York: Grosset and Dunlap. Tucson, Arizona. He has frequently appeared as a UFO Butler, Brenda, Jenny Randles, and Dot Street. 1984. Sky Crash: A Cosmic Conspiracy. Lon don: Nevile Spearman. expert on such television shows as Larry King Live. Clark, Jerome. 1998. The UFO Encyclopedia, 2nd ed. Detroit, Michigan: Omnigraphics.

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The Trouble with Pseudoskepticism The continuing rejection of anthropogenic global warming by nonexperts despite overwhelming scientific consensus is rationally untenable and best described as “pseudoskeptical.” It is akin to AIDS denialism, advocacy of intelligent design, and anti-vaccination movements.

LAWRENCE TORCELLO

own biases. The integrally skeptical hatever else might be argued about the nature of nature of science is most evident in the science, genuine scientific research inherently in- fact that science advances through ef- volves skeptical rigor. Discrete scientific disci- forts to disprove hypotheses, even when W hope is held for their confirmation. This plines approach topics of study in ways unique to the dis- is described well by philosopher Karl cipline’s methodological needs. A paleoclimatologist Popper: cannot conduct her investigations in the same manner The point is that, whenever we propose a solution to a problem, we that a pharmacological chemist working in a laboratory ought to try as hard as we can to will conduct hers. Nevertheless, science does have at least overthrow our solution, rather than defend it. Few of us, unfortunately, one reliable component: the skeptical analysis of data. To practice this precept; but other peo- be studied scientifically, a hypothesis must be testable. In ple, fortunately, will supply the criticism for us if we fail to supply it our- other words, science, regardless of its particular field, is a selves. Yet criticism will be fruitful only if we state our problem as clearly fundamentally skeptical endeavor involving the testing as we can and put our solution in a of hypotheses coupled with efforts to protect test results sufficiently definite form—a form in which it can be critically discussed. from confounding variables, including the researchers’ (Popper [1959] 2002, xix) May June pages BOX_SI new design masters 3/29/12 9:03 AM Page 38

When a pseudoscientist lacking expertise in a particular scientific domain makes a show of openly contradicting well-established claims of scientific consensus, as is often the case with so-called “alternative medicine,” the pseudoskeptical component of pseudoscience is made manifest.

The efforts Popper describes are re- deed, all of this is a necessary prerequi- lief in biological life, but we very well can flected in standard scientific practices, site for any findings to take on a mean- fault the paranormal investigator for so such as repeated and controlled experi- ingful level of scientific acceptance, let eagerly believing in the paranormal. Yet mentation, the publication of findings alone consensus. A scientific theory be- pseudoscientists strive to appear skeptical, only after peer-reviewed critique, and comes accepted as such only once the perhaps in part to win for themselves the requirement that such findings be laws observed, findings predicted, and some of the mandate or regard many presented openly so that other re- facts organized under that proposed people reserve for genuine skepticism. In searchers may attempt to replicate and theory have been so rigorously tested their at tempts at wearing the garb of independently confirm or reject them and confirmed over time that it be- skepticism, pseudoscientists often assert under the same rigorous constraints. In- comes highly implausible (if neverthe- the shortcomings, failures, or dangers of less logically possible) that the stated some given well-established scientific theory should ever be refuted. Any sci- consensus. When a pseudoscientist lack- entific theory as a whole will represent ing expertise in a particular scientific do- the accumulated and organized ex- main makes a show of openly contradict- planatory force of numerous repeatedly ing well-established claims of scientific tested data points. Thus skeptical cri- consensus, as is often the case with so- tique is necessarily and inextricably part called “alternative medicine,” the pseu- and parcel of the scientific process. doskeptical component of pseudoscience However, as contrasted with science, is made manifest. the most evident characteristic of pseu- The word pseudoskepticism was coin - doscience is its utter credulity—indeed its ed by the late sociologist and founding dependence on credulity as a method- member of CSICOP (now CSI) Mar- ological aspect of investigation. Simply cello Truzzi. The term, as originally used put, while scientists are busy attempting by Truzzi, is meant to identify a failure to disprove a favored hypothesis and among self-identified skeptics to remain guarding themselves against the ever-pre- in the face of extraordinary or supernat- sent danger of confirmation bias, pseudo- ural claims. Truzzi’s concern was that scientists actively seek confirming evi- skeptics not abandon reasonable agnos- dence for what they have already deemed ticism in favor of a dismissive cynicism. to be the case. This is so even for pseudo- Instead, Truzzi would have us remain scientists who eagerly attempt to appear true to the spirit of scientific inquiry skeptical. Paranormal investigators of the by proportioning our beliefs to the pseudoscientific stripe provide excellent strength of evidence available. And examples of this pretense. To call oneself when there is no supporting evidence Global warming pseudoskepticism is on a “paranormal investigator” (as opposed available for a claim, Truzzi would have the rise in the industrialized nations most to an investigator of paranormal claims à us call that claim unwarranted, rather responsible for climate change. la Joe Nickell) is to already confess a belief than disproven (Truzzi 1987). that there is something paranormal to in- Since it was introduced by Truzzi, vestigate; the pursuit itself begs the essen- the term pseudoskepticism has commonly tial question. been misused by promoters of the para- We do not fault the biologist for her normal (and offended magical thinkers) well-warranted and uncontroversial be - as an ad hominem repudiation of their

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scientifically minded critics. Perhaps because of this misappropriation, the term has failed to play a prominent role in the skeptic’s lexicon. This is unfortunate, because it is a useful term; there is no compelling justification for associating it exclusively with the obstinate denial of paranormal claims.1 Dogmatic rejection of reliable evidence, regardless of what that evidence supports, is always misguided. Of course, given the nature of most paranormal claims, and certainly those of the supernatural variety, it is improbable if not impossible that sufficient scientific evidence could ever be gathered to justify warranted assertion. To admit this is not a sign of pseudoskepticism as Truzzi promoted the term but rather recognition that some types of claims, When mainstream science—such as the efficacy and importance of vaccination—comes under even if true, are beyond the scope of pseudoscientists’ criticism, pseudoskeptical cynicism is on display. what can be scientifically supported. In contrast, pseudoskeptical cynicism is on supporting evidence in favor of a given perts not many years ago, yet it display whenever nonexperts dogmati- claim. This form of cynicism tends to proved to be right. Never theless the generate hostility toward scientific con- opinion of experts, when it is unani- cally deny the scientific explanations mous, must be accepted by non-ex- held in consensus by legitimate ex- sensus or a misunderstanding of what is perts as more likely to be right than perts—for pseudoskepticism is precisely entailed in such consensus. the opposite opinion. The scepticism the skeptical artifice used by pseudosci- Of course, this is not to argue that one that I advocate amounts only to this: (1) that when the ex perts are agreed, entists when marching in parade against cannot legitimately question scientific consensus; indeed, without constant test- the opposite opinion cannot be held the alleged oppression or conspiracy of to be certain; (2) that when they are mainstream science. ing and questioning, science would be in not agreed, no opinion can be re- Since scientific consensus is reached danger of stagnation. Scientific inquiry garded as certain by a non-expert; and through the organized skepticism in- flourishes in the context of open intellec- (3) that when they all hold that no sufficient grounds for a positive opinion herent to the scientific process, the term tual contest, as evidenced by its skeptical nature.2 In scientific endeavors, a consen- exist, the ordinary man would do well pseudoskepticism is most appropriately to suspend his judgment. identified as the negligent and unwar- sus only exists because all attempts to ranted denial of established scientific discount a given claim have instead The identification of pseudoskepti- consensus. served to strengthen the evidence for it. cism is consistent with Russell’s in sights Thus, for the sake of clarity and ap - Pseudoskepticism, alternatively, can be regarding the value of expertise. When- plication, I want to reconvene Truzzi’s understood in relation to three proposi- ever those outside the realm of active re- useful designation and expand upon the tions put forth by Ber trand Russell in search into a particular topic willfully and concept of pseudoskepticism to include “On the Value of Skepticism” ([1928] without justification contradict estab- that well-known pseudointellectual per- 2005). As Russell puts it: lished scientific consensus on that topic, formance that involves the rejection of they are acting as pseudoskeptics. Thus There are matters about which those pseudoskepticism is most often, if not al- assertions already firmly established who have investigated them are through the rigorous scientific process. agreed; the dates of eclipses may serve ways, displayed by those who lack expert- Pseudoskepticism is a form of cynicism as an illustration. There are other ise in a particular field and therefore most posturing as skepticism. It is fatuously matters about which experts are not reasonably ought to proportion their be- premised on the assumption that doubt agreed. Even when the ex perts all lief to the accepted scientific consensus, agree, they may well be mistaken. for doubt’s sake is inherently rational— Einstein’s view as to the magnitude of when such consensus exists. call this the “cynic’s fallacy.” Such is ob- the deflection of light by gravitation Accordingly, when experts hold a viously not the case when there is strong would have been rejected by all ex- consensus, skepticism or denial of that

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consensus on the part of laypersons is all of it is available for anyone who blithely ignore this designation of their unreasonable and is therefore properly wants to put the effort into learning denialism in the popular media or else- identified as pseudoskepticism. After those facts.4 Rather than rehearsing the where. Skepticism implies the critical asserting his skeptical propositions, facts here, I want to focus on the rea- analysis that is the hallmark of science, Russell goes on to argue that if these sonableness of sticking with expert and skepticism is precisely what has es- simple propositions were to be ac - consensus, when such consensus exists, tablished the overwhelming consensus cepted, they would have positive, even as the most practical method of avoid- among working climatologists for an- revolutionary implications for human ing pseudoskepticism. thropogenic global warming. To deny life. Russell therewith suggests that his Regularly, in the course of teaching the legitimacy of this consensus while skeptical principles have certain moral critical thinking to college students, I claiming to be a “skeptic” would require and social implications. I submit that find that when informal logical fallacies an unjustified double standard regard- agreeing with Russell in this regard re- are first encountered at the conceptual ing one’s appreciation of the scientific quires only minimum reflection upon level, students tend to see them every- process. Global warming denialism is no the ethical responsibilities attached to where—like a kind of ideological parei- longer a tenable position to be held by inquiry and on the harms that threaten dolia. However, as I tell my students, an those who consider themselves to be ra- society when superstitious and pseu- informal fallacy is a fallacy because of tional skeptics. doskeptical think ing are accepted as the what is not presented with it: namely Predictably and increasingly, the de- status quo. well-reasoned arguments, precise defini- nial of anthropogenic global warming is taking on the hallmark trappings of pseudoscience, including conspiratorial claims about climatology and climatologists, irrelevant appeals to nature (“if it is consistent with natural cycles, then it Prime examples of pseudoskepticism and its is not a threat”), truly fallacious appeals to authority, the elevation of dissenters dangers are found in AIDS denialism, anti-vaccination to romantic levels of heroism, and the advocacy, and—perhaps most prominently in our unwillingness to proportion belief to rationally considered evidence. To call current political mainstream—the denialism of such obdurate denialism “skepticism” is anthropogenic global warming. a gross misnomer that undermines science as well as the potency of genuine skepticism. It is high time the skeptical community as a whole call out global warming denialism for the pugnacious pseudoskepticism that it is, and that we attack it with the same gusto and critical Prime examples of pseudoskepti- tions, and supportive evidence. It is not savvy heretofore reserved for intelligent cism and its dangers are found in AIDS the case, as Russell points out so effec- design proponents and anti-vaccination denialism, anti-vaccination advocacy, tively, that every appeal to expertise quacks.6 n and—perhaps most prominently in our ought to be considered a fallacious ap - Notes current political mainstream—the de- peal to authority. This is not to say that 1. The concept of false skepticism is occasion- nialism of anthropogenic global warm- experts cannot be wrong, but it is always ally applied more usefully, and still consistently ing. It is worth dwelling on the latter more reasonable to appeal to an expert with Truzzi’s use of “pseudoskepticism,” against form of pseudoskepticism for a mo- than a nonexpert when one lacks appro- those who support dubious forms of denialism on dogmatic or ideological grounds (as is the case, for ment, for global warming pseudoskep- priate expertise. It stands to reason that example, with AIDS denialism). (These are the ticism is on the rise in the industrialized the more experts agree on a particular same dubious forms of denialism identified in this nations most responsible for climate topic, the more cause there is for nonex- essay.) See especially Richard Cameron Wilson’s 3 5 article “Against the Evidence” (online at www. change. At the same time, those who perts to defer to their consensus. newstatesman.com/ideas/2008/09/evidence-scep- are most vulnerable to climate change Now again, in the case of well-estab- tic-hiv-bogus) as well as his book Don’t Get Fooled are those least responsible for it and lished scientific consensus like the one Again (2008). I maintain, with Wilson, that pseudoskepticism is most often a product of ideologi- least able to adapt to it. As such, the regarding anthropogenic global warm- cal motivation rather than of balanced inquiry. Be- moral hazard involved in this form of ing, the denial of expert opinion by non- yond embracing the dogmatism of ideology, the pseudoskepticism compounds its global experts is pseudoskeptical. It is therefore pseudoskeptic can be identified by a misguided, cynical, and fallacious “doubt for doubt’s sake.” dangers. Much can be said about the a misleading folly for us to agree to call However, my emphasis is exclusively on the de- scientific facts of global warming, and global warming deniers “skeptics” or to nialism of well-established scientific consensus,

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because that type of denialism occurs outside of source for disseminating information on the sci- References the legitimate scientific process. I place emphasis entific findings regarding climate change (www. Popper, Karl. (1959) 2002. The Logic of Scientific on such denialism again here, as I have elsewhere ipcc.ch/). Another extremely valuable source, and Discovery, 2nd edition. London: Routledge. (see Torcello 2011), in order to provide a more perhaps even more valuable than the IPCC reports Russell, Bertrand. (1928) 2005. On the value of consistent criterion by which to identify pseu- for those who are just beginning to learn about the skepticism. In Russell: Skeptical Essays. Lon- doskepticism and in order to attach moral culpa- science of climate change research, is the website don: Routledge. bility to it in the context of political discourse. RealClimate: Climate Science from Climate Sci- Torcello, Lawrence. 2011. The ethics of inquiry, 2. In the course of normal scientific investi- entists (www.realclimate.org/index. php/archives scientific belief, and public discourse. Public gation, a scientific consensus may be challenged /2007/05/start-here/). Another informative source Affairs Quarterly 25(3): 197–215 by researchers actively investigating the relevant is the website Skeptical Science: Get ting Skeptical Truzzi, Marcello. 1987. On pseudo-skepticism. topic; however, the burden is upon the researchers about Global Warming Skep ticism (www.skepti- Zetetic Scholar (12/13): 3–4. Available online at to demonstrate their alternative hypothesis calscience.com/). I would prefer, for obvious rea- www.anomalist.com/commentaries/pseudo. within the standard parameters of the scientific sons, if the subtitle read “Getting Skeptical about html. process (i.e., empirical research, peer-review, re- Global Warming Pseudo skepticism.” Finally, peated independent replication by other re- the National Center for Science Education searchers, etc.). To be clear, doubt of established (http://ncse.com/climate) has made the defense of Lawrence Torcello is an as- consensus in so far as it plays a role in legitimate climate science a part of its mandate, a move that sistant professor of philos- research guided by the scientific process is not ought to be applauded widely by all advocates of pseudoskeptical, but ignoring established scien- ophy at Rochester Institute science and skepticism. tific consensus is pseudoskeptical. of Technology. His research 5. Massimo Pigliucci provides a very useful 3. Much of the increasing pseudoskepticism and teaching focus is on discussion of expertise and how to sort through regarding global warming is attributable to a expertise, along with an important exploration of ethics, informal logic and well-organized, and well-documented, campaign critical thinking, and social and political phi- against legitimate climate science on the part of how politics can thwart the public’s proper un- losophy. He is the faculty advisor to the RIT corporate polluters—and politicians under the fi- derstanding of science in cases like climate nancial influence of such corporate interests. See change in his recent Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Skeptics. A longer companion to this article, George Monbiot’s Heat: How to Stop the Planet Science from Bunk (2010). “The Ethics of Inquiry, Scientific Belief, and from Burning (2007) and Chris Mooney’s The 6. Elsewhere, I have argued for an ethical duty Public Discourse,” was published in 2011 in among academics, politicians, and journalists to Republican War on Science (2007). Public Affairs Quarterly. A related article, publicly confront and counter pseudoskeptical 4. A good place to begin learning about "Sophism and Moral Agnosticism, Or How to anthro pogenic global warming is by turning to the claims against scientific consensus when such Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, claims are made in the context of public policy Tell a Pluralist from a Relativist," appeared in which was created to serve as an authoritative debates. (See Torcello 2011.) The Pluralist in 2011. Email: [email protected].

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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a diagnosis fully accepted by the U.S. Veterans Administration, psychiatrists, and the American public. But PTSD does not meet the criteria for a real psychiatric- medical disease. PETER BARGLOW

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imum VA compensation for this diag- ince 1980 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) nosis. has been a major mental illness category of the My surprise at the apparent cure of American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Diag- this former soldier’s mental disease S prompted me to review several dozen nostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). In medical-psychiatric records of Vietnam this article I critically examine the use of this diagnosis to veterans diagnosed with PTSD by me treat soldiers suffering from the aftermath of physical and or other VA and military psychiatrists. I also reinterviewed over a dozen pa- emotional war trauma. The term PTSD, referring to a psy- tients. PTSD symptoms listed in chiatric disease or disorder, appeared in the New York Times DSM-IV are memory loss or distress- 19,000 times in the ten years between August 14, 2000, ing flashbacks referring to battle events, hyper-vigilance, poor sleep with recur- and August 15, 2010, compared to only 450 times during rent nightmares, irritability, startles, and the prior twenty years. episodes of emotional numbness. (This Today, 400,000 war veterans obtain chiatric evaluation of a fifty-year-old last symptom appears to be the single financial assistance for this medical Vietnam veteran, a Purple Heart recip- most important one in verifying the condition. Of two million Iraq and ient with a voluminous official history PTSD diagnosis [Pietrzak 2009].) The Afghan istan veterans, 10 percent are es- of treatment for PTSD. A few weeks current APA diagnosis re quires appear- timated to have PTSD. It is the topic earlier he had threatened to kill both ance of characteristic symptoms after a of hundreds of psychiatric and psychol- himself and his therapist in her office at latency period of time subsequent to a ogy articles per year and absorbs large a VA outpatient psychiatric clinic. He specific severe precipitating traumatic annual national expenditures for treat- was disabled by use of a Taser gun by event—constituting “Criterion A,” dis- ment and re search. Out of $3.8 billion police, who had stormed the building. cussed below. awarded as a result of U.S. Congres - They seized him while he was un - Several patients also shared with me sional funding bill HR2638 to the U.S. conscious, and transported him to a considerable discomfort with the label Veterans Admini stration (VA) in 2009 prison. The patient was an unemployed of PTSD, which to them signified an for mental illness, the single largest married Hispanic man, wounded during emasculating weakness or dishonesty mental disease category funded was the war’s Tet offensive. His record indi- rather than a genuine illness. A search PTSD. Between 2004 and 2009, 20 cated that he had suffered for many for financial benefits did appear to be percent of the estimated half a million years from PTSD symptoms such as one important factor in shaping the Iraq-Afghanistan war veteran patients hyper-arousal, insomnia with night- narratives of both patients and clini- were treated for PTSD. The first year of mares about Viet Cong snipers, and cians. This suggested the advantages for this health care cost was 1.4 billion dol- paranoid fears; these increased during veterans (“secondary gain”) of re porting lars (U.S. Congres sional Budget Office binges of alcohol use. I had anticipated typical PTSD symptoms, but it also re- 2012). How did it come about that the a confrontation with a huge, menacing flected compassion of VA evaluating diagnosis of PTSD became so widely figure but found the man to be a mild- staff toward patients who clearly had accepted by the Veterans Health System mannered little guy who resembled suffered severely during and after war- (VHA), the American Psychi atric As- Woody Allen. He said that he had fare. The record review showed consid- sociation, and the American public? noted none of the above PTSD symp- erable co-morbidity (when a disease This question first was raised in my toms for many months, but he was category overlaps with one or more mind when two decades ago I did a psy- deeply concerned about retaining max- other major psychiatric diagnoses, such as Major Depressive Disorder or Acute Stress Disorder), and many of the patients used addicting drugs (alcohol, marijuana, pain killers, or amphetamine Several patients . . . shared with me considerable stimulants). Substance dependence was almost impossible to disentangle from discomfort with the label of PTSD, which to them PTSD symptoms. signified an emasculating weakness or dishonesty Unlike my patient whom I de scribed earlier, few veterans with PTSD im - rather than a genuine illness. proved very much during the many years that had elapsed since their initial clinical assessment. Often DSM-IV clinical criteria for PTSD had been

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carelessly applied to veterans whose to mimic mainstream medicine and upon fallible doctors’ judgments. A bet- post-war lives had been dominated by surgery using their ancient etiological ter approach to diagnosis creation was poverty, unemployment, homelessness, categories—trauma, cancer producing, clearly needed, and so psychiatric re- and family disruptions because of vio- infectious, toxic, degenerative, genetic, search in the early 1990s was increas- lence, drugs, or divorce. metabolic, and endocrine. ingly devoted to the human brain. But psychiatric disorders proved dif- PTSD was first listed in the 1980 A Brief History of PTSD ficult to classify with quantifiable edition of the APA’s Diagnostic and The DSM classification system was chemical findings or specific identify- Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders created in 1952. Its first two editions (I ing clinical signs. The revised DSM (DSM-III) and modified later in DSM- [1952] and II [1968]) were based upon systems (in an effort to establish reliable IV and DSM-IV-TR. Its ap pearance in Freud’s psychoanalytic formulations. guidelines for diagnosticians) still had the official APA nomenclature followed The etiology of mental disorders was to rely substantially upon self-reported years of intense lobbying effort by Viet- thought to originate in early-life trau- descriptions of symptoms, not on meas- nam veterans’ organizations, activist so- matic experiences. However, a major urable data. DSM I–III systems’ cate- cial workers, psychologists, and anti-war change in thinking about the concept gorical decisions reflected literature re- psychiatrists. Advo cates for the PTSD of a mental disorder and its etiology oc- views, some data analysis, periodic field diagnosis asserted that traumatic mem- curred in the 1970s, reflected in DSM- trials, and the outcome of verbal de- ories of war experiences were being re- III (1980). There was a marked shift bates between experts. That complex vived in contemporary time, producing away from attention to early childhood decision-making process used patients’ a new serious men tal illness. Soldiers histories. Valiant attempts were made clinical information but had to rely should be treated and compensated for

A 1889 line drawing of the Greek hero Herakles, afflicted with something akin to PTSD brought on by the violence of his twelve labors, by the artist August Baumeister. It originates in a Greek-Sicilian vase painting signed by the artist Asteas (350–320 BCE), depicting a theater performance in which the Herakles of the dramatist Euripides is about to immolate the first of his three children while his wife attempts to escape his psychotic wrath.

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scientific status. For the preceding rea- PTSD benefits for vets vary sons, Criterion A does not appear in How two VA offices differ in their assessments of disability ratings for PTSD the PTSD diagnosis category of the In- (post-traumatic stress disorder) cases and benefits for recent veterans*: ternational Classification of Mental Benefit awarded Lack of consistency in Diseases (ICD-10). Annual amount awarded at disability ratings The importance of this diagnostic each disability level criterion in determining the size of dis- How ratings at two regional offices compare at current rates** ability benefits for veterans with PTSD has been diminished by new VA stan- Louisville, Ky. Sioux Falls, S.D. Yearly dards issued by the Obama admini - benefit No. of cases No. of cases 428 Rating 1,623 stration in 2010. The VA policy now 100 17% states that VA psychiatrists need not re- $33,228 1% quire proof of the quantitative impact of a traumatic precipitant. This VA pol- 70 21% $15,264 10% icy change was inspired by a deep concern for the suffering of victims and 29% 50 largely ignored the APA’s PTSD Cri- $9,564 31% terion A, which may be deleted from 30 25% DSM-V’s definition. $4,668 47% Does PTSD Meet the Criteria for a Valid 10 7% $1,524 11% Psychiatric Diagnosis? 1% The diagnosis of PTSD has always had 0 $0 0% many critics, ranging from McHugh and *Left active duty in 2003 or later **Rates increase each year; for single veteran with no children Treisman (2007), who boldly consider Source: McClatchy analysis of VA data Graphic: Judy Treible © 2011 MCT PTSD to be a “faddish postulate” that “creates a medical condition out of nor- a disorder attributable to events that that required a subjective appraisal of mal distress,” to the meticulous scholars took place many years earlier. This un- an external environmental stressor as Rosen and Lilienfeld (2007), who con- derstanding necessitated a shift in at- part of its diagnosis. Retention of the cluded that the disorder’s “core assump- tention away from the psychodynamics trauma criterion has been supported by tions and hypothesized mechanisms lack of individual veterans, and other risk the observation that studies of symp- compelling or consistent empirical sup- variables, to a heavy emphasis upon a toms unconnected to a specific precip- port.” Robins and Guze (1970) proposed single major factor—the negative after- itant have failed to identify any “char- five research areas in which a psychiatric effects of war trauma on later mental acteristic set of symptoms” (North et al. diagnosis might be validated: (1) clinical health. 2009). Also this position is consistent description including precipitants and The leaders of the American psychi- with the conclusion that treatment con- diagnostic stability over time; (2) biolog- atric profession who became midwives centrating on specific trauma memories ical, hormonal, and radiological quanti- to the official birth of PTSD during and their meaning is more effective than tative evidence; (3) distinct boundaries the 1970s shared today’s almost univer- nontrauma-focused therapy (Ehlers et al. be tween the disorder’s characteristics and sal belief that large-scale suffering of 2010). other psychiatric conditions; (4) family others matters universally and that it But the criterion does have many or genetic statistical connections be tween demands to be recognized and amelio- problems. One statistical piece of evi- patients in the diagnostic category; (5) rated. This moral value probably ac- dence against inclusion of documenta- treatment relevance and success related counted for the diagnostic inclusion of tion of a quantitative trigger to facilitate to precise diagnosis. Schizophrenia, Criterion A, which has generated making a diagnosis is that most soldiers major depression, and alcohol depend- heated debate since its original inclu- do not develop an anxiety disorder or ence are examples of mental disorders sion in the 1980 DSM-III. Criterion A any major psychiatric disorder even that have achieved considerable legiti- for PTSD states that a patient diag- when exposed to the most horrific macy through this process, but PTSD as nosed with PTSD was confronted with trauma. The widespread application of a diagnosis for war veterans has not yet “events that involved actual or threat- Criterion A ignores vast individual attained comparable validity. ened death or serious injury. . .” and re- variations in patients’ resilience and ca- The above five research domains con- sponded with “intense fear, helpless- pacity to adapt. Its reliance upon sub- stitute fertile ground for further re-exam- ness, or horror.” Criterion A made jective reports rather than objective ining PTSD’s diagnostic weaknesses and PTSD the only DSM mental disorder eyewitness evidence further weakens its generating potential remedies:

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Clinical Description and Precipitants. treated with considerable respect. Many The VA patient I described earlier is an Russian psychiatrists argued that af- Iraq and Afghan example of diagnostic instability. The flicted soldiers had a “real illness.” Eng- weakness of Criterion A suggests a lish and German “shell shock” victims war veterans problematic relation between PTSD and Russian “contusion” casualties dur- Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than 2.2 million U.S. service members have been and specific precipitants. These days it ing World War I (1914–1918) also deployed to war zones. is obvious that patients suffering from demonstrated a quite different symp- the emotional aftermath of warfare have tom constellation from that character- Patients treated 1.4 million Afghan and Iraq war veterans not demonstrated consistent symptom istic of PTSD in twenty-first-century eligible for VA health care patterns. Perhaps, then, we can better America. European patients manifested comprehend the emotional toll of recent multiple sensory-motor signs such as 711,986 American wars by applying the sociolog- deafness, muteness, and blindness. Such VA patients treated ical concept that throughout history striking historical dissimilarities in the powerful professional and political com- psychological clinical phenomena of Mental health munities have constructed truth, estab- post-war emotional syndromes suggest Treated patients who had mental health lished definitions, and generated rules for they resemble cultural constructions conditions the interpretation of trauma’s impact. more than disease categories. Cultural This viewpoint provides insight into the factors may also influence treatment 367,749 With mental history of emotional war trauma and outcome; PTSD victims in Kenya health explains its massively varying conceptu- found help in their religious commu- conditions alizations and manifestations. Like nity, in contrast to Okla homa City Post-traumatic stress “Historical Critical Psychopathology” bombing survivors who received benefit Treated patients with potential (Bald win et al. 2004), it emphasizes“his - from medical treatments (North 2009). post-traumatic stress disorder torically situated and contingent aspects of mental disorders.” Brain Structure and Neurophysiologic 211,819 With potential Using such a framework of under- Studies. Since DSM-IV appeared in PTSD standing, the earliest PTSD portrayal 1994, there has been a massive increase may be the fourth-century character in U.S. research efforts to demonstrate 9,700 average number of new veteran Herakles, created by the dramatist Eu- that an organic central nervous system patients each month ripides. Driven insane by a Greek god- disturbance causes PTSD. This cam- 938,000 estimated new veteran claims dess, he suffered a transitory murderous paign was named “embodiment” by by the end of 2013 frenzy precipitated by the violence of skeptics who deplored the use of inap- Source: Veterans for Common Sense Graphic: Judy Treible his twelve labors. A messenger inquires propriate comparison groups and the © 2011 MCT of him, “Has the blood of the men you contaminating role of “cultural ex - recently killed driven you out of your pectancy” in the studies mobilized to Since the Korean War (1950–1953), wits?” Over two millennia later, emo- create a more precise and useful PTSD multiple research efforts in English- tional victims of American Civil War diagnostic category (Baldwin et al. speaking countries have sought distinct trauma were said to be afflicted with 2004). The search for organic brain patterns of psycho-physiological arousal “Soldier’s Heart” (1864–1868), and changes as the source of PTSD symp- in PTSD. But measurements of neuro- those suffering from “Railway Spine” in toms was fueled by the belief that war’s transmitter levels across most popula- America (circa 1886) showed psycho- emotional stress could affect brain tions with the disease showed marked logical and physical characteristics quite physiology and chemistry negatively, differences of quantity, including a com- different from those used currently to producing permanent and characteristic plete failure to show heightened re- identify PTSD. Such patients in the post-trauma symptom patterns. The sponses in a quarter of cases. Acute stress latter half of the nineteenth century first major effort to argue this position has been shown to activate the central experienced bodily shaking and tremors originated during the 1905 Russo- nervous system to release catechola - of arms and legs, stuttering, and limping, Japanese war through studies of soldiers mines, norepinephrine and epinephrine, but they did not report anger, numbing who suffered from “contusion,” a puz- into the bloodstream. But patients with sensations, or flashback symp toms as zling nervous breakdown during or acute PTSD symptoms have normal contemporary PTSD victims often do. after combat. The psychology versus plasma concentrations of these sub- Civil War victims’ clinical presenta- brain change etiological debate became stances. Only those with chronic PTSD tions resembled those reported during even more active during World War I have increased cerebrospinal fluid nor- the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905), (1914–1918) in Europe with research epinephrine levels that correlate with the when emotional casualties began to be about “shell shock.” severity of PTSD symptoms. But all sit-

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uations that produce stress for human to be associated with depression and ceptually related to the above historical primates—not just emotional war even borderline personality disorder. concepts of English “shell shock” and trauma—are associated with cate- Statistical associations between emo- Russian “contusion” traumata. cholamine release. tional war trauma, PTSD, and size of Malfunction of the hypothalamus- brain structures remain highly specula- Genetic Studies Related to Emotional pituitary-adrenal hormonal axis has tive and unproven. Consequences of Battle Trauma. Such re- been postulated in those PTSD victims search remains suggestive rather than who have lowered blood cortisol levels PTSD Boundaries with Other Psychiatric convincing. Molecular genetics has yet and who demonstrate enhanced cortisol Disorders. The diagnosis of PTSD to identify specific genes that confer a suppression with dexamethasone and today is made by the use of standardized vulnerability to PTSD. Although ge- exaggerated cortisol secretion during tests, such as the self-report PTSD netic research does support a biological stressful exposure. But findings have Symptoms Checklist, the Clini cian Ad- component of PTSD, it has failed to been inconsistent or subtle, and many ministered PTSD Scale, and a Clinical distinguish it from other related (co- hormonal studies lack hormone level Interview for DSM Disorders. But still, morbid) psychiatric diagnoses. One data pre-exposure to stress. Recent PTSD is poorly separated from other study showed that shared genetics ac- prospective longitudinal studies have major psychological disorders, and its counted for 30 percent of the variance in PTSD symptoms in Vietnam War veteran twins, even after taking into account different levels of combat exposure. Stein et al. (2002) proved in 1999 Statistical associations between emotional war that genetics contributes to both the trauma, PTSD, and size of brain structures remain tendency for a subject to be exposed to traumas involving assault and a vulner- highly speculative and unproven. ability to develop PTSD after exposure. Such results have led to the theory that a combination of genes and environment are necessary to develop PTSD shown that low cortisol levels in PTSD diagnostic stability is low, as illustrated symptoms, a proposal that contradicts patients may actually have preceded, not by my patient vignette in the introduc- the assumption that trauma is the core followed, a traumatic event. Finally, cor- tion of this article. Using current diag- etiological agent. The preceding obser- tisol levels vary dramatically secondary nostic criteria, PTSD has consistently vations are consistent with the idea that to numerous biological, temporal, and been found to overlap other major psy- PTSD may be distinguishable from psychological variables, making them an chiatric disorders. Kessler et al. (1996) other common disorders. unreliable biological marker. found that 88 percent of a large sample Another major effort to find a neu- of U.S. patients with PTSD met DSM- The PTSD Diagnosis Used to Guide robiological correlate to PTSD has fo- III or IV clinical-case data criteria for at Treat ment of the Illness. Experts today do cused upon brain morphology studied least one other major mental disorder, not yet know if the prolonged emo- through brain scanning. Extrapo lating most often chemical dependence. PTSD tional suffering following physical or from animal stress models, it was sug- does have convergent validity with major emotional war trauma can be amelio- gested that elevated corticosteroids depressive disorder (95 percent lifetime rated, let alone cured. The Institute of (adrenocorticotropic hormone, or corti- and 50 percent co-occurring) in combat Medicine carefully evaluated fifty-three sol) in patients with PTSD could pro- veterans. Further research on the central- drug studies and thirty-seven psy- duce toxic damage to the hippocampus. ity of “numbing” may help establish chotherapy studies (National Acad emy The function of memory is thought to PTSD as an independent diagnostic en- of Sciences 2008). Their team of aca- reside there, and the structure’s compro- tity (Pietrzak 2009). demic specialists examined the evidence mise might be related to flashbacks and The medical condition traumatic (or lack of evidence) for the success of nightmare symptoms. But there is only brain injury (TBI) is also difficult to dis- anticonvulsants, benzodiazepines, MAOIs, weak evidence for this link in humans. tinguish from PTSD. TBI is a brain SSRIs and other antidepressants, and Also, most human studies have failed to concussion caused by a blow to the head other remedies such as Eye Movement control for other psychiatric disorders that changes a soldier’s consciousness, Desensitization and Reprocessing (EM - associated with hippocampal atrophy, resulting in amnesia and neurological DR). Their summary concluded that including alcoholism. Smaller hip- abnormalities. TBI can result from dam- there was insufficient scientific evidence pocampal volume is a relatively nonspe- age sustained from bullets, bombs, falls, to determine that any treatment (except cific finding that also has been reported or vehicle accidents. TBIs may be con- possibly Prolonged Exposure Therapy)

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had beneficial long-term effects for sharing with others of vivid ex periences shortcomings of the current PTSD di- PTSD. Their report noted that drug associated with the ravages of the disease agnosis jeopardize the treatment of the manufacturers had funded many stud- stimulates them to drink right after a terrible aftermath of war’s emotional ies, possibly biasing their outcomes, and seemingly successful meeting. Also evi- trauma. n that too many research patients had dence for effectiveness of exposure ther- dropped out of experiments to allow ro- apy is not as strong for veterans as it is Acknowledgment bust conclusions about efficacy. Little is for civilians. I thank Dave Wilson, MD, (an internal known about what kind of patients ben- Recent empirical research studies in- medicine resident at Stanford Medical School) for assistance with review of the bi- efit from which treatments. dicate that cognitive processing therapy ological substratum of PTSD. On April 26, 2010, the New York (CPT) is also often effective in treating Times published an article that de scribed the emotional aftermath of warfare. The References the plight of veterans who were physical method tries to modify perceptions of a Baldwin, S.A., D.C. Williams, A.C. Houts. 2004. and emotional casualties, slated for dis- specific war trauma and its reproduction. The creation, expansion, and embodiment of posttraumatic stress disorder. The Scientific charge, temporarily hospitalized at Fort Review of Mental Health Practice 3(1): 1–39. Carson’s Warrior Transi tion Battalion Conclusions Ehlers, A., D.M. Clark, M. Creamer, et al. 2010. unit. Inmates and their close family Currently there is little benefit in direct- Do all psychological treatments really work the same in posttraumatic stress disorder? members depicted absent or poor psychi- ing treatment interventions toward pa- Clinical Psychology Review 30: 269–76. atric treatment, overmedication, bureau- tients diagnosed with PTSD, an amor- Kessler, R.C., C.B. Nelson, K.A. McGonagle. cratic delays, and prescription of drugs phous disease category with indistinct 1996. The epidemiology of co-occuring ad - dictive and mental disorders. American Journal that fostered ad diction to heroin. Poly- conceptual boundaries and without a of Orthopsychiatry 66(1): 17–31. pharmacy treatment for PTSD (combin- firm biological foundation. Money might McHugh, P.R., and G. Treisman. 2007. PTSD, a problematic diagnostic category. Journal of ing anti-anxiety, antidepressant, antipsy- be more prudently spent on im mediate Anxiety Disorders 21(2): 211–22. chotic, and anti-insomnia agents) post-trauma intervention ad dressing in- National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Med- recently has been associated with acci- dividual patients’ symptoms. Treatment icine. 2008. Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Published by Institute of Medicine, dental death in U.S. veterans with this of concurrent depression, addiction, and National Academic Press. condition (New York Times, February 14, other anxiety conditions may be far more North, C.S., A.M. Suris, M. Davis, et al. 2009. To- 2011). Such reports are painful reminders valuable than targeting chronic symp- ward validation of the diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder. American Journal of Psy- that neither the U.S. military establish- toms and decades-later psychological af- chiatry 166(1): 34–40. ment nor the Veterans Administration termaths. All ap proaches must amelio- Pietrzak, R.R. 2009. The importance of four-fac- has learned quite enough to treat victims rate veterans’ social conditions—poverty, tor emotional numbing and dysphoria models in PTSD. American Journal of Psychiatry of emotional war trauma effectively. homelessness, and marital and familial 166(1): 40–41. “Prolonged Exposure Therapy,” orig- friction. Acute post-traumatic symptoms Robins, E., and S.B. Guze. 1970. Establishment of diagnostic validity in psychiatric illness. inated and proven efficacious by Edna must not be transformed into a chronic American Journal of Psychiatry 126: 983–87. Foa, remains the most evidence-sup- compensated disability, set in stone by its Rosen, G.M., and S.O. Lilienfeld. 2007. Post - ported successful intervention. It helps designation as an official major DSM traumatic stress disorder: An empirical evaluation of core assumptions. Clinical Psychology traumatized soldiers to approach disease syndrome. Review 28: 837–68. trauma-related thoughts, feelings, and The use of the PTSD diagnosis may Stein, M.B., J.L. Jang, and S. Taylor. 2002. Genetic situations previously avoided because contribute to treatment failures because and environmental influences on trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder they cause distress. The technique uses it fabricates a spurious invalid category symptoms: A twin study. American Journal of education, breathing exercises, safe re- of illness, rather than seeing a unique Psychiatry 159: 1675–81. exposure to painful avoided or un - sufferer. A humane society must com- U.S. Congressional Budget Office. 2012. The Vet- erans Health Administration’s treatment of avoidable war experiences, and “talking pensate and reward all military victims PTSD and traumatic injury among recent through” a patient’s individual history of with generosity, but strict application of combat veterans (CBO study, February 2012). trauma. A couple of my own PTSD pa- Criterion A of the PTSD diagnosis tients who tried this method felt that it does not accomplish this purpose. Peter Barglow, MD, is a psy- reawakened and reactivated traumatic PTSD appears to be more of a social chiatrist who has taught at Northwestern, University of memories that appeared to have been construction than a medical brain dis- Chicago, and University of forgotten, making their emotional disease, and as of this date can best be con- California at Davis medical tress even worse. This possible disadvan- sidered “as encompassing a broad range schools. Currently he is a tage for a portion of the war-trauma- of possible reactions to adverse events” Clinical Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry at tized population may be comparable to (Rosen and Lilienfeld 2007, 858). Fi- UC Davis. He treated active duty military per- the reaction that some alcoholic addicts nally, the stigma associated with this di- sonnel while in the U.S. Navy and veterans have experienced during Alco holics agnosis of a mental illness may keep through the VA Northern California Health Care Anonymous meetings. The ex plicit some veterans from seeking care. The System. Email: [email protected].

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The Ongoing Decline of Religion The inexorably growing impact of science is our most significant tool discrediting religion.

ELIE A. SHNEOUR

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ian and the Jerusalem Tal muds. These he Roman Catholic Church’s remarkably concise texts are usually grounded on a set of ar- statement of its core beliefs, the Credo, includes this chaic dogmas, implausible beliefs, and fallacious precepts, such as the golden T pivotal article of faith that sustains and justifies most tablets as one of the divine sources for religions: “Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum et vitam the Book of Mormon. venture seaculi”—“[I believe] and await the resurrection of These texts inevitably clash against the coherent, rational, scientific ad vances the dead and the life of the world to come.” Surely, life on that increasingly overwhelm religious Earth was truly miserable for nearly everybody until fairly histories, dictates, and dogmas. In all se- recently. Through the ages the promise of comfort and im- riousness, some advanced religions still dispense such improbable yarns as a mortality after earthly demise has been a powerful incen- naked Eve in the Garden of Eden speak- tive for religious adhesion. In fact, failure to belong in toto ing with a snake. They allege the immac- to the Church, for example, was harshly punished by the ulate conception of Jesus by Mary through the intervention of the Holy ecclesiastical Roman Inquisition tribunal (1542–1908), Ghost. They assert that the Red Sea which dealt out severe questioning that included torture parted to allow Jews dry passage from to coerce the victim to recant and return to the fold. Those Egypt to the Holy Land. More generally, these religions have been generating judged guilty of heresy incurred harsh penalties including miraculous happenstances for which re- death by fire. liable evidence is never likely to be found. There remain in the world today sev- ingly problematic and distant. For the rational person, it is increas- eral other orthodoxies, led by religious The cornerstone of almost all estab- ingly difficult to accept these religious fanatics, that torture and kill in the name lished religions rests on ancient texts tenets. Indeed, to belong to most reli- of religion. Some of them use animal claimed to have been divinely inspired, gions one must suspend wholesale mon- and human sacrificial rituals. On the although an argument can be made that umental disbeliefs of the modern world other hand, to have one’s virtual ticket to all of them qualify as heavenly hearsay. and instead accept supernatural magical heaven punched one must pay for the Many have been translated into the explanations. With scientific advances privilege granted religion by exacting a number of conditions in return. They include strict adherence to specific rules of conduct and financial sacrifices by the willing believer. By contrast, the wicked In all seriousness, some advanced religions (comprising those born or raised outside still dispense such improbable yarns as a the faith, unbelievers, nonbelievers, cheats, murderers, thieves, and the like) are likely naked Eve in the Garden of Eden speaking to be condemned to eternal damnation, with a snake. which usually involves a hellish existence in some underground sea of eternal flames ruled by the Devil. The miscre- ant’s fall from grace, however, need not be fatal if he or she recants the behavior common spoken and written language. expanding the human view of the uni- in time. He or she may yet be pardoned They include the Septuagint, an early verse, it is understandable why so few by taking on burdensome obligations for translation of the Hebrew Old Testa - major religions have emerged in the past the remission of sins. This is how reli- ment into Greek. Then there is the thousand years. Given these wide-rang- gions have dominated man kind since Complutensian Polyglot, the Old and ing impediments, it is not surprising time im memorial. They offer a collective New Testament of the King James Bible that religions in almost all their forms vision of a benevolent eternity for the rendered in quintessential Eng lish, the are neither willing to deal with the price of remaining an integral, potent Ramayana, the Bhagavad Gita as part of modern world nor capable of doing so. part of human society. But today, life on the Mahabarata, the Book of Mormon This explains, in part, why the atten- Earth is more rapidly becoming gratify- and the Pearl of Great Price, the Koran dance at churches, synagogues, and ing while the possibility for a supernat- and the Hadith, the Torah and the wis- mosques for religious events is slowly ural life after death is becoming increas- doms of the Midrash with the Babylon- but palpably decreasing. Religions over

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the longer term seem doomed to even- conduct that he introduced 2,500 years has issued restrictions to human repro- tual irrelevance. They appear to be well ago. Jainism was also introduced in the duction and stem cell research. Many on the way to eventually turning into sixth century BCE, as yet another religion other religions also have concerns about mere historical curiosities, but that will that taught nonviolence in revolt against where scientific research is going and the not happen effortlessly or soon because Hinduism. Shinto in Japan was once a risk it is posing to their beliefs. In the religions still carry considerable sway in sect with reverence for Kami, a polythe- long run these restrictions are not likely the world. ist sacred power that eventually became to be effective. There can be no doubt Among the active religions of today, distorted in order to sustain the brutal that science will eventually triumph. Judaism is one of the oldest and is con- militarism of the 1930s and early What makes the advance of scien- spicuous for its remarkable survival in 1940s—but its origins are lost in the tific work possible is that there is an the face of brutal existential assaults. Ju- early folklore of the country. easy and fruitful give and take between daism covers a gamut of conflicting fac- The central conclusion about religion science and technology; neither of these tions, many of which are based on fierce has to be that it has not made any lasting can possibly have an intrinsic fruitful resistance to change. The scholars of old impact on human ethics, the primary en- relationship with religion. There is a wrote many religious texts by borrowing gine for its existence. In this respect major difference between science and liberally from other mythological tradi- alone, religion has failed dismally, as the technology: science is a way of thinking tions. For example, the four-thousand- world remains today at the uneasy while technology is a way of doing. year-old Babylonian Epic of Gamesh threshold of a worldwide nuclear threat, Technology provides no clear contribu- originated the story of a heavily animal- looking helplessly at the hecatomb that tion to the eventual doom of religion laden ark enduring a torrential rainfall was the twentieth century. because it dwells on an entirely different logical platform from science. That difference between them is important. Technology is an altogether distinct The central conclusion about religion has to concept from science, although these be that it has not made any lasting impact two terms are almost always used inter- changeably and indiscriminately. The on human ethics, the primary engine extraordinary example is China, which for its existence. was a veritable fountainhead of major technological inventions. These included the compass in the third century BCE and the development of medi- and then ending up stuck on a mountain The single most significant element cine—the use of the pulse for diagnosis top. The Roman Catholic Church was discrediting religion is the inexorably was recorded in the remarkable Book of eventually divided as a result of the six- growing impact of science. That pro cess Titles, dating back to the eleventh cen- teenth-century Refor ma tion into began in earnest in sixteenth-century tury BCE. Gun powder was first used for Protestant denominations, which in turn Europe and received a dramatic boost fireworks in the second century BCE; were still further divided. Islam emerged that had far-reaching implications not writing paper was available from 105 from the dictates of the prophet only for science but for the Roman CE onward, and printing with movable Muham mad, who preached an uncom- Catholic Church as well. It was Coper- type was developed in the seventh cen- promising form of monotheism in the nicus (1473–1543) who mathematically tury CE. seventh century. Although there is a the- dethroned Earth as the center of the These were truly remarkable techno- oretical Islamic underpinning of belong- Ptolemaic universe and postulated a he- logical fruits of the human mind that ing to a single community, Islam also liostatic solar system, degrading the Europeans didn’t recognize and adopt fragmented early into a number of sects, Earth to a much lesser position in the until much later. Not surprisingly, there some of which continue to fight each firmament. His work was confirmed by is no whiff of religious chicanery in other in a murderous frenzy to this day. Galileo (1564–1642), who not only ex- them because religion is blinded by Hinduism emerged from bloody sacrifi- perimentally confirmed and supported “having the word” that transcends sci- cial cults brought in by Arian invaders in the heliocentric theory developed by entific thoughts and technological pur- India around 1500 BCE. Buddhism Co pern icus but is actually considered suits, intentionally resisting change to began as a revolt in the sixth century BCE the pioneer of the experimental protect its wobbly edifice of dogma. against orthodox Hinduism through the method. This did not sit well with the This is what makes every attempt to influence of Siddhartha Gau tama, uni- Roman Catholic Church of the time, reconcile religion with science and/or versally known as Buddha. Confucius in and stern opposition to Galileo’s helio- technology a virtually unattainable goal. China did not preach the existence of a centric system by the Church did not One of my sometime mentors was deity but of a mandatory system of good fully end until 1922. Now the Church paleontologist and Jesuit priest Pierre

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Teilhard de Chardin (1881–1955). We It originates in deep space from the di- This has a startling consequence encountered each other in France, rection of Sagit tarius, located at the cen- that is rarely if ever invoked by religion. where I lived, and later on in New York, ter of our own galaxy. Although Jansky Indeed, if all forms of human life were where he died. He tried but failed to published the results of his seminal truly recognized as sacred down to the convince me to consider a Jesuit framework, he perplexingly didn’t follow unicellular form, religious authorities work for my life, but I learned the cat- through on it but went on to do other would be compelled to insist on the echism in the interim and sang until things. It fell to an amateur astronomer, ceremonial burial of every human cell, fairly recently exquisite masses and re- Grote Beber, to pursue this spatial mys- every strand of hair, every bit of skin, quiems by a variety of composers— tery further; thus was born the science and every tissue removed from surgery. from Gregorian chants and early music of radio astronomy, emerging as it did From the formal religious assertion of to contemporaries—in a number of from technology rather than from sci- the sublime value of a single fertilized churches and secular venues. Much of ence. Such fortuities are the bread and human cell, we are, alas, left with a pre- that music is awesomely beautiful in the butter of science and technology, where posterous notion that is not enforceable main, but it neither subverted me nor no quarter is ever taken or given to in the real world. Sooner rather than provided me with a coherent conver- claims that are beyond the realm of ra- later these concepts will determine at gence between religion, science, and tional inquiry. some point in the future that all human technology, just as Pierre was unable to The one central position that distin- life is sacred in fact as it is in theory. do so. This discouragingly futile effort guishes science and technology from re- The quoted Roman Catholic Credo to achieve consistency between science ligion is the tradition of unrelenting at- dogma that begins this essay is based on and religion is broadly ongoing today. tempts to falsify the observations before the proposition that life on Earth is as- A dominant factor is individuals’ re- they are accepted by the community of sumed to be unlikely to improve and peated but failed attempts to seek at scientists and engineers, a demanding will remain irretrievably miserable. least a rational link between religion standard that religion could never ac- Only in life after death can one be and ethics. Ethics is a major factor in complish or even consider. Religion is in- granted perpetual solace in one of sev- science but plays no discernible role in capable of granting believers the thought eral forms. This precept has no place in technology. Ethics consists of wise that there may perhaps be errors in its science or technology, but it still finds guides for human behavior that are vi- tenets that might contradict any part of a declining refuge in religion. The ulti- tally important to civilizing pursuits. the platform on which they stand. mate contradiction is the pro-lifer who They ensure the survival and prosperity Nonetheless, religion has to ration- supports the death penalty. H.L. of the human society. By contrast, reli- alize its usually convoluted dogmas by Menc ken witheringly summarized how gious precepts and prohibitions usually giving them ethical dimensions—as al- science could overcome the limitations impose a hostile burden on outsiders ready noted, an ultimately futile exer- of theology and autocracy: “Every time and infidels who reject adherence to cise. For example, the “Right to Life” the scientists take another fort from the traditional and ancient norms, most of has long been a dead letter in the theologians and the politicians there is which long ago reached obsolescence. Roman Catholic Church. Even Vatican genuine human progress.” n It was Voltaire (1694–1778) who ex- scholars of the Scriptures no longer up- © Copyright 2012 by Elie A. Shneour. claimed in disgust as he left one of hold the erroneous reading of Genesis — All rights reserved. many interminable religious disputa- 38:9. Among the Ten Com mand ments tions of his time, “There are no sects in “Thou shalt not kill” does not even geometry!” By contrast, here is one shin- begin to encompass all human life- ing example among many that illumi- forms, and the human construct is open nates how science and technology com- to wide interpretation; consider the re- Elie A. Shneour, a neuro- plement each other to advance both: In sulting dogma that “life begins at con- chemist and biophysicist, 1928 Karl Jansky, a newly minted MIT ception.” That is an utterly false asser- is president and research graduate engineer, was hired by the tion on its face because spermatozoa director of Biosystems Re- then-prestigious Bell Tele phone Labo- and ova cells are vibrantly alive long be- search Institute in La Jolla, ratories. He was as signed the difficult fore they meet. Life most assuredly California, and a longtime task of tracking down all sources of does not begin at conception. There are Committee for Skeptical Inquiry fellow. He noise that interfered with telephone no discontinuities here as life just per- has served on many national and interna- communications. By 1931 Jansky had sists and inexorably continues and ma- tional science advisory bodies and is a member of the American Chemical Society, the systematically detected and identified all tures. Thus the inevitable conclusion American Society of Biological Chemists, the sources of telephonic noise, with one embraced by religion is that the sacred American Society for Biochemistry and Mo- glaring exception. It took him many ad- status of an individual and his society is lecular Biology, the International Society for ditional months to finally pinpoint that dependent on properties possessed by Neurochemistry, Sigma Xi, and several other finicky last source of noisy interference. human cellular tissues. scientific organizations.

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[REVIEWS Is Science the Antidote to Deepak Chopra’s Spirituality?

MARK ALFORD

an skeptics and scientists learn anything from reading a Deepak CChopra book? In this case I think War of the Worldviews: Science vs. Spirituality. By they can. It helps that this book is coau- Deepak Chopra and Leonard Mlodinow. Harmony thored with Leonard Mlodinow, physi- Books (Random House), New York, 2012. ISBN: cist, screenwriter, and coauthor with 978-0307886880. 306 pp. Hardcover, $26. Stephen Hawking of the best seller The Grand Design. (He also received the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry’s Balles Prize for his book on random- ness, The Drunkard’s Walk.) The book is formatted as a debate, each author set- ting out his side and responding to the other. It covers all the big questions: will be “drawn to your side’’ (Chopra, p. ent line, more like a geographical cosmology, life and evolution, the mind 251)? Or does it tell us that under- boundary, that separates science from and brain, and God. Chopra advocates standing one’s essence means “to think metaphysics. Mlodinow steps over this his own brand of spirituality, claiming of myself as a biological machine gov- line when he argues against Chopra’s that the universe is conscious and evolv- erned by the same laws that govern metaphysical castle-building by offering. He presents his spirituality as the Pluto” (Mlodinow, p. 133)? This is a ing a competing metaphysical picture reasonable alternative to the soulless difference of two worldviews, but they that says “No, the evolution of the uni- materialism of his critics. Mlodinow are both metaphysical extensions of verse isn’t guided by a universal con- acts as the spokes man for science, coun- what science itself tells us. sciousness: it evolves through physical tering Chopra’s expansive claims and The proper skeptical answer, I would law, and has no guiding purpose” (p. giving very clear explanations of con- argue, is a third view: “none of the 62). The problem with this is that it ventional scientific knowledge. above.” Science doesn’t tell us deep goes beyond what science tells us. Sci- The title invites us to read the book truths about the world. Chopra goes ence does not measure the amount of as documenting a struggle between sci- beyond science in one direction, using purpose in the universe. I found myself ence and spirituality, but Chopra clearly it as a springboard to launch his inspi- agreeing with Chopra when he de- loves science and vies with Mlodinow rational metaphysics. In his statement scribed such claims as philosophical to explain topics like the history of the quoted above, Mlodinow jumps in an- materialism. By representing metaphys- cosmos and the role of DNA. In some other direction by espousing “philo- ical overstatements as being part of the cases Chopra misstates the content of sophical” materialism, which, as Chopra “scientific worldview,” one puts real sci- scientific knowledge and Mlodinow says, is also a form of metaphysics. The ence in danger of being discredited. corrects him, but in many cases Chopra skeptic rejects both spiritualistic and The proper “scientific” response to and Mlodinow agree on the content of materialistic metaphysics. We don’t Chopra’s spiritualistic metaphysics is to our scientific knowledge of the world. have evidence that there is a universal confine oneself to Laplace’s admirably Their disagreement is over a ques- consciousness with which we can com- minimal comment, “We have no need tion that is not itself scientific: What mune, nor does science tell us the of that hypothesis.” deep truth does science tell us about the “essence’’ of anything. To be fair to Mlodinow, his meta- world? Does it tell us that there is a From this point of view, the crucial physical overstatements are much rarer universal consciousness that we can ac- division is not a battle line between sci- than those of other popular writers cess by going to a special place where it ence and spirituality but rather a differ- such as Richard Dawkins. At various

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[NEW AND NOTABLE Listing does not preclude future review.

DRIVE AND CURIOSITY: What Fuels the Passion for Science. Ist- points in the book, he clearly states the van Hargittai. Fore ward by Carl Djerassi. A physical chemist and limits of science. He acknowledges that writer examines the careers of fifteen eminent scientists who “science does not address the meaning of have made some of the most notable discoveries of the past century and uncovers in each case a singular personality charac- life . . . and science will never be able to teristic, motivating factor, or circumstance that, in addition to explain why the universe follows laws” (p. their extraordinary drive and curiosity, led these individuals to 256). Concerning the soul, he says that make their discoveries. Prometheus Books, 2011, 338 pp., $26. science does not claim to have proved that there is no such thing, only that there is 50 HEALTH SCARES THAT FIZZLED. Joan R. Callahan. Interesting no credible evidence for it (p. 131). He and comprehensive re view of failed health scares from a zoolo- nicely summarizes the role of science as gist and epidemiologist, including AIDS, Ebola, MSG, power lines, and killer bees. ABC-CLIO, 2011, 360 pp., $85. follows: “When [a] particular belief does not lead to conflict with what we observe in the physical world, there is nothing sci- THE LAST MYTH: What the Rise of Apocalyptic Thinking Tells ence says to oppose it,’’ (my emphasis). Us about America. Mathew Barrett Gross and Mel Gilles. An ex- The crucial point, which he doesn’t state ploration of the origin and meaning of apocalyptic thought in explicitly, is that there may indeed be ar- America today, from belief by the Christian Right in the imminent guments against it, but rather than being occurrence of events foretold in Revelation to nonreligious wor- scientific they will be of a more general ries about peak oil, global warming, and the end of civilization as we know it. Prometheus Books, 2011, 255 pp., $18. logical or philosophical nature. Chopra’s central claim provides an im- THE 7 LAWS OF MAGICAL THINKING: How Irrational Beliefs mediate example. What he advocates is a Keep Us Happy, Healthy, and Sane. Matthew Hutson. Most of form of panpsychism, the proposition that us engage in magical thinking to some degree, even when we mind is a fundamental feature of the world don’t think so. Hutson, a former Psychology Today news editor, and exists throughout the universe. There draws upon cognitive science to discuss seven such “laws”: ob- is a lively ongoing debate concerning jects carry essences, symbols have power, actions have distant consequences, the mind knows no bounds, the soul lives on, the panpsychism, not among scientists but world is alive, and everything happens for a reason. Hudson among philosophers. Reputable figures Street Press/Penguin, 2012, 296 pp., $25.95. such as Galen Strawson and Timothy Sprigge argue in favor of panpsychism, THE SCIENCE OF YOGA: The Risks and the Rewards. William J. though not anything like Chopra’s ornate Broad. A veteran New York Times science journalist and longtime version, while others such as John Searle practitioner of yoga presents what he calls the first impartial and Colin McGinn refute it (see “Panpsy- evaluation of the thousand-year-old practice, celebrating what’s chism,” The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philos- real and uplifting and showing what’s illusory, flaky, and dangerous, while offering a vision of how the practice can be im- ophy, Fall 2010 edition). proved. Simon & Schuster, 2012, 336 pp., $26. Chopra and Mlodinow’s book is a wide-ranging and stimulating read. The presence of two perspectives, of an insider STANDARDS: Recipes for Reality. Lawrence Busch. A fascinat- and of an outsider, gives stereoscopic depth ing sociocultural and scientific examination of standards: those necessary (and sometimes arbitrary) rules by which we meas- to the explanations of the science. But by ure the world, delineating what is acceptable from what is not. framing the debate as “science vs. spiritu- MIT Press, 2011, 296 pp., $35. ality,” I think the book blurs an essential point. The counterpoint to Chopra’s speculations is not science, with its complicated structure of facts, theories, and hypotheses, WHO’S WINNING THE WAR ON TERROR. Richard E. Wackrow. An in- but something much more basic. The an- sightful, skeptical analysis of the American “War on Terror” initiated tidote to Chopra is Occam. n after the September 11, 2001, attacks and its consequences, exposing exaggerated warnings, lies, and flawed assumptions in how Mark Alford is professor of physics at Washington the U.S. Government has responded “in the interest of national se- University in St. Louis. His 2011 debate with curity.” Empiricist Press, 2012, 233 pp., $29.95. Deepak Chopra and others on “The Nature of Real- ity’’ was written up in the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER —Benjamin Radford and Kendrick Frazier (May/June 2011) and can be viewed online at http://tinyurl.com/7qf5c4v.

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Answers for Kids from Twelve to Eighty-Two

KEITH TAYLOR

ichard Dawkins’s books form a bulwark of science against the The Magic of Reality: everlasting siege of credulous R How We Know What’s Really True ideas fomented by religious leaders, talk- show bombasts, advertisers fudging on By Richard Dawkins. Free Press facts in order to justify the next quarter’s (Simon and Schuster), New York, 2011. ISBN 978- bottom line, and politicians who promise 1-4391-9281-8. 270 pp. $29.99. to deliver what we, the electorate, choose to believe. Since his first book, The Self- ish Gene (1976), Dawkins’s popularity has grown among adult freethinkers. Now, with The Magic of Reality: How We Know What’s Really True, he expands his When you finish, give it to a kid and south of Seattle. I didn’t see the first focus to include “kids from twelve to discuss it with her/him. I intend to do wave, but the visitations continued until one hundred.” I guess that includes me, just that with the Arizona kid. It will in- other news moved them off the front a wheezing octogenarian, and my bril- troduce her to a world quite different page. liant pre-teen great-granddaughter in from the one described in Sunday On the second or third day of the Arizona. school. brouhaha, one of my shipmates pointed If you buy it, and I urge you to do so, It’s fun to read, but it isn’t just a fun the saucers out. I saw nothing unusual skip Nook or Kindle and spring for the book. While Dawkins doesn’t give at first. Then, after a lot of help from hardbound copy with sturdy lacquered myths credence, he doesn’t ignore them. my shipmate, I could make them out paper. The illustrations by Dave McKean Chapter after chapter begins with both but had a hard time distinguishing the alone will justify the extra cost. Put it on an illustration of what people often flying saucers from the ever-changing a table in your living room where people chose to believe in the past and an ex- shapes of the clouds. But they were real. can pick it up, leaf through it, and learn planation of why they likely believed it. Everybody said so, although nobody something new. There’s a lot to ponder Then he carefully takes us through the knew what they were. When I received in a mere 270 pages. science that illuminates the topic. my discharge and got back home again The book couldn’t come at a better to Sevastopol, Indiana, I was the village time. Election year always brings a expert on the phenomenon, which was plethora of religious ideas touted to sweeping the country. “put America back on the right track.” Of course, seeing something that isn’t Oh sure, we have always been awash there doesn’t do much harm unless we go No longer do we have to with credulous thinking. Now, thanks to war over it. We nearly did that several to the Internet, credulity and misinfor- times during the Cold War, once when depend on the local village mation come at the speed of fiber op- some NORAD operators mistook the idiot to keep us believing tics. No longer do we have to depend moon rising for incoming missiles. in the little green men with on the local village idiot to keep us be- In chapter after chapter, Dawkins pointy heads; today that lieving in the little green men with treats us to myths and specious think- pointy heads; today that village idiot is ing without soft-pedaling the message village idiot is probably probably a popular blogger. to placate religious beliefs. He compares a popular blogger. I was almost a witness to an invasion the idea of a first man named Adam and of little green men in 1950. I was a the incidents in the Garden of Eden to young sailor finishing up my first hitch the story of the Norse god, Odin, who at Bainbridge Island in Puget Sound created men out of tree stumps. Al- when the story broke. Three or four though one story is familiar to all Eng- (sometimes a dozen or so) flying sau - lish-speaking people and the other is cers buzzed around Mount Rainier, just largely relegated to the trash bin of old

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myths, Dawkins doesn’t even suggest Being Reasonable one “might have a bit of truth to it.” He does suggest that someone saw things about Neuroscience he didn’t understand and created a story to explain what it was. He writes: MASSIMO PIGLIUCCI Why tree trunks, I wonder? Why not icicles or sand dunes? Isn’t it fascinating to wonder who made such stories up, and why? Presum- ably the original inventors of all Who’s in Charge? Free Will and the Science of these myths knew they were fiction the Brain. By Michael Gazzaniga. HarperCollins, at the mo ment they made them up. New York, 2011. ISBN: 978-0061906107. 272 Or do you think many different people came up with the different pp. Hardcover, $27.99. parts of the stories, at different times and in different places, and other people put them together, perhaps changing some of them, without realizing that the various bits were originally just made up? Elie Shneour, a noted San Diego scientist and my very good friend, tells me, “It is very difficult to change people’s opinions. Sometimes the best we hese days it seems difficult to gage in, say, moral reasoning, they have can do is plant a seed of doubt.” open a newspaper or listen to a to do so by using certain parts of their Richard Dawkins does that very well. Tpodcast without hearing about brain rather than others. Every thing we He does concede he enjoys good sto- the latest discovery concerning “the think and do has to imply a “neural cor- ries; indeed, when asked by an inter- neuroscience of X,” where X is any- relate” of some sort. But to confuse this viewer to name his favorite myth, thing from mystical experience to free observation with the strong claim that Dawkins named the book of Genesis. will, from moral decision making to therefore we have an “explanation” of The Magic of Reality continues with taste in wine. As fascinating as this what’s going on is to seriously short- the scientific understanding of our ori- type of research is, far too often we change the meaning of explanation. gins. Dawkins suggests that we are de- read largely unsubstantiated claims It is therefore most refreshing to scendents of fish, some 185 million about neurobiology having “explained” read Michael Gazzaniga’s latest book, generations ago! Thus he leads us X, with the implication that all there Who’s in Charge? Free Will and the Sci- through twelve chapters, each starting is to know about X is what neurobiol- ence of the Brain, on what neuroscience with a question such as “What is real- ogy tells us. has to say about fundamental human ity, What is magic?” “Are we alone?” For instance, Sam Harris, in his behaviors, such as our ability to engage “What is an earthquake?” and “Why much celebrated The Moral Landscape, in deliberate decision making (“free do bad things happen?” argues that neuroscience can answer will”). Gazzaniga certainly has the cre- The reader will certainly not learn moral questions, but at the same time dentials for the job, having spent all the answers; Dawkins didn’t. On he entirely avoids engaging with the decades on the front lines of neurobi- page 180 he writes about how, with hefty philosophical literature on eth - ological research—particularly study- the big bang, time itself and space it- ics—particularly the is/ought gap, the ing so-called split brain patients, indi- self began: “Don’t ask me to explain idea that facts about the physical viduals whose right and left cerebral that, because, not being a cosmologist world do not automatically translate hemispheres are disconnected, allow- I don’t understand it myself.” into moral judgments. Or consider the ing scientists to peek at what the two The reader, even a pre-teenager, even more recent The Atheist Guide to regions are doing when they function will not learn all the answers either, Reality, in which Alex Rosenberg in isolation. Gazzaniga is also well- but looking for answers beats believing claims that “physical facts fix all the read in philosophy, which is a must for in impossible things. n facts,” a questionable starting point (2 a scientist venturing into territory + 2 = 4 is a fact, but it’s not physical) where philosophers have treaded for Keith Taylor is a retired Navy officer and the for- from which the author derives a thor- centuries, and where there exists a so- mer president and program chair for the San ough and thoroughly bleak form of phisticated literature accompanied by Diego Association for Rational Inquiry. He can nihilism. its own technical jargon. be reached at [email protected]. It is trivially true that if people en- The surprise is that Gazzaniga is

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much more cautious than other authors network operating inside the intact logical emergentism is rather uncontro- about the reliability and scope of brain brain, a network that we can partially versial, as it is true as a matter of prag- scans and other techniques of modern disrupt and study under special circum- matism that we need different theories neuroscience. He knows that scientists stances, such as those offered by Gaz- and concepts to understand different can measure brain activity only indi- zaniga’s patients. types of phenomena (try, for instance, to rectly, that they can obtain largely cor- You may have noticed that I have build a quantum mechanical model of relational data, and that colorful (and used the word emerge more than once in the Brooklyn Bridge and see how far you impressive) brain scans are actually describing Gazzaniga’s take on things get). Ontological emergentism—just complex statistical compounds of a neuroscientific. Emergentism refers to like its chief rival, ontological reduction- number of individuals, accompanied by one of two positions in philosophy of ism—is a metaphysical thesis about various possibilities for error and over mind: on the one hand it encapsulates which it is best to remain agnostic. interpretation. the (strong) claim that there are truly Who’s in Charge is a must-read for Gazzaniga doesn’t buy the idea that novel (i.e., irreducible to lower levels) anyone interested in the broader impli- there is no moral responsibility just be- properties of matter when certain con- cations of modern neuroscience not cause “the brain makes us do it,” since ditions of complexity and organization wishing to fall for easy sensationalism moral responsibility emerges from the apply. On the other hand it refers to the or for philosophical claims masquerad- interaction of brains with particular so- (weak) claim that some phenomena are ing as science. In the end, as Gazzaniga cial environments, the latter being the so complex that our only hope at rea- puts it: “We are people, not brains. ...Go result of historical and cultural forces. sonable scientific descriptions rests on have a dry martini, put your feet up, and The brain is certainly a crucial nexus, focusing on the proper level of analysis read a good book.” A wise suggestion but “responsibility” isn’t located any- rather than attempting a reduction to indeed. n where within it. He also doesn’t think the basic principles of physics, even if Massimo Pigliucci is professor of philosophy at that consciousness is an “illusion,” a this were possible in theory. the Graduate Center of the City University of New conclusion that, ironically, others derive I cannot tell from the book whether York, a fellow of the American Association for the in part from his own experiments on Gazzaniga is an ontological (strong) Advancement of Science, and author of Nonsense split-brain patients. Rather, conscious- emergentist, but he is at the very least an on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk. His essays ness emerges from a systemic dynamic epistemological (weak) one. Epis temo- can be found at rationallyspeaking.org.

Thinking: An Unnatural Act HARRIET HALL

obert Todd Carroll, the author of the invaluable Skeptic’s Dictionary, Unnatural Acts: Critical Thinking, Rhas written an e-book that makes Skepticism, and Science Exposed! a perfect complement to his Dictionary. By Robert Todd Carroll. James Randi Educational Foun- Titled Unnatural Acts: Critical Thinking, dation, 2011. Available through Amazon.com and other Skepticism, and Science Exposed!, it is es- electronic outlets exclusively in e-book format, $9.99. sentially a primer on how to think. The “unnatural acts” of the title are the acts of critical thinking, which don’t come naturally to our imperfect human brains. Our brains evolved an instinctive, ural tendencies imposed on us by our tions. Nature has programmed us to in- intuitive, quick-and-dirty way of think- evolutionary history. crease our chances of survival and re- ing that served our forebears well in their The brain is an illusionist. It works production, not to seek the truth. Reli- environment. A slower, more systematic, by taking shortcuts, deceiving us into gious literalists, New Age philosophers, more critical way of thinking developed seeing things that aren’t there and be- and other true believers prefer magical later and brought us science. It serves us lieving things that aren’t true. We see thinking to science because we are better in today’s world but is more diffi- the sun apparently moving across the hardwired to think that way. So cre- cult to achieve. It requires education and sky, and it takes sophisticated under- ationism is often preferred over evolu- concentrated effort to overcome the nat- standing to overcome our first assumption, and fanciful medical quackeries

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are often preferred over effective treat- ways (plus a few more). Five appendices icine, politics, parapsychology, martial ments proven by scientific studies. round out the banquet with detailed arts, criminology, climate change, news Critical thinking is hard. We must discussions of cell phone radiation, in- media, vaccines, cell phone radiation, learn that we can’t trust our perceptions, terstellar travel, acupuncture, what it re- cancer clusters, and more. memories, and intuitions. This requires ally means to think critically, and step- Some of his examples will be familiar education and practice. It’s frustrating by-step instructions on how to create from other skeptical writings, like Clever to accept that our most cherished be- your own pseudoscience. Refreshingly, he Hans (the horse that responded to its liefs might be wrong. And it’s frustrat- admits to errors of his own in The Skep- owner’s unconscious body language) and ing to know that success is elusive: the tic’s Dictionary and corrects the record. the basketball/gorilla video illustrating truths we learn will always be provi- I laughed out loud at Carroll’s ac- inattentional blindness. Others were new sional, and we can never be certain count of his first attempt at teaching to me, like the example of audio pareido- whether we have looked at all the rele- logic as a newly minted philosophy lia where a Bob Dylan song lyric is heard vant data objectively. PhD. “If I remember correctly, about as “throw my chicken out the window.” In successive chapters, Carroll ex - twenty-five students signed up for the There can never be too many books plains: class and three finished. One of the on critical thinking. Carroll’s is a wor- three stayed because he liked me. An- thy contribution to the skeptical litera- • Critical thinking is unpopular: other stayed because he didn’t know ture: comprehensive, easy to read, and you will lose friends and alienate how to drop a class. The remaining stu- packed with entertaining examples that your neighbors. dent understood the material in the vividly illustrate the concepts. For those • Trust no one, not even yourself: text ...” Over time, he progressed from new to skepticism, it can serve as a you, too, are subject to perceptual teaching traditional logic to offering valuable textbook for learning how to distortions and cognitive biases. more useful courses in critical thinking think. It will be useful to even the most • Language is often used to ma- as a way of life, emphasizing an under- jaded skeptics among us who think we nipulate thought and behavior. standing of the psychology of bias and already know how to think; we all still other sources of error and embodying an make mistakes, we need to be reminded • Groupthink—communal rein- forcement—seduces groups of attitude of intellectual humility, confi- anew of old lessons, and there is always people into bad decisions. dence in reason, intellectual curiosity, more to learn. n and intellectual independence. • It is becoming increasingly Since critical thinking is important Harriet Hall, MD, also known as “The SkepDoc,” is difficult to identify reliable infor- to every aspect of human life, he illus- mation amid all the hype, propa- a retired family physician who writes about pseu- trates his points with examples drawn ganda, advertising, and misinfor- doscience and questionable medical practices. mation. from every imaginable field: religions, She is a SKEPTICAL INQUIRER contributing editor and a UFO cults, psychology, alternative med- contributor to the Science-Based Medicine blog. • Anecdotes are compelling: a good story trumps a dozen scientific studies. Scientific studies are more reliable in the search for truth but are also subject to bias. There’s much more Skep ti cal In quir er on our website! • Fallacies in reasoning are widespread and natural; man is an irrational animal. • Natural factors conspire to lead us into error, but there is hope that we can learn to overcome our natural tendencies and become critical thinkers. In the final chapter, Carroll provides practical advice: fifty-nine ways to develop your unnatural talents in critical thinking, skepticism, and science. This list will be enhanced by the blog Un- natural Acts (www.59ways.blogspot .com), where he will be offering com- For more online columns, features, and special content, visitwww.csicop.org. mentary and examples of the fifty-nine

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Bigfoot on Film: A Comprehensive Guide ROB BOSTON

TV spin-off ) led to a rash of Bigfoot The Bigfoot Filmography: Fictional and Documen- kiddie flicks, in which the hominid is a tary Appearances in Film and Television. By David gentle giant who helps little Jimmy have Coleman. McFarland & Co., Jefferson, North Car- the best summer ever. olina, 2012. ISBN: 978-0-7864-4828-9. 338 pp. But few adults want to see a Bigfoot Softcover, $49.95. obsessed with peace, love, and understanding, so even though there are few alleged instances of Bigfoot getting vi- olent on record, most films depict him as a killer—often without cause. Coleman excels with the sheer a - here is probably no such thing as a ters with Bigfoot was the plaid sport coat mount of data he provides about these sasquatch, but that doesn’t mean we worn by host Peter Graves). films. For each movie he provides a list Tcan’t have fun pretending that there Screenwriter David Coleman offers of actors, a plot summary, and an often- might be. These days, a lot of people are a comprehensive roundup of what he meaty interpretive essay that gives infor- doing just that. Witness the tendency to calls “Ciné du Sasquatch” in his excel- mation about the film’s background and employ the creature as a mascot for a va- lent and entertaining new book, The its (possible) larger significance. riety of products that includes beef jerky, Bigfoot Filmography: Fictional and Doc- Anyone who grew up watching a Sat- snack pastries, and sodas. umentary Appearances in Film and Tele- urday-night program with a name like Alongside his career as a pitchmon- vision. Coleman takes no position on “Chiller Theater” will find plenty to rem- ster, sasquatch/Bigfoot/Yeti has enjoyed the existence of the beast; that’s not the inisce over while leafing through The starring roles in numerous films. Mostly point. Real or not, Bigfoot has captured Bigfoot Filmography. Horror film buffs low-budget affairs, these movies include the imagination of filmmakers and has might recall Shriek of the Mutilated, fea- both fictitious tales of a blood-thirsty earned a place in American popular turing a white, prancing Yeti who monster on the loose and pseudo-docu- culture. Bigfoot hunters may not be mentaries that purport to examine the successful in bagging the beast, but bizarrely resembled a bipedal dog, or The possibility that such a creature exists. Coleman has doggedly tracked down Capture of Bigfoot, a 1979 offering set in perhaps every Bigfoot appearance on the wilds of Wisconsin involving a juve- celluloid, including big-studio films, nile Bigfoot whose imprisonment en - indie efforts, shorts, television ap - rages daddy Bigfoot. And who could forget Rives and Pahoo’s epic showdown Bigfoot hunters may not pearances, and even commercials. The book, profusely illustrated with against a Louisiana “skunk ape” in 1976’s be successful in bagging the movie stills and poster art, is great for a Creature from Black Lake? beast, but Coleman has quick dip or a page-by-page read. But it’s The rise of computer effects pro- doggedly tracked down not just fur and fun. Coleman opens the duced better-looking Bigfoot monsters in the 1990s and beyond, but alas, much perhaps every Bigfoot book with a highly erudite twenty- seven-page essay he titles “Ciné du Sas - Ciné du Sasquatch is still plagued by appearance on celluloid. quatch as a Genre Convention.” Cole - cheap monkey suits, flat scripts, and bad man traces the evolution of the genre, acting. It’s to Cole man’s credit that he citing King Kong and various “wild ape sought out so much of this stuff. Anyone on the loose” movies as early influences. who sits through dogs like Search for the The importance of these films and Abominable Snowman movies in the Beast and Suburban Sas quatch deserves television programs should not be over- 1950s and 1960s inspired Bigfoot films our thanks. looked. If you ask Bigfoot hunters what in the 1970s, most of which were “beasts Coleman is also good at uncovering got them interested in the legendary and breasts” fare for drive-ins. The 1980s the range of films within this genre. man-beast, many will cite a film, perhaps saw the rise of direct-to-video blood- Readers will note that many of these 1972’s The Legend of Boggy Creek or the baths, but the decade closed with Harry movies feature randy sasquatches who 1976 “schlockumentary” The Mysterious and the Hendersons, in which Big foot was are fond of abducting nubile maidens. Monsters (where the only thing scarier a nonthreatening overstuffed teddy bear. Indeed, a few films rate as soft-core porn, than the dramatic recreations of encoun- The success of that film (and subsequent and at least one, Yeti: A Love Story, is a

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boy-meets-sasquatch gay romp with big, hairy man-ape in the woods? answer: Sometimes, it’s fun to give our- high camp value. But Ciné du Sasquatch While Bigfoot hunters continue selves a scare by imagining what might offers comedy, “mockumentaries,” family what is probably a futile search, inquis- be out there behind the tree line—espe- fare, and sci-fi as well. itive skeptics are stepping up their cially if those speculations take place It’s clear Coleman has a fondness game. They don’t look for a flesh-and- from the safety of a couch bathed in the for Bigfoot flicks, but as a screenwriter blood creature; rather, they ask why we glow of a flickering TV screen. n he more importantly understands the have became so enamored of a monster power of the movies—or, more to the that always lurks beyond our subcon- Rob Boston is assistant editor of Church & State, point, the power of stories. We can, and scious, just out of reach in the dark and published by Americans United for Separation of do, tell each other lots of stories. Why foreboding forests. Church and State in Washington, DC. Email: do we keep telling this one about the The Bigfoot Filmography provides one [email protected].

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NCCAM Grants: equipoise. Results are said to be Measuring Mythology statistically significant if they are positive at p=0.05, but scientific Well, you’ve done it again—vali- treatments are tested for human dated the reasoning to stay a efficacy only after an arduous CSICOP (I choose the eupho- process in which biologic plausi- nious name rather than the bility generates in-vitro experi- shorthand CSI) member all ments, in-vivo animal studies, these years! and human dose-ranging and The cover article for Janu- toxicity work. For ethical drugs ary/February 2012, “Measuring the pretest probability of utility is Mythology: Startling Concepts quite high before any phase III in NCCAM Grants,” elated me studies are done. Treatments with its open, detail-stuffed ex- with their rationale based on posé and, at the same time, sad- pre-Columbian usage or current dened me with the evidence that popularity have a far lower too many people do not think ra- pretest probability. For therapies, tionally. such as homeopathy or prayer- I’ve known that complemen- at-a-distance, that violate basic tary medicine “treatments” are laws of chemistry and physics unproven fear-abatement at- the probability approaches zero. tempts pressed upon the gullible Sim ple Bayesian statistics shows by the gullible and nefarious, that interventions with a low but I didn’t dream that it is that pretest probability are still likely pervasive. to be useless after a positive test I guess it’s like that (in)fa- result. Using standard statistical mous curmudgeonly, acerbic wit criteria for deciding clinical Mark Twain is said to have said: usefulness is grossly inappropri- “It ain’t what you don’t know that ate when analyzing alternative gets you into trouble, but what remedies. you know for sure that ain’t so.” These studies are unethical Philip Kuchuk because patients are subject to at any of the other NIH Centers. for Altern ative and Comple- risk of harm without significant mentary Medi cine. I do, however, Hamden, Connecticut Mark Hauswald chances for benefit; any effective take exception for the inclusion [email protected] treatment changes some physio- of the SELECT study of the ef- I would like to add a statistical logical processes and could cause fects of selenium and vitamin E perspective to Eugenie Miel- harm. on preventing, not treating, czarek and Brian Engler’s review How NCCAM has managed I found “Measuring Mytholo- prostate cancer. The program of NCCAM grants. to avoid meeting these elemen- gies: Startling Concepts in offered frequent free screening Fundamentally, studies of al- tary scientific and ethical require- NCCAM Grants” a generally tests in addition to a double- ternative health therapies make ments is a bit of a mystery. That well-written and long-overdue blinded test of dietary supple- an inappropriate assumption of behavior would not be acceptable exposé of the National Center ments (pills) containing se-

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lenomethionine and/or vitamin their inclusion of the SELECT expressed concerns that our article thereby positively impacting pa- E or neither. Although vitamin study in the article. While screening implies that the American Physical tient health. The Biological E and selenium supplements do of study participants continues as a Society and/or the Division of Bio- Physics division of the APS has ascertained that there is no not lower the incidence of follow-up, the use of the supple- logical Physics has “endorsed” an of- known biophysical mechanism prostate cancer, the long-term ments by clinical trial participants ficial “statement” on energy healing that could reasonably support such study continues. was terminated by a safety panel in protocols. Our use of the word state- effects and that the “energy” being 2008. Indeed, subsequent to writ- ment was in the colloquial sense as referred to cannot be connected to John H. Chalmers ing our article a paper was pub- it was used by the Division’s sub- the precise notion of energy as it Rancho Santa Fe, California lished stating that “the Data and committee in its deliberations and [is] used in physical science. Spe- Safety Monitoring Committee has edits of its wording. We advise the cific claims that humans can generate biomagnetic fields at the found that participants who took reader that no inference should be Eugenie Mielczarek and Brian milligauss level are not credible, the study supplements of vitamin E made as to the endorsement or pub- Engler’s picture of fraud and as typical measurements deter- (400 IU per day) and a placebo for lication of an official position waste for complementary and al- mine this field strength to be three selenium have a 17% higher risk of “statement” by the Division or the orders of magnitude lower. Sim- ternative medicine (CAM) in prostate cancer than those who took Society. ilarly, there are no known mech- NCCAM grants should be two placebos” (http://select.crab.org/). In the interest of full trans- anisms whereby a typical cell or viewed in perspective. Mr. Veitch’s conclusion that parency: On October 1, 2010, the its components could respond re- The annual NIH grant port- liably to a human-generated elec- CAM should be supported by fed- Division of Biological Physics pre- folio is $31.2 billion. The CAM tromagnetic field at the distances eral funding because it might work sented before the Panel of Public Af- portion of NIH is $531 mil- in question, in the presence of is what we tested by studying all the fairs (POPA) of the American lion—about 1.7 percent. NC - thermal fluctuations of much grants from NCCAM for the last Physical Society a motion from its higher magnitude. Appeals to a CAM’s budget is $127 million. ten years. Our conclusion that subcommittee.* On October 21 an more general “human biofield” Total U.S. healthcare spending is NCCAM should be defunded was edited version** of its motion was which is not connected to known more than $2.5 trillion, of which based on the lack of evidence of any sent from the POPA to the Execu- phenomena and cannot be di- between 20 percent and 30 per- rectly measured are inherently successes for medical uses of CAM. tive Council of the American Phys- cent is wasted according to Dr. nonscientific. Be cause of its lack of A willing market is the hallmark ical Society for review. This matter Berwick, departing head of any basis in our current physical that fosters belief in these cultural is under consideration by the Exec- Medicare and Medicaid. Na- understanding, we are skeptical mythologies. Promotion of un- utive Council of the American of published claims that Thera- tional consumer spending on proven CAM therapies prevents Physical Society. peutic Touch can give rise to sta- CAM was $33.9 billion (2007 needed medical care from reaching The members of the Division tistically significant modifica- survey—1.4 percent of total tions of biological behavior. In the poor and uneducated, some of subcommittee, charged with bring- healthcare spending). Some 50.7 accordance with APS’s Web post - whom, desperately ill and mytholog- ing this motion before The Panel of million people in the United ed “In ternal Policy subsection ically persuaded by marketing, delay Public Affairs of the American States do not have health insur- ‘POLICY ON STATEMENTS appropriate care until it’s too late. Physical Society, were Eugenie BY APS UNITS,’the Division ance. When compared to Britain, Mielczarek, Chair of Subcommit- requests that this statement be Canada, Ger many, the Nether- tee; Jose Onuchic; Robert Knox; recorded as coming from the Di- lands, Australia, and New Zea - There are significant factual er- Mark Reeves; Steven M. Block; vision of Biological Physics, in land, the Commonwealth Fund the Washington Office of APS rors in the article by Eugenie and Herb Levine, Chair of Divi- report found the U.S. ranked and made available to all who Mielczarek and Brian Engler in sion of Biological Physics. The sub- dead last in quality of health care. request it. the January/February issue of the committee was required by ApS In perspective, CAM spend- **Practitioners of several SkEpTICAl INqUIRER. The arti- to include how the statement types of alternative medicine have ing and impact is pretty small. cle erroneously states that the should be used before it could be argued that human beings can af- CAM is folk medicine, which American physical Society (ApS) considered as a motion from the di- fect biological processes at a dis- fills a gap when people lack Division of Biological physics vision before POPA. All public tance via the creation of “healing access to or are failed by conven- energy” to improve patient health. (DBIO) has endorsed a state- “statements” are available on the tional medicine. If mainstream There is no known biophysical ment on distance healing. This is website of the Society. Minutes of medicine were available to all and mechanism that could support completely incorrect—DBIO has POPA meetings are available on its treated patients like customers, such effects, and the “energy” being not endorsed such a statement. website. referred to cannot be connected to CAM might fade away. Until Furthermore, while a draft state- the concept of energy as it is used then this country cousin has *Request: addition to the agenda ment is currently under consider- in the physical sciences. Specific a small willing market and, for the October 1 meeting of the ation, it does not include the sen- claims that human beings can strange ly enough, often works. Panel On Public Affairs APS: a generate magnetic fields at the tences quoted by Mielczarek and consideration of the following milligauss level are not credible. Robert D. Veitch Engler in their article. statement passed by the executive Typical measurements of these Minneapolis, Minnesota Mark Reeves, ApS Councillor council of DBP needed as an ed- fields have shown them to be a thousand times smaller, much for DBIO ucational outreach for the public Eugenie V. Mielczarek and Brian smaller, in fact, than the magnetic lawrence krauss, former chair, understanding of science at the D. Engler reply: fields generated by thermal fluc- physics and the public Sub- frontier of physics and biology. tuations. There are no mecha- We thank Messrs. Kuchuck, Haus- committee, ApS pOpA Practitioners of several types nisms for a typical cell or its com- of Alternative Medicine such as wald, Chalm ers, and Veitch for ponents to respond to the fields The authors reply to Mark Reeves Therapeutic Touch have argued their interest in our study. created by hypothesized healing and Lawrence Krauss: that human beings can affect bi- energy. Regarding Mr. Chalmers’s ological processes at a distance via com ment: The authors stand by The American Physical Society has the creation of “healing energy”, Thank you for your inquiry on this

62 Volume 36 Issue 3 | Skeptical Inquirer May June pages BOX_SI new design masters 3/29/12 9:05 AM Page 63

important matter of scientific in- Satan’s view on the power of “traditional Biblical (Matthew Bible has precious little to say about tegrity. humor, as told to a human com- 25:31–46) groupings of sheep questioning and objective, dispas- panion and revealed by Mark (blessed believers) and goats sionate, skeptical analysis as a path Eugenie V. Mielczarek Twain: (condemned skeptics).” Smith, to “truth”; it is very much the holy Chair of the Subcommittee of the though presumably well-inten- book of blind belief and obedience. Division of Biological Physics For your race, in its poverty, tioned, has made up the paren- But that’s another point. charged with bringing this has unquestionably one really thetical application and quite matter to POPA effective weapon—laughter. Power, money, persuasion, warped the original point in the Brian D. Engler supplication, persecution— process. As even a quick glance at Information Illiteracy these can lift at a colossal the passage in question will re- humbug—push it a little— veal, it is not about believers and Relating to Kristin E. Harley’s weaken it a little, century by Finding What’s Funny century; but only laughter can skeptics but about those who article, “Information Literacy blow it to rags and atoms at a care for their fellow human and Conspiracy Theories” (SI, I quite enjoyed Jonathan C. blast. Against the assault of beings and those who ignore January/February 2012), I would Smith’s informative article, laughter nothing can stand. them. The blessed are those who like to comment on the loss of “Laughing Goats and Scowling Ken Anderson have made efforts to improve life the analog video data containing Sheep: Humor in Paranormal [email protected] for all. The condemned are the Neil Arm strong’s first steps on Discourse” (SI, January/Febru- proud, selfish, and indifferent. the Moon. Stanley Lebar, the ary 2012). As a member of the From my perspective, believ- Westinghouse Program manager three-time Grammy-nomin at - Jonathan C. Smith’s article on ers and skeptics should join in ef- for the Apollo Lunar TV Pro - ed Firesign Theatre comedy humour (as we spell it in Brit - forts to feed the hungry, comfort gram, searched for those mag- group, I’ve utilized similar tech- ain!) in paranormal discourse is the distressed, and make the netic tapes for several years. The niques for over forty-five years, excellent, but he is in error in say- world a better place. I can only video data was mixed with the surrealistically influencing the ing that the director of the hope that the followers of the In- normal telemetry data when comedic work of many, includ- McDonnell Laboratory for Psy- visible Pink Unicorn feel the transmitted from the Moon and ing friends like the formidable chical Research was James Mc - same way. was received by the NASA sta- Penn and Teller and the late, tion in Australia. It was then re- Donnell. Ralph A. Marino great George Carlin. layed to NASA at Goddard. The The best example of this ap- McDonnell was the founder Valley Falls, New York of the McDonnell Aircraft Cor- video data was copied from the proach can be observed in Every- telemetry data in Australia, to be thing You Know Is Wrong, re- poration, which merged with Jonathan C. Smith replies: Douglas in 1967 to become Mc- fed to the TV networks. The leased as a record and short film I remember enjoying and eagerly camera frame rate was 10 frames in 1974. In it we investigate the Donnell Douglas (which was itself taken over by Boeing in anticipating Firesign Theatre re - per second, so it had to be con- popular pseudoscientific beliefs of cordings four decades ago. I’ve never verted to the 30 frame/second the time, many of which persist 1997). Despite McDonnell’s success in a very concrete technolog- recovered. Thanks, Phil (check out interlaced format used in the today, in the context of a seri - United States. ical field, he was a believer in the my “Pastafarian Quatrains”). ous documentary produced by Stanley Lebar left no stone paranormal, especially the sur- I thank Ralph Marino for his “Happy” Harry Cox from his kind and thoughtful comment. unturned in his search, which vival of bodily death. In 1979 he Nude Age Enterprises trailer stu- However, let me note that I did not involved NASA at Goddard, gave $500,000 to Wash ington dio in Hellmouth, California. create the “parenthetical applica- NASA at Houston, the National University in St. Louis to found Topics include “Dogs Flew tion” of “goats and sheep.” This was Air and Space Museum, and the what became known as MacLab Space ships,” “The Aztecs Cre- invented in 1942 by Gertude National Archives. He found to investigate claimed paranor- ated the Vaca tion,” “Our Forefa- Schmeidler, professor of psychology that several boxes of tapes in the mal powers, and it was this labo- thers Took Drugs,” “Men and at the City University of New York. National Archives system most ratory that was the victim of Women Are the Same Sex,” and She used the term sheep to refer to likely had contained the tapes James Randi’s brilliant Project “Your Brain Is Not the Boss,” paranormal believers and goats for with the video, but they had been Alpha hoax. However, the labo- an Air Force film on how to disbelievers. Perhaps she was un- returned to NASA Goddard. In ratory director was a physicist, deal with an alien invasion. aware of the biblical source of the the meantime, budget shortages Peter Phillips, not McDonnell We also feature sequences with metaphor (readers, please let me resulted in reusing magnetic himself (who in any case died in Nino the Mind Bender, Shaman know otherwise). In the Bible, goats tapes for later projects. The most 1980). Don Bruhaha, and Buzz and sheep are hardly neutral crea- probable cause for the loss of and Bunny Crumbhunger, who Ray Ward tures. Goats receive scorn whereas tapes was that they were among show home movies of their London, England sheep are blessed (after all Jesus was those that were overwritten to alien abduction (and Buzz’s sub- described as a “shepherd”). In my support later projects. sequent pregnancy). piece I simply pointed out this If the original data could be Access it at www.firesignthe Smith’s whimsical article, “Laugh- Bible-based bias applied to barn- retrieved, they were to be pro - atre.com or on YouTube if you’re ing Goats and Scowling Sheep,” yard animals and subtly suggested cessed with modern technology, interested in satire and parody as makes some good points, espe- that this reflects the scorn many be- which would eliminate the a debunking technique. And re- cially if one’s aim is to engage in lievers have toward skeptics. Obvi- ghostly shadows and poor im- member, “There’s a seeker born dialogue rather than simply ously, nowhere do I claim that the ages for preservation of history. every minute!” criticize. Bible is referring to believers, skep- This was not in response to con- Phil Proctor I sincerely hope no one mis- tics, James Randi, or the Flying spiracy theories; the legacy of a [email protected] understands his reference to the Spaghetti Monster. Indeed, the much higher-quality video

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[LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

would have been great for histor- priori. (Personally, I think there presented in the documentary is man Beings,” SI, January/Febru- ical records. may well have been other trans- plainly false, regardless of whether ary 2012), Massimo Pigli ucci One of the surviving cameras Atlantic connections; if the that history was informed by reli- maintains that computers lack is at the National Electronic Vikings could manage it, why gious doctrine. “‘understanding,’ let alone con- Museum (www.nationalelectron not others?) Wenner also makes the valid sciousness,” and that a program icsmuseum.org). The camera was point that not all claims of pre- like Deep Blue, which de feated M.W. Wenner successfully operated a few years Columbian contact between the Old the world chess champion, “wasn’t Prescott, Arizona ago for a celebration honoring and New World are “equally irra- thinking in anything like the way the engineers that developed it. tional,” specifically citing the case of a human being does.” the Norse. We agree. In fact, in the Pigliucci is undoubtedly right, Ralph Strong The article series “Civilizations second article (November/December and we will never attribute under- Retired, Westinghouse, Lost and Found: Fabricating 2011, pp. 53–54) we discussed the standing, let alone consciousness, Project Manager History” did a good job assessing clear archaeological evidence for a to anything made out of metal Volunteer, National Elec- the claims of the Lost Civiliza- Norse presence in northeastern instead of meat. This is an obser- tronic Museum tions of North America documen- Canada and used it as a model for vation only about our use of lan- tary and its claim that there was the kinds of material evidence that guage, however, and tells us a pre-Columbian migration of must be found—and has, to date, nothing about computers. The Fabricating History Israelites to the Americas. not been found—before archaeolo- interesting question is whether Why is it that so much gists accept claims of other ancient there is a fundamental limitation I have just become aware of your pseudo-history is obsessed with New World visitors. that forever prevents computers series of articles on “Civilizations the ancient Israelites? At tempts to from doing some tasks that hu - Lost and Found.” I would like to prove that present-day popula- man beings can do. congratulate you re: Part Two tions, often in unlikely locations, We will never have a defini- (November/December 2011), a are de scended from this group of Potato for Christ? tive answer to this question, but worthy summary of the problems people still occurs. on all available evidence, the an- of provenance, historical fact, and The classic example is British Massimo Polidoro provides a ra- swer is no. In 1978 Hubert objective evidence, which the ex- Israel theory. In the United tional explanation of a “strange” Dreyfus predicted, on funda- amples you cover have demon- Kingdom groups like the British phenomenon a woman found in mental philosophical grounds, strated. Israel World Federation promote her potato slice in his article that computers would never play I would, however, like to the claim that the present-day “The Case of a Weeping Ortho- master-level chess. Since then, make two points: inhabitants of Britain are the de- dox Icon” (SI, January/February critics of artificial intelligence 1. I think you should be more scendants of the “lost” ten tribes 2012). A couple of years ago, I have been careful to concentrate explicit in your “disclaimer”; to of northern Israel. The belief that took a photo of a similar potato not on what computers can do, put the matter more bluntly, I Anglo-Saxon and Celtic (i.e., I grew in my garden. which would be discredited “be- think you should state outright “white”) nations share a common However, because I studied haviorism,” but on what they are, that the journal Ancient American heritage with the Jewish tribes of plant pathology nearly fifty years which is, well, not human. (and its editor, Wayne May) are the Old Testa ment peaked in ago, I did not find it strange. In- Some tasks, of course, are fundamentalist Mormons, thus Britain in the 1920s at the height stead I wondered what the reac- quite beyond what computers dedicated to trying to prove that of the British Empire. That such can currently do. Even here, the Book of Mormon and asso- ideas continue today is worri- however, there are surprises. ciated texts are true with respect some. Even an enthusiast like me to the origins of Native Ameri- Well done for publishing in- would have said two years ago cans, African Amer icans, etc. depth articles that deal with such that a computer winning on (despite the DNA and material historical topics. Jeopardy was decades away. evidence that overwhelmingly Graeme Kemp demonstrate the falsity of Mor- Charles Haspel Wellington, Shropshire mon claims). I think your readers Miami Beach, Florida United Kingdom should be apprised of this, and you should not hide behind your tion might have been if this had Kenneth L. Feder, Bradley T. Lep- bland “disclaimer.” been found in Ireland. Professor Pigliucci has the motto per, Terry A. Barnhart, and Debo- 2. My one caveat is your ten- It is, after all, a fair facsimile “Ignor ance, the root and stem of rah A. Bolnick reply: dency to treat all those who of a Chris tian symbol. all evil” posted at the head of his either suspect or maintain the In response to M.W. Wenner: Con- Jim Ring website, but apparently he still existence of pre-Columbian cerning the Mormon affiliation of Tahunanui, Nelson prefers to remain ignorant about contacts as “diffusionists”—all some of those interviewed by the New Zealand contemporary behaviorism; at equally irrational, etc. This un- producers of the Lost Civiliza tions least, that is my conclusion after fortunate generalization would of North America documentary, reading his review of The Most include the Viking presence at we intentionally crafted our analy- Human Human by Brian Chris- L’Anse aux Meadows, a clear ex- sis of the diffusionist claims made in What’s Human? What’s tian. His comments on behavior- ample of a pre-Columbian pres- the video to tightly focus on the Behaviorism? ism suggest a second- or even ence in North Amer ica, and any claims themselves and not the reli- thirdhand knowledge of the field. other possible future examples, gious perspectives of the individuals In his review of The Most Human In “Skepti cism of Caricatures: which should not be excluded a making the claims. The “history” Human (“Turing Test for Hu - B.F. Skinner Turns 100” (SI, Jan-

64 Volume 36 Issue 3 | Skeptical Inquirer May June pages BOX_SI new design masters 3/29/12 9:05 AM Page 65

uary/February 2004), Scott T. there is some fundamental reason of behaviorism, in my opinion. A Russian Yeti? Gaynor presented and thor- why computers will never achieve Finally, of course modern prac- oughly refuted three myths about anything like human-type intelli- titioners study behavior experimen- I was smiling softly while reading Skinner’s variety of behaviorism: gence. The jury, as he says, is still out tally, but “behaviorism” refers to a Benjamin Radford’s news article, the Blank Slate Myth, the Emp - and will remain there for a while. specific theoretical and empirical “Russians Confirm Existence of ty Organism Myth, and the However, it is fair to say that the approach in psychology, not just to Yeti—But for How Long?” (SI, Only Overt Behavior Myth. Un- strong AI program has largely been the empirical study of behavior. To January/February 2012), when I fortunately, Pigliucci seems not a failure in that respect over the past characterize much that currently came to the sentence “In fact, the to have read this article, although few decades, Big Blue and Watson goes on in psychology’s daily practice, event seemed more of a media he was a contributor to the same notwithstanding. and especially in research, as behav- circus than a scientific expedition issue. If he had, it should have It is increasingly clear that iorism is to play on the ambiguity of when former Russian heavy- dispelled him of the Only Overt human intelligence isn’t a matter of the term. weight boxer Nikolai Valuev re- Behavior Myth, which he still simple computational power or cently toured the cave ‘searching’ seems to hold so dear. memory storage—since in both of for the Yeti, to great media atten- Pigliucci also has a rather these areas computers have already Medicines from Herbs tion.” skewed understanding of what surpassed what a human being can Here is a picture of Nikolai gave rise to the behaviorist move - do, yet they don’t show any sign of The article on herbal medicines Valuev, who stands 7’2” and ment. He thinks it was a reaction consciousness. I suspect that con- (“Medi cines Derived from weighs 320 lbs. to psychoanalysis. A reading of sciousness requires more than com- Herbs,” SI, January/Feb ruary the seminal works of J.B. Watson putation, and indeed requires more 2012) got me thinking about the and B.F. Skinner will reveal how than just brains. I am most cer- way we use and sometimes abuse totally out in left field this inter- tainly not advocating any form of words. Drug, for example, is a pretation is. Freud and psycho- mystical dualism, only suggesting highly charged word that con- analysis are barely mentioned by that perhaps we ought to take seri- jures up images of illegal or Watson and Skinner in passing. ously the fact that consciousness is a tightly controlled substances, Pigliucci seems to think be- biological trait and that the pro - often with dangerous or un- haviorism as a psychological the- cesses that make it possible may be known side effects. Officially, ory has gone extinct. While it is bound up in the specifics of the bi- medicines made from artificially certainly true that you won’t hear ology of organisms, not just the re- synthesized substances are clas- much mentioned about it in cog- sult of logical symbol manipulation sified as drugs. Herbal or “nat- nitive psychology circles (or (which is all computers do). ural” medicines are not. This dis- And they say that Russians should I say buildings) except Professor Weitzman chastises tinction allows the sellers of have no sense of humor. perhaps in the same way that me for not knowing enough about natural remedies to market their Professor Pigliucci does—derog- behaviorism, and I am certainly no Alan Dean Foster products as “drug-free” or “not a atorily—it would be closer to the expert in that area. However, re- Prescott, Arizona drug.” They do this to im - truth to say that the experimental cent attempts at reinterpreting ply safety and the absence of side analysis of behavior continues to what behaviorists were trying to do effects. But for a substance to re- be an active research field with always remind me of what Alan [FEEDBACK ally treat or cure an illness, it well-established empirically bas - Sokal wrote about postmodernism: must bring about a physiological The letters column is a forum on mat - ed principles that continue to ex- “One often finds radical-sounding ters raised in previous issues. Letters tend their reach into linguistic assertions whose meaning is am- change in the human body, and should be no longer than 225 words. and cognitive domains. It also in- biguous and that can be given two isn’t that the common definition Due to the volume of letters we receive, of the word drug? To me, this not all can be published. Send letters forms much of the activity being alternative readings: one as inter- as email text (not attachments) to let- carried out by clinical practition- esting, radical, and grossly false; the seems like the kind of deception ters@csicop. org. In the subject line, ers. If these principles were not other as boring and trivially true.” that George Orwell wrote about: provide your surname and informative manipulating public perceptions identi fication, e.g.: “Smith Letter on solid, the successes the practi- Either Skinner and Watson pro- Jones evolution art icle.” In clude your tioners have had and continue to posed a radically new approach to by redefining words. name and ad dress at the end of the let- have would not have been possi- psychology, which ended up not ter. You may also mail your letter to the Fred Filbrich editor to 944 Deer Dr. NE, Albuquerque, ble, making behavioral theory working, or they simply tweaked Rochester, New York NM 87122, or fax it to 505-828-2080. not only explanatory but also ef- commonsensical scientific methods ficacious. that are hard to distinguish from Edzard Ernst replies: what others have been doing. Which Raymond S. Weitzman, one is it? It is true that the term drug is being PhD As for the connection with psy- used in several ways. For scientists, Professor Emeritus choanalysis, all I suggested was that it usually means a pharmacologi- California State University, Skinner and Watson, among others, cally active therapeutic agent. If we Fresno were reacting to the fuzziness and apply this definition, we see that clear lack of scientific rigor in psy- some herbal medicines deserve the Massimo Pigliucci replies: chology of the decades preceding name, while many other herb-de- Charles Haspel correctly points out them, which were largely dominated rived remedies do not. We also real- that the real question concerning by psychoanalysis. Iron ically, this ize that “pharmacologically active” artificial intelligence is whether was actually the most positive aspect means the drug can cause harm.

Skeptical Inquirer | May/June 2012 65 May June pages BOX_SI new design masters 3/29/12 9:05 AM Page 66

[ THE LAST LAUGH BENJAMIN RADFORD

SKEPTICAL ANNIVERSARIES HIDDEN MESSAGES by Dave Thomas by Tim Farley The following letters are a simple substitution cipher. May 17: In 1967, Tennessee repealed the Butler Act, under If R stands for L, it will do so everywhere. Solution is by trial which John Scopes had been prosecuted for teaching evolu- and error. Hint: Look for patterns in words; for example, the tion in 1925. scrambled phrase “JRXJ JRQ” might represent “THAT THE.”

May 23 and 26: In 1922, Arthur Conan Doyle spoke in Chicago PUZZLE on Spiritualism; years later in an interview, J.B. Rhine said at- tending these talks inspired his involvement in parapsychology. “ISG IXLOGRZ JE ISLI GPGXZ May 26: In 1992, Sylvia Browne was indicted in a criminal complaint over an investment scheme, leading to her felony UXLJD KGMM RGPYIGR IY UG- conviction. MJGW JD ISG ECHGXDLICXLM JE June 16, 23, and 30: In 1962, Rachel Carson’s controversial environmental book Silent Spring was first serialized in The New Yorker. L UXLJD KGMM YDG KLDDYI

June 19: In 1987, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Edward v. CEG IY TLFG MJWG XJKSGX YX Aguillard that states cannot require the teaching of creationism in public schools. GLEJGX YX SLHHJGX.” June 24: In 1947, pilot Kenneth Arnold’s seminal UFO report leads to the coining of the term flying saucer (by a misquoting —FLZ DYMIG ETJIS newspaper reporter), influencing decades of UFO reports.

Tim Farley is a research fellow with the James Randi Educational Foundation and created the website CLUE: O = G whatstheharm.net. ANSWER KEY As you decipher letters, keep track of them with the handy answer key below. If you've decided that R stands for L, simply write down an “L” above Hidden Messages Puzzle Contest or below the “R” in the alphabetized row below, just as you would for the Submit your solution by email to [email protected] cipher itself. This builds a handy, easy-to-use reference guide for you and will also reveal the "Super Secret Word,” a puzzle within a puzzle! or via postal mail to: Benjamin Radford The Last Laugh P.O. Box 3016 Corrales, NM 87048 Winner will be chosen at random from the first three correct A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z submissions received by both email and postal mail. PREVIOUS PUZZLE SOLUTION: “IT IS THE TENSION BETWEEN CREATIVITY AND SKEPTICISM THAT HAS PRODUCED THE STUNNING AND UNEXPECTED FINDINGS March/April 2012 Hidden Messages Puzzle Contest Winner: Adam Spontarelli OF SCIENCE.” — CARL SAGAN This issue's prize: A one-year subscription (or extension) to SKEPTICAL INQUIER. SUPER-SECRET WORD: AMBIDEXTROUSLY (Instructions: www.nmsr.org/secretword.htm)

GET FUZZY BY DARBY CONLEY

66 Volume 36 Issue 3 | Skeptical Inquirer May June pages BOX_SI new design masters 3/29/12 9:05 AM Page 67

Scientific and Technical Consultants CENTERS FOR INQUIRY www.centerforinquiry.net/about/branches Gary Bauslaugh, John F. Fischer, I.W. Kelly, Daisie Radner, writer and editor, forensic analyst, Orlando, FL prof. of psychology, Univ. of Saskatch ewan, prof. of philosophy, SUNY Buffalo Victoria, B.C., Canada Canada TRANSNATIONAL Eileen Gambrill, Robert H. Romer, 3965 Rensch Road, Amherst, NY 14228 Richard E. Berendzen, prof. of social welfare, Richard H. Lange, prof. of physics, Amherst College Tel.: (716) 636-4869 astronomer, Washington, DC Univ. of California at Berkeley MD, Mohawk Valley Physician Karl Sabbagh, Health Plan, Schenectady, NY AUSTIN Martin Bridgstock, Luis Alfonso Gámez, journalist, Richmond, Surrey, England PO Box 202164, Austin, TX 78720-2164 senior lecturer, School of Science, science journalist, Bilbao, Spain Gerald A. Larue, Robert J. Samp, Tel.: (512) 919-4115 Griffith Univ., Brisbane, Australia prof. of biblical history and Sylvio Garattini, assistant prof. of education and CHICAGO archaeology, Univ. of So. California Richard Busch, director, Mario Negri Pharma cology medicine, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison PO Box 7951, Chicago, IL 60680-7951 magician/mentalist, Pittsburgh, PA Institute, Milan, Italy William M. London, Steven D. Schafersman, Tel.: (312) 226-0420 California State Univ., Los Angeles Shawn Carlson, Laurie Godfrey, asst. prof. of geology, Miami Univ., OH INDIANAPOLIS Society for Amateur Scientists, anthropologist, Univ. of Massachusetts Rebecca Long, Chris Scott, 350 Canal Walk, Suite A, Indianapolis, IN 46202 East Greenwich, RI Gerald Goldin, nuclear engineer, president of Geor gia statistician, London, England Tel.: (317) 423-0710 Council Against Health Fraud, Atlanta, GA Roger B. Culver, mathematician, Rutgers Univ., NJ LOS ANGELES Stuart D. Scott Jr., 4773 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90027 prof. of astronomy, Colorado State Univ. Donald Goldsmith, Thomas R. McDonough, associate prof. of anthropology, lecturer in engineering, Caltech, and SETI Tel.: (323) 666-9797 Felix Ares de Blas, astronomer; president, Interstellar Media SUNY Buffalo Coordinator of the Planetary Society prof. of computer science, MICHIGAN Alan Hale, Erwin M. Segal, 3777 44th Street SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512 Univ. of Basque, San Sebastian, Spain astronomer, Southwest Institute for Space James E. McGaha, prof. of psychology, SUNY Buffalo astronomer, USAF pilot (ret.) Tel.: (616) 698-2342 J. Dommanget, Research, Alamogordo, NM Carla Selby, NEW YORK CITY astronomer, Royale Observatory, Clyde F. Herreid, Chris Mooney, anthropologist/archaeologist Brussels, Belgium journalist, author, host of Point of Inquiry PO Box 26241, Brooklyn, NY 11202 prof. of biology, SUNY Buffalo Steven N. Shore, Tel.: (347) 699-0234 Nahum J. Duker, Joel A. Moskowitz, Terence M. Hines, prof. of astrophysics, Univ. of Pisa, Italy SAN FRANCISCO assistant prof. of pathology, director of medical psychiatry, Calabasas prof. of psychology, email: [email protected] Temple Univ. Mental Health Services, Los Angeles Waclaw Szybalski, Pace Univ., Pleasantville, NY professor, McArdle Laboratory, Univ. TAMPA BAY Taner Edis, Michael Hutchinson, Matthew C. Nisbet, of Wisconsin–Madison 4011 S. Manhattan Ave. #139, Tampa, FL 33611-1277 Division of Science/Physics assistant professor, School of author; SKEPTICAL INQUIRER Tel.: (813) 849-7571 Truman State Univ. Communication, American Univ. Sarah G. Thomason, WASHINGTON, DC representative, Europe prof. of linguistics, Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA Barbara Eisenstadt, John W. Patterson, Philip A. Ianna, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20003 psychologist, educator, clinician, prof. of materials science and Tim Trachet, Tel.: (202) 543-0960 assoc. prof. of astronomy, journalist and science writer, honorary East Greenbush, NY en gineering, Iowa State Univ. ARGENTINA Univ. of Virginia chairman of SKEPP, Belgium William Evans, James R. Pomerantz, Buenos Aires, Argentina William Jarvis, prof. of communication, prof. of psychology, Rice Univ. David Willey, prof. of health promotion and public health, Tel.: +54-11-4704-9437 Center for Creative Media physics instructor, Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA Loma Linda Univ., School of Public Health Gary P. Posner, www.cfiargentina.org Bryan Farha, MD, Tampa, FL CANADA prof. of behavioral studies in 2 College Street, Suite 214 Toronto, Ontario, education, Oklahoma City Univ. M5G 1K3, Canada CHINA China Research Institute for Science Popularization, | NO. 86, Xueyuan Nanlu Haidian Dist., Beijing, Affiliated Organizations United States 100081 China Tel.: +86-10-62170515 ALABAMA D.C./MARYLAND MINNESOTA South Shore Skeptics (SSS) Cleveland EGYPT Alabama Skeptics, Alabama. Emory National Capital Area Skeptics NCAS, St. Kloud Extraordinary Claim Psychic and counties. Jim Kutz. Tel.: 440 942- 44 Gol Gamal St., Agouza, Giza, Egypt Kimbrough. Tel.: 205-759-2624. 3550 Maryland, D.C., Virginia. D.W. “Chip” Teaching Investigating Community 5543; Email: [email protected]. PO FRANCE Water melon Road, Apt. 28A, Northport, Denman. Tel.: 301-587-3827. Email: (SKEPTIC) St. Cloud, Minne sota. Jerry Box 5083, Cleveland, OH 44101 Dr. Henri Broch, Universite of Nice, Faculte des AL 35476 [email protected]. PO Box 8428, Silver Spring, Mertens. Tel.: 320-255-2138; Email: www.southshoreskeptics.org Sciences, Parc Valrose, 06108, Nice cedex 2, MD 20907-8428 [email protected]. Jerry ARIZONA Association for Rational Thought (ART) France Tel.: +33-492-07-63-12 http://www.ncas.org Mertens, Psychology Department, 720 Tucson Skeptics Inc. Tucson, AZ. James Cincinnati. Roy Auerbach, president. Tel: 4th Ave. S, St. Cloud State Univ., St. GERMANY Mc Gaha. Email:[email protected]. FLORIDA (513)-731-2774, Email: Cloud, MN 56301 Kirchgasse 4, 64380 Rossdorf, Germany 5100 N. Sabino Foot hills Dr., Tucson, AZ Tampa Bay Skeptics (TBS) Tampa Bay, [email protected]. PO Box 12896, Tel.: +49-6154-695023 85715 Florida. Gary Posner, Executive Director. MISSOURI Cin cinnati, OH 45212. www.cincinnati INDIA Tel.: 813-849-7571; Email: Skeptical Society of St. Louis (SSSL) skeptics.org Phoenix Area Skeptics Society (PASS) [email protected]. c/o O’Keefe, St. Louis, Missouri. Michael Blanford, 46 Masi garh, New Friends Colony http://phoenixskeptics.org OREGON 4011 S. Manhattan Ave. #139, Tampa, President. Email: [email protected]. New Delhi 110025 Email: [email protected] Oregonians for Science and Reason Tel.: 91-9868010950 FL 33611-1277. www.tampabayskept 2729 Ann Ave., St. Louis, MO 63104 (O4SR) Oregon. Jeanine DeNoma, presi- Phoenix Skeptics, Phoenix, AZ. Michael LONDON ics.org www.skepticalstl.org dent. Tel.: (541) 745-5026; Email: Stack pole, P.O. Box 60333, Phoenix, AZ Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, The James Randi Educational St. Joseph Skeptics [email protected]; 39105 Military Rd., 85082 Foun dation. James Randi, Director. Tel: P.O. Box 8908 Monmouth, OR 97361. www.04SR.org London WC1R 4RL, England CALIFORNIA NEPAL (954)467-1112; Email [email protected]. St. Joseph MO, 64508-8908 PENNSYLVANIA Sacramento Organization for Rational Humanist Association of Nepal, 201 S.E. 12th St. (E. Davie Blvd.), Fort NEVADA Philadelphia Association for Critical Think ing (SORT) Sacramento, CA. Ray Span- PO Box 5284, Kathmandu Nepal Lauderdale, FL 33316-1815. Reno Skeptical Society, Inc., Think ing (PhACT), much of Pennsylvania. genburg, co-foun der. Tel.: 916-978-0321; www.randi.org Brad Lutts, President. Eric Krieg, Presi dent. Tel.: 215-885- Tel.: +977-1-4413-345 Email: [email protected]. PO Box 2215, ILLINOIS Tel.: (775) 335-5505; 2089; Email: [email protected]. NEW ZEALAND Carmichael, CA 95609-2215 Rational Examination Association Email: [email protected]. 18124 By mail c/o Ray Haupt, 639 W. Ellet St., email: [email protected] http://home.comcast.net/~kitray2/site/ of Lincoln Land (REALL) Illinois. Bob Wedge Parkway #1052 Reno, Nevada Philadelphia PA 19119 NIGERIA Bay Area Skeptics (BAS) San Francisco— Ladendorf, Chairman. Tel.: 217-546- 89511. www.RenoSkeptics.org TENNESSEE PO Box 25269, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria Bay Area. Eugenie C. Scott, President. 1218 3475; Email: [email protected]. PO Box NEW MEXICO Rationalists of East Tennessee, East Tel.: +234-2-2313699 Miluia St., Berkeley, CA 94709. Email: 20302, Springfield, IL 62708 New Mexicans for Science and Reason Ten nessee. Carl Ledenbecker. Tel.: (865)- PERU [email protected]. www.BASkeptics.org www.reall.org (NMSR) New Mexico. David E. Thomas, 982-8687; Email: [email protected]. 2123 D. Casanova 430, Lima 14, Peru Independent Investi gations Group (IIG), Chicago Skeptics Jennifer Newport, President. Tel.: 505-869-9250; Email: Stony brook Rd., Louis ville, email: [email protected] Center for In quiry–West, 4773 Holly wood contact person. Email: chicagoskep- nmsrdave @swcp.com. PO Box 1017, TN 37777 POLAND Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027. Tel.: 323- [email protected]. Peralta, NM 87042. www.nmsr.org TEXAS Lokal Biurowy No. 8, 8 Sapiezynska Sr., 666-9797. www.iigwest.com www.chicagoskeptics.com NEW YORK North Texas Skeptics NTS Dallas/Ft 00-215, Warsaw, Poland Sacramento Skeptics Society, Sacramento. LOUISIANA New York City Skeptics Michael Feldman, Worth area, John Blanton, Secretary. ROMANIA Terry Sandbek, Presi dent. 4300 Au burn Baton Rouge Proponents of Rational president. PO Box 5122 New York, NY Tel.: (972)-306-3187; Email: Fundatia Centrul pentru Constiinta Critica Blvd. Suite 206, Sacramento CA 95841. Inquiry and Scientific Methods 10185. www.nycskeptics.org [email protected]. PO Box 111794, Tel.: (40)-(O)744-67-67-94 Tel.: 916 489-1774. Email: terry@sand- Carrollton, TX 75011-1794. (BR-PRISM) Louisiana. Marge Schroth. Central New York Skeptics (CNY Skeptics) email: [email protected] bek.com Tel.: 225-766-4747. 425 Carriage Way, www.ntskeptics.org Syracuse. Lisa Goodlin, President. Tel: RUSSIA Baton Rouge, LA 70808 San Diego Asso ciation for Rational Inquiry (315) 446-3068; Email: info@cnyskep- VIRGINIA Dr. Valerii A. Kuvakin, 119899 Russia, Moscow, (SDARI) President: Paul Wenger. Tel.: 858- MICHIGAN tics.org, cnyskeptics.org 201 Milnor Ave., Science & Reason, Hampton Rds., Vorobevy Gory, Moscow State Univ., 292-5635. Program/general information Great Lakes Skeptics (GLS) SE Michi- Syracuse, NY 13224 Virginia. Lawrence Weinstein, Old Philosophy Department 619-421-5844. www.sdari.org. gan. Lorna J. Simmons, Contact person. Dominion Univ.-Physics Dept., Norfolk, OHIO SENEGAL Postal ad dress: PO Box 623, La Jolla, CA Tel.: 734-525-5731; Email: Skeptic31 VA 23529 Central Ohioans for Rational Inquiry PO Box 15376, Dakar – Fann, Senegal 92038-0623 @aol.com. 31710 Cowan Road, Apt. (CORI) Central Ohio. Charlie Hazlett, WASHINGTON Tel.: +221-501-13-00 CONNECTICUT 103, West land, MI 48185-2366 President. Tel.: 614-878-2742; Email: Seattle Skeptics New England Skeptical Society (NESS) Tri-Cities Skeptics, Michi gan. Gary [email protected]. PO Box 282069, www.seattleskeptics.com New England. Steven Novella M.D., Presi- Barker. Tel.: 517-799-4502; Email: bark- Columbus, OH 43228 dent. Tel.: 203-281-6277; Email: [email protected]. 3596 Butternut St., [email protected]. 64 Cobblestone Saginaw, MI 48604 Dr., Hamden, CT 06518 www.theness.com

C Y E The organizations listed above have aims similar to those of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry but are independent and autonomous. N I R T U E Q Representatives of these organizations cannot speak on behalf of CSI. Please send updates to Barry Karr, P.O. Box 703, Amherst NY 14226-0703. R F O R I N International affiliated organizations listed at www.csicop.org.