THE MAGAZINE FOR SCIENCE AND REASON Jan./Feb. 1995 U.S. $4.95 Can. $5.95 SPECIAL ISSUE CARL SAGAN Wonder and Skepticism RICHARD DAWKINS Growing Up in the Universe FRANCIS CRICK The Astonishing Hypothesis GLENN T. SEABORG Nuclear Medicine MARTIN GARDNER Literary Science Blunders AIR FORCE REPORT STEPHEN BARRETT 1994 CSICOP CONFERENCE On the Roswell Incident On Linus Pauling The Psychology of Belief PUBLISHED BY THE COMMITTEE FOR THE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION OF CLAIMS OF THE PARANORMAL THE COMMITTEE FOR THE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION OF CLAIMS OF THE PARANORMAL Paul Kurtz, Chairman; professor emeritus of philosophy. State University of New York at Buffalo Barry Karr, Executive Director and Public Relations Director Lee Nisbet, Special Projects Director FELLOWS James F.. Alcock," psychologist. York Univ., Murray Gell-Mann, professor of physics. Joe Nickell," author, technical writing Toronto Santa Fe Institute instructor, Univ. of Kentucky Robert A. Baker, psychologist, Univ. of Thomas Gilovich, psychologist, Cornell Univ. Lee Nisbet,* philosopher. Medaille College Kentucky Henry Gordon, magician, columnist. Toronto James E. Oberg, science writer Stephen Barrett, M.D.. psychiatrist, author, Stephen Jay Gould. Museum of Comparative Loren Pankratz, psychologist, Oregon Health consumer advocate. Allentown. Pa. Zoology. Harvard Univ. Sciences Univ. Barry Beyerstein." biopsychologist, Simon C. E. M. Hansel, psychologist, Univ. of Wales John Paulos, mathematician. Temple Univ. Eraser Univ., Vancouver, B.C., Canada Al Hibbs, scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory Mark Plummer, lawyer. Australia Irving Biderman. psychologist. Univ. of Douglas Hofstadter, professor of human W. V. Quine. philosopher. Harvard Univ. Southern California understanding and cognitive science. Milton Rosenberg, psychologist. Univ. of Susan Blackmore," psychologist, Univ. of the Indiana Univ. Chicago West of England. Bristol Gerald Holton. Mallinckrode Professor of Carl Sagan, astronomer, Cornell Univ. Henri Broch. physicist. Univ. of Nice. France Physics and Professor of History of Science, Wallace Sampson. M.D., clinical professor of Jan Harold Brunvand. folklorist, professor of Harvard Univ. medicine, Stanford Univ. English. Univ. of Utah Ray Hyman,* psychologist, Univ. of Oregon Evry Schatzman. President. French Physics Vern Bullough, Distinguished Professor. State Leon Jaroff, sciences editor. Time Association Univ. of New York Sergei Kapitza, editor. Russian edition. Eugenie Scott, physical anthropologist, execu­ Mario Bunge, philosopher. McGill University Scientific American tive director. National Center for Science John R. Cole, anthropologist, Inst, tor the Philip J. Klass,' science writer, engineer Education Study of Human Issues: Marvin Kohl, professor of philosophy. SUNY Glenn T. Seaborg. University Professor of F. H. C. Crick, biophysicist Salk Inst, for at Fredonia Chemistry. Univ. of California. Berkeley Biological Studies. La Jolla, Calif. Edwin C Krupp, astronomer, director. Thomas A. Sebeok, anthropologist. linguist. Richard Dawkins, zoologist. Oxford Univ. Griffith Observatory Indiana Univ. L. Sprague dc Camp, author, engineer Paul Kurtz," chairman. CSICOP Robert Sheaffer, science writer Cornells de Jager, professor of astrophysics. Lawrence Kusche, science writer Dick Smith, film producer, publisher. Terry Univ. of Utrecht, the Netherlands Elizabeth 1 olios, professor of psychology. Hills. N.S.W.. Australia Bernard Dixon, science writer London. U.K. Univ. of Washington Robert Steiner, magician, author, El Cerrito Paul Edwards, philosopher. Editor, Paul MacCready, scientist/engineer. Calif. Encyclopedia of Philosophy AcroVironment. Inc.. Monrovia. Calif. Jill Cornell Tarter, SETI Institute Antony Flew, philosopher, Reading Univ., Das-id Marks, psychologist, Middlesex Carol Tavris, psychologist and author, Los U.K. Polytech. England Angeles. Calif. Andrew Fraknoi, astronomer Foothill David Morrison, space scientist, NASA Ames Stephen Toulmin. professor of philosophy. College. Los Altos Hills. Calif. Research Center University of Southern California Kendrick Frazier,* science writer. Editor. Richard A. Muller. professor of physics, Univ. Marvin Zelen. statistician, Harvard Univ. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER of Calif. Berkeley Lin Zixin, former editor. Science and Yves Galifret, Exec. Secretary. I'Union H. Narasimhaiah, physicist, president. Technology Daily (China) Rationaliste Bangalore Science Forum, India "Member. CSICOP Executive Council Martin Gardner." author, critic Dorothy Nelkin, sociologist New York Univ. (Affiliations given for identification only.) The SKEPTICAL INQUIRER (ISSN 0194-6730) is published bimonth­ publication does not necessarily constitute an endorsement by CSI­ ly by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the COP or its members unless so stated. Paranormal, 3965 Rensch Rd.. Amherst. NY 14228-2713. Printed Copyright ©1995 by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation in U.S.A. Second-class postage paid at Amherst. New York, and of Claims of the Paranormal. All rights reserved. The SKEPTICAL additional mailing offices. INQUIRER is available on 16mm microfilm, 35mm microfilm, and Inquiries from the media and the public about the work of the 105mm microfiche from University Microfilms International and is Committee should be made to Paul Kurtz, Chairman, CSICOP. Box indexed in the Reader's Guide in Periodical Literature. 703, Amherst, NY 14226-0703. Tel.: (716) 636-1425. FAX: 716- Subscriptions, change of address, and advertising should be 636-1733- addressed to: SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. Box 703. Amherst, NY 14226- Manuscripts, letters, books for review, and editorial inquiries 0703. Old address as well as new are necessary for change of sub­ should be addressed to Kendrick Frazier. Editor, SKEPTICAL INQUIR­ scriber's address, with six weeks advance notice. SKEPTICAL INQUIR­ ER. 944 Deer Drive NE, Albuquerque NM 87122-1306. FAX 505- ER subscribers may not speak on behalf of CSICOP or the SKEPTI­ 828-2080. CAL INQUIRER. Articles, reports, reviews, and letters published in the SKEPTICAL Postmaster: Send changes of address to SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, INQUIRER represent the views and work of individual authors. Their Box 703. Amherst. NY 14226-0703. FOR THE RECORD 41 The Air Force Report on the Roswell Incident Skeptical Inquirer The official Air Force findings from the reopened investigation of the Roswell Incident. January/February 1995 Vol. 19 No. 1 /^ ARTICLES 24 Wonder and Skepticism CARL SAGAN Science requires an almost complete openness to all ideas. On the other hand, it requires the most rigorous and uncompromising skepticism. 31 Putting Away Childish Things RICHARD DAWKINS Gullibility, a childhood survival skill, is harmful for adults. 37 Science, Soul, and the Astonishing Hypothesis FRANCIS CRICK Is there some soul, or spirit, that science cannot explain that survives physical death? Or is it all in the brain? 39 The Positive Power of Radioisotopes GLENN SEABORG Radioisotopes have alleviated suffering and prolonged the lives of millions of human beings and con­ tributed productively in many other ways. BOOK REVIEWS House of Cards by Robyn M. Dawes SCOTT O. LILIENFELD 50 Selling Satan by Mike Hertenstein and Jon Trott PETER HUSTON 52 Celesine Prophecy by Paul Redfield JOE SZIMHART 54 NEW BOOKS/ARTICLES OF NOTE 56 EDITOR'S NOTE KENDRICK FRAZIER 2 FROM THE CHAIRMAN PAUL KURTZ 3 NEWS AND COMMENT 5 Scientific Literacy / Ig Nobel Awards / AMA on Recovered Memories APA on Facilitated Communication / Everyone Has a Theory 1994 CSICOP CONFERENCE Exploring Mind. Memory, and Belief TOM GENONI. JR. 10 Pauling's Legacy NOTES OF A FRINGE-WATCHER Literary Science Blunders MARTIN GARDNER 14 HEALTH WATCH The Dark Side of Linus Pauling's Legacy STEPHEN BARRETT 18 PYSCHIC VIBRATIONS The Non-amazing Kreskin Flubs Again ROBERT SHEAFFER 21 MEDIA WATCH Literary Science Blunders Showtime's Roswell C. EUGENE EMERY, JR. 22 FORUM ON THE COVER; Letter to a Friend ROBERT ESTLING 59 Space Race by Leonard Parkin LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 65 Skeptical InquirerEditor's No i tare* Kendrick Frazier James E. Alcock Berry Beyerstein Susan J. Blackmore Martin Gardner Ray Hyman A Welcome Philip]. Klass Paul Kurtz Joe Nickell To our subscribers, yes, this is the magazine you know. It's just in a new, Lee Nisbet Bela Scheibcr larger package. As I previously (Fall 1994) noted would happen, with this first CONSULTING MM issue of 1995 we have increased the frequency of the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER Robert A Baker (now subtitled The Magazine for Science and Reason) to bimonthly and William Sims Bainbridgc John R. Cole expanded our size to a standard magazine format. From now on we'll be able to Kenneth L. Feder provide you more editorial material and in a timelier fashion than ever before. C.E.M. Hansel E.C. Krupp To readers new to us—and this issue will reach a vastly larger audience David P. Marks —welcome. We are a new kind of magazine. I think you are in for a treat, an Andrew Neher James E. Oberg intellectual feast. And not just in in this particular issue, with its articles by Robert Sheaffer such scientific luminaries as Carl Sagan, Richard Dawkins, Francis Crick, Steven N. Shore MANAGING Editor Glenn Seaborg, and Martin Gardner, but in all those to follow. We are published Doris Hawley Doyle by a noted nonprofit scientific and educational organization, the Committee ASSISTANT Editor for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP), and for Thomas C. Genoni, Jr. this special issue, the authors are all Fellows of CSICOP. (Fellows and CONIIIIUIINO