part of Knowledge: definitive, accepted and irrevocable. METAMAGICAL To my surprise, however, I found that the truth has to fight constantly for its life. That an idea has been discovered THEMAS and printed in a "reputable journal" does not ensure that it will become well known and accepted. In fact, usually it will have to be rephrased and reprinted About two kinds ofinquiry: "National many different times, often by many dif ferent people, before it has any chance Enquirer" and "The Skeptical Inquirer" of taking hold. This is upsetting to an idealist such as me, someone more dis posed to believe in the notion of a mono lithic and absolute truth than in the no by Douglas R. Hofstadter tion of a pluralistic and relative truth. The idea that the truth has to fight for its life is a sad discovery. The idea that the truth will not out, unless it is given a lot "Baffled Investigators and Educators food for thought: National Examiner, of help, is upsetting. Disclose ... BOY CAN SEE WITH HIS EARS" Star, Globe, Weekly World News. What A question arises in every society: Is it do you think? better to let all the different voices battle "A Cross between Human Beings and Your first reaction is probably to it out or to have just a few "official" Plants . .. SCIENTISTS ON VERGE OF CRE· chuckle and dismiss such stories as be publications dictate what is the case and ATING PLANT PEOPLE ... Bizarre Crea ing silly. But how do you know they are what is not? Our society has opted for a tures Could Do Anything You Want" silly? Do you also think that is a silly plurality of voices, for a "marketplace question? What do you think about arti of ideas," for a complete free-for-all of "Alien from Space Shares Woman's cles that are printed in this magazine? conflicting theories. But if it is this cha Mind and Body, Hypnosis Reveals" Do you trust them? What is the differ otic, who will ensure that there is law ence? Is it simply a difference in publish and order? Who will guard truth? The -Headlines from National Enquirer ing style? Is the tabloid format with answer is: CSICOP will! its gaudy pictures and sensationalistic CSICOP? What is CSICOP? Some kind of id the child you once were ever headlines enough to make you distrust cop who guards the truth? That's pretty D wonder why the declarative sen National Enquirer? But wait a m inute. close. cs1coP stands for Committee for tences in comic books always Is that not begging the question? What the Scientific Investigation of Claims ended with exclamation points? Were all kind of argument is it when you use the of the Paranormal. It is a rather esoteric those statements really that startling? guilty verdict as part of the case for the title for an organization whose purpose Were the characters saying them really prosecution? What you need is a way is not so esoteric: to apply common that thrilled? Of course not. Those ex of telling objectively what you mean sense to claims of the outlandish, the clamation points were a psychological by "gaudy" or "sensationalistic." That implausible and the unlikely. gimmick put there purely for the sake could prove to be difficult. Who are the people who form cs1coP of appearance, to give the story more and what do they do together? The or pizzazz. And what about the obverse of the ganization was the brainchild of Paul National Enquirer, one of this coun Il. coin? Is it the rather dignified, tradi Kurtz, professor of philosophy at the try's yellowest and purplest journalis tional format of Scientific American-its State University of New York at Buffa tic institutions, uses a similar gimmick. lack of photographs of celebrities, for lo, who brought it into being because he Whenever it prints a headline trumpet example-that convinces you it is to be thought there was a need to counter the ing the discovery of some bizarre, hith trusted? If it is, that is a curious way of rising tide of irrational beliefs and to erto unheard-of phenomenon, instead of making decisions about what truth is. It provide the public with a more balanced ending it with an exclamation point it would seem that your concept of truth is treatment of claims of the paranormal ends it (or begins it) with a reference to closely tied in with your way of evaluat by presenting the dissenting scientific "baffled investigators," "bewildered sci ing the "style" of a channel of communi viewpoint. Among the early fellows of entists" or similarly stumped savants. It cation, surely quite an intangible notion. CSICOP were some of America's most is an ornament put there to make the Having said that, I must admit I too distinguished philosophers (for example story seem to have more credibility. rely constantly on quick assessments of Ernest Nagel and W. V. Quine) and oth Or is it? What do the editors really style in my attempt to sift the true from er colorful combatants of the occult, want? That the story appear credible or the false, the believable from the unbe such as psychologist Ray Hyman, magi that it appear incredible? It seems they lievable. I could not tell yo u what crite cian James Randi and someone readers want it both ways: they want the story to ria I rely on without first thinking about of this column may have heard of: Mar sound as outlandish as possible and they it for a long time and writing many tin Gardner. In the first few meetings it want it to have the appearance of au pages. Even then, if I were to publish was decided that the committee's princi thenticity. Their ideal headline should the definitive guide (How to Tell the True pal function would be to publish a mag thus embody a contradiction: impossi from the False by Its Style of Publication), azine dedicated to the subtle art of de bility coupled with certainty. In short, it would have to be published to do any bunking. Perhaps "debunking" is not the confirmed nonsense. good, and its title, not to mention the term they would have chosen, but it fits. What can one make of headlines such style it was published in, would proba The magazine they began to publish in as the ones printed above? Or of the fact bly attract a few readers but would un the fall of 1976 was The Zetetic, from the tha t this publication is sold by the mil doubtedly repel many more. Greek for "inquiring skeptic." lions every week in grocery stores, and Well, truth being this elusive, no won that people gobble up its stories as vora der people are besieged with competing As happens with many fledgling move ciously as they do potato chips? Or of voices in print. When I was younger, I £1 ments, a philosophical squabble de the fact that when they are through with believed once something had been dis veloped between two factions, one more it, they can turn to plenty of other junk covered, verified and published it was "relativist" and unjudgmental, the other
18 more firmly opposed to nonsense, more the intuitive. T his paradox has existed states: "I invited various manipulators willing to go on the offensive and to at throughout intellectual history, but in to demonstrate their techniques-pitch tack supernatural claims. Strange to say, our information-rich times it seems par men, encyclopedia salesmen, hypno the open-minded faction was not so ticularly troublesome. tists, advertising experts, evangelists, open-minded as to accept the opposing In spite of such epistemological puz confidence men and a variety of individ point of view, and the rift opened wid zles, which are connected to its very rea uals who dealt with personal problems. er. Eventually there was a schism. The son for existence, The Skeptical Inquirer The techniques which we discussed, es relativist faction (one member) started is flourishing and provides a refreshing pecially those concerned wi th helping publishing his own journal, The Zetetic antidote to the jargon-laden journals people wi th their personal problems, Scholar, in which science and pse udosci of science, which often seem curiously seem to involve the client's tendency ence coexist happily. The larger faction irrelevant to the concerns of everyday to find more meaning in any situation retained the name cs1cor and changed life. In that one way the Inquirer resem than is actually there. Students readily the title of its journal to The Skeptical bles the scandalous tabloids. accepted this explanation when it was Inquirer. pointed out to them. But I did not feel The purpose of The Skeptical Inquirer he list of topics covered in the 17 that they fully realized just how perva is simply to combat nonsense. It does so T issues that have appeared so far is sive and powerful this human tendency by recourse to common sense, which remarkably diverse. Some topics come to make sense out of nonsense reall y is." means it is accessible to anyone who up only once, others come up regularly Then Hyman describes people's will can read English. It does not require and are discussed from various angles ingness to believe what others tell them any special knowledge or training to and at various depths. Some of the more about themselves. His "golden rule" is: read its pages, where nonsensical claims commonly discussed topics are ESP, "To be popular with your fellow man, are routinely smashed to smithereens. telekinesis (using mental power to in tell him what he wants to hear. He wants (Sometimes the claims are as blatantly ft uence events at a distance), astrolo to hear about himself. So tell him about silly as the headlines at the beginning of gy, biorhythms, Bigfoot, the Loch Ness himself. But not what you know to be this article, sometimes they are much monster, UFO's, creationism, telepathy, true about him. Oh, no! Never tell him subtler.) All that is required to read this remote viewing, clairvoyant detectives the truth. Rather, tell him what he maverick journal is curiosity about the who allegedly solve crimes, the Bermu would like to be true about himself!" nature of truth: curiosity about how da and other triangles, "thoughtogra As an example, Hyman cites the fol truth defends itself (through its agent phy" (using mental power to create im lowing passage (which, by a remark cs1coP) against attacks from all q uar ages on film), the supposed extraterres able coincidence, was written about ters by unimaginably imaginative the trial origin of life on the earth, Carlos none other than you, dear reader!): orizers, speculators, eccentrics, crack Castaneda's sorcerer "Don Juan," pyr "Some of your aspirations tend to be pots and out-and-out fakers. amid power, psychic surgery and faith pretty unrealistic. At times you are ex The journal has grown from its orig healing, Scientology, predictions by fa troverted, affable, sociable, while at oth inal small number of subscribers to mous "psychics," spooks and spirits er times you are introverted, wary and roughly 7,500-a David compared with and haunted houses, levitation, palm reserved. You have found it unwise to the Goliaths mentioned above, with istry and mind reading, unorthodox an be too frank in revealing yourself tooth their circulations in the millions. Its thropological theories, plant percep ers. You pride yourself on being an inde pages are filled with lively and humor tion, perpetual-motion machines, water pendent thinker and do not accept oth ous writing-the combat of ideas in its witching and other kinds of dowsing, bi ers' opinions without satisfactory proof. most enjoyable form. The journal is by zarre cattle mutilations. And these are You prefer a certain amount of change no means a monolithic voice, an advo by no means the only topics; they are and variety, and become dissatisfied cate of a single dogma. Rather, it is itself just the regulars. when hemmed in by restrictions and a marketplace of ideas. Even people There are quite a few frequent con limitations. At times you have serious who wield the tool of common sense tributors, such as Randi, who is truly doubts as to whether you have made the with skill may do so with different styles, prolific. Among others are aeronautics right decision or done the right thing. and sometimes they will disagree. writer Philip J. Klass, UFO specialist Disciplined and controlled on the out There is something of a paradox in James E. Oberg, writer Isaac Asimov, side, you tend to be worrisome and inse volved in the editorial decisions in such cs1cor's founder (and current chairman) cure on the inside. a magazine. After all, what is under de Kurtz, psychologist James E. Alcock, " Your sexual adjustment has present bate here is in essence the nature of educator Elmer Kral, anthropologist ed some problems for you. While you correct arguments. What should be ac Laurie Godfrey, science writer Rob have some personality weaknesses, you cepted and what should not? To carica ert Sheaffer, sociologist William Sims are generally able to compensate for ture the situation, imagine the editorial Bainbridge and many others. And the them. You have a great deal of un used dilemmas that journals with titles such magazine's editor, Kendrick Frazier, a capacity which you have not turned to as Free Press Bulletin, The Open Mind free-lance science writer by trade, peri your advantage. You have a tendency or Editorial Policy Newsletter would odically issues eloquent and mordant to be critical of yourself. You have a encounter. What letters to the editor commentaries. strong need for other people to li ke you should be printed? What articles? What There is no better way to impart the and for them to admire you." policy can be invoked to screen material flavor of the magazine than to quote a Pretty good fit, eh? Hyman com submitted? few selections from articles. One of my ments: "The statements in this stock These are not easy questions to an favorite articles appeared in the second spiel were first used in 1948 by Bertram swer. They involve a paradox, a tangle issue (Spring/ Summer, 1977). It is by Forer in a classroom demonstration of in which the ideas being evaluated are psychologist Ray Hyman (who inciden personal validation. He obtained most also the ideas doing the evaluating. The tally, like many other authors in The of them from a newsstand astrology only recourse is to common sense, that Skeptical Inquirer, is also a talented ma book. Forer's students, who thought the rock-bottom basis of all rationality. Un gician), and is titled '"Cold Reading': sketch was uniquely intended for them fortunately we have no foolproof al How to Convince Strangers that You as a result of a personality test, gave the gorithm to uniquely characterize that Know All about Them." sketch an average rating of 4.26 on a deepest layer of rationality, nor are we scale of 0 (poor) to 5 (perfect). As many likely to come up with one soon. For t begins with a discussion of a course as 16 out of his 39 students (41 percent) now the core of rationality must depend I Hyman taught about the various rated it as a perfect fit to their personali on inscrutables: the simple, the elegant, ways people are manipulated. Hyman ty. Only fi ve gave it a rating below 4 (the
20 worst being a rating of 2, meaning 'av the most to promote gullibility and irra will be had for almost everyone as aging erage'). Almost 30 years later students tional beliefs. Each award consists of "a is brought under control." No. 2 (85 psy give the same sketch an almost iden tastefully bent stainless-steel spoon with chics) was "There will be a major break tical rating as a unique description of a very transparent, very flimsy base." through in cancer, which will almost to themselves." Award winners were notified, Randi tally wipe out the disease." No. 3 (also Hyman gives a 13-point recipe for be explained, by telepathy, and they were 85) was "There will be an astonishing coming a cold reader. Among his tips "free to announce their winning in ad spiritual rebirth and a return to the old are these: "Use the technique of 'fishing' vance, by precognition, if they so de values." So it went. No. 6 (81 psychics) [getting the subject to tell you about sired." Awards were made in four cate was "Contact will be made with aliens himself or herself, then rephrasing it and gories: Academic ("to the scientist who from space, who will give us incredible feeding it back]; always give the impres says the dumbest thing about parapsy knowledge." sion that you know more than you are chology"), Funding ("to the funding or There is something pathetic, even des saying; don't be afraid to flatter your ganization that awards the most money perate, about these predictions. One can subject every chance you get." This de for the dumbest things in parapsycholo see only too clearly the similarity of the liciously cynical recipe for becoming a gy"), Performance ("to the psychic who, publications that feature these predic character reader is presented in consid with the least talent, takes in the most tions to inane television shows such as erable detail, presumably not to convert people"), and Media ("to the news orga "Fantasy Island" and "Star Trek.'' The readers of the article into charlatans and nization that supports the most outra common denominator is escape from tricksters but to show them how such geous claims of the paranormalists"). reality. The point is well made in an arti manipulations are achieved. cle by William Sims Bainbridge in the he nature of coincidences is a re Fall 1979 issue of The Skeptical Inquirer. yman asks: "Why does it work so T current theme in discussions of the Perhaps we all have a desire to di H well? It does not help to say that paranormal. I vividly remember a pas lute reality with fantasy, to make reali people are gullible or suggestible. Nor sage in a lovely book by Warren Weaver ty seem simpler and also more aligned can we dismiss it by implying that some titled Lady Luck: The Theory of Probabil with what we wish it were. Yet at the individuals are just not sufficiently dis ity, in which he points out that in many same time perhaps all of us have the criminating or lack sufficient intelli situations the most likely outcome may potential capacity and even the desire to gence to see through it. Indeed, one can well be a very unlikely event (as it is sift sense from nonsense, if only we are argue that it requires a certain degree when you deal hands in bridge, where introduced to the distinction in a suffi of intelligence on the part of a client for whatever hand you get is bound to be ciently compelling manner. the reading to work well .... We have to extraordinarily rare no matter what it But how can this be done? In the bring our knowledge and expectations is). A similar point is made in the follow "News and Comment" section of the to bear in order to comprehend anything ing excerpt from a recent book by David Spring 1980 issue of The Skeptical In in our world. In most ordinary situations Marks and Richard Kammann titled quirer there was an item about a lively this use of context and memory enables The Psychology of the Psychic (from traveling antipseudoscience lecture act us to correctly interpret statements and which various excerpts were reprinted by "Captain Ray of Light," actually supply the necessary inferences to do in one issue of The Skeptical Inquirer): Douglas F. Stalker, associate professor this. But this powerful mechanism can "First, we notice and remember of philosophy at the University of Dela go astray in situations where there is no matches, especially oddmatches, when ware. The article quotes Stalker on his actual message being conveyed. Instead ever they occur. (Because a psychic an "comical debunking" show (directed of picking up random noise we still man-· ecdote first requires a match, and, sec at astrology, biorhythms, numerology, age to find meaning in the situation. So ond, an oddity between the match and UFO's, pyramid power, psychic claims the same system that enables us to cre our beliefs, we call these stories odd and the like) as follows: atively find meanings and to make new matches. This is equivalent to the com "For years I lectured against them in a discoveries also makes us extremely vul mon expression, an 'unexplained coinci serious way, with direct charges at their nerable to exploitation by all sorts of dence.') Second, we do not notice non silly theories. These direct attacks didn't manipulators. In the case of the cold matches. Third, our failure to notice change many minds, and so I decided to reading the manipulator may be con nonevents creates the short-run illusion take an indirect appoach. If you can't scious of his deception; but often he too that makes the oddmatch seem improb beat them, join them. And so I did, in a is a victim of personal validation." able. Fourth, we are poor at estimating manner of speaking. I constructed some (Hyman knows whereof he speaks. combinations of events. Fifth, we over plainly preposterous pseudosciences of Many years ago he was convinced for look the principle ofequivalent oddmatch my own and showed'that they were just a time that he himself had genuine pow es. that one coincidence is as good as like astrology and the others. I also ex ers to read palms, until one day he another as far as psychic theory is con plained how you could i;onstruct more tried telling people the exact opposite cerned.'' of these silly theories. By working from of what their palms told him and found An excellent example of people not the inside out, more students came to they still swallowed his line as much as noticing nonevents is provided by the see how pseudo these pseudosciences ever. Then he began to suspect that the failed predictions of famed psychics are .... And that is the audience I try to plasticity of the human mind-particu (such as Jeane Dixon). Most people nev reach: the upcoming group of citizens. larly his own-was doing some strange er go back to see how the events bore out My show reaches them in the right way, things.) the predictions. The Skeptical Inquirer. too. It leaves a lasting impression; it At the beginning of each issue of The however, has a tradition of going back wins friends and changes minds." (I am Skeptical Inquirer is a feature called and checking. As each year concludes it pleased to report that Stalker welcomes "News and Comment." It covers such prints a number of predictions made by new bookings. He can be reached at the things as the latest reports on current various psychics for that year and then Department of Philosophy, University sensational claims, recently broadcast evaluates their track record. In the Fall of Delaware, Newark, Del. 19711.) television shows for and against the 1980 issue the editors took the predic One of the points Stalker makes is that paranormal, lawsuits of one kind or an tions of 100 "top psychics," tabulated no matter how eloquent a lecture may other and so on. One of the most amus them, listed the top 12 in order of fre be it simply does not have the power ing items was the coverage in the Fall quency and left it to the reader to assess to convince that experience does. The 1980 issue of the "Uri A wards," given the accuracy of psychic visions of the point has been well brought out in a out by Randi (on April l, of course) to future. The No. 1 prediction for 1979 classic study made by Barry Singer and various deserving souls who had done (made by 86 psychics) was "Longer lives Victor A. Benassi of the psychology de- 23 partment of California State University ing tricks. In fact, two more classes were the remaining one of the baffling stunts at Long Beach. These two investigators given the same presentation, with the was also a trick, "but," said Morris, ·~I'm set out to determine the effect on first added warning: "In his act Craig will not going to say how it was done, be year psychology students of seemingly pretend to read minds and demonstrate cause I want you to experience the feel paranormal effects created in the class psychic abilities, but Craig does not ing that, even though you can't explain room by an exotically dressed magi really have psychic abilities, and what something, that doesn't make it super cian. Their findings were reported in the you'll be seeing are really only tricks." natural." The other weapon was a 50- Winter 1980/ 81 issue of The Skeplica/ In spite of this forewarning more than minute anti-ESP lecture, in which se Inquirer in a piece titled "Fooling Some half of the students in these classes be crets of professional mind readers were of the People All of the Time." lieved he was psychic. "This says either revealed, commonsense estimates of In two of the classes the performer something about the status of university probabilities of "odd matches" were dis (Craig Reynolds) was introduced as a instructors with their students or some cussed, "scientific" studies of ESP were graduate student "interested in the psy thing about the strange pathways people shown to be questionable for various chology of paranormal or psychic abil take to occult belief," Singer and Benas statistical and logical reasons and some ities [who has] been working on devel si observe philosophically. other everyday reasons were adduced to oping a presentation of his psychic Now comes something astonishing. cast ESP's reality into strong doubt. abilities." The instructor also explicitly "The next question asked was whether After the performance only half of stated, "I'm not convinced personally magicians could do exactly what Craig the classes were dehoaxed but all of of Craig's or anyone else's psychic abili did. Virtually all the students agreed them heard the anti-ESP lecture. The ties." In two other classes Craig was in that magicians could. They were then students were then polled about the troduced as a graduate student "inter asked if they would like to revise their strength of their belief in various kinds ested in the psychology of magic and estimate of Craig's psychic abilities in of paranormal phenomena. It turned stage trickery [who has] been working the light of this negative information out that dehoaxed classes had a far low on developing a presentation of his mag that they themselves had furnished. er belief in ESP than classes that had ic act." The authors emphasize that all Only a few did, reducing the percentage simply heard the anti-ESP lecture. The the stunts Craig performed are "easy of students believing that Craig had psy dehoaxed classes' average level of ESP amateur tricks that have been practiced chic powers to 55 percent. belief dropped from nearly 6 (moder for centuries and are even explained in "Next the students were asked to esti ate belief) to about 2 (strong disbelief), children's books of magic." mate how many people who performed whereas the nondehoaxed classes' aver After the act the students were asked stunts such as Craig's and claimed to be age level dropped from 6 to about 4 to report their reactions. Singer and Be psychic were actually fakes using magi (slight disbelief). As Morris summarizes nassi received two jolts from the reports: cian's tricks. The consensus was that at this surprising result, "the dehoaxing ex "First ... in both the 'magic' and the least three out of four 'psychics' were in perience was apparently crucial; a three 'psychic' classes, about two-thirds of the fact frauds. After supplying this nega minute revelation that they had been students clearly believed Craig was psy tive information, they were again asked fooled was more powerful than an hour chic. Only a few students seemed to if they wished to revise their estimate long denunciation of ESP in producing believe the instructor's description of of Craig's psychic abilities. Again, only skepticism toward ESP." Craig as a magician in the two classes a few did, reducing the percentage be One of Morris' original interests in where he was introduced as such. Sec lieving that Craig had psychic powers conducting the experiment was "wheth ondly, psychic belief was not only prev to 52 percent." er the exercise would teach the students alent; it was strong and loaded with Singer and Benassi muse: "What does skepticism for ESP statements only, or a emotion. A number of students covered all this add up to? The results from our more general attitude of skepticism, as their papers with exorcism terms and paper-and-pencil test suggest that peo we had hoped. For example, would their exhortations against the Devil. In the ple can stubbornly maintain a belief experience also make them more skep psychic condition 18 percent of the about someone's psychic powers when tical of astrology, Ouija boards and students explicitly expressed fright and !hey know belier. It is a logical fallacy to ghosts?" Morris did find a slight transfer emotional disturbance. Most expressed admit that tricksters can perform ex of skepticism, and from it he concluded awe and amazement. actly the same stunts as real psychics hopefully that "teaching someone to be "We were present at two of Craig's and to estimate that most so-called psy skeptical of one belief makes him some performances and witnessed some ex chics are frauds and at the same time what more skeptical of similar beliefs, treme behavior. By the time Craig was maintain with a fair degree of confi and perhaps slightly more skeptical halfway through the 'bending' chant dence that any given example (Craig) is even of dissimilar beliefs." [part of a stunt where he bent a stainless psychic. Are we humans really that This question of transfer of skepti steel rod], the class was in a terribly ex foolish? Yes." cism is to my mind the critical one. It is cited state. Students sat rigidly in their A few years ago Scot Morris (now a of little use to learn a lesson if that les chairs, eyes glazed and mouths open, senior editor of Omni in charge of its son always remains a lesson about par chanting together. When the rod bent, "Games" department) carried out a sim ticulars and has no applicability beyond they gasped and murmured. After class ilar experiment in a first-year psycholo the case in which it was first learned. was dismissed, they typically sat still in gy class at Southern Illinois University, What, for instance, was the lesson of their chairs, staring vacantly or shaking which he wrote up in the Spring 1980 the Jonestown incident? Simply that their heads, or rushed excitedly up to issue of The Skeplical Inquirer. First you should never follow Jim Jones to Craig, asking him how they could de Morris assessed his students' beliefs in Guyana? Or, more generally, that you velop such powers. We felt we were ESP by having them fill out a question should be wary of following any guru observing an extraordinarily powerful naire. Then a colleague performed an halfway across the world? Or that you behavioral effect. If Craig had asked "ESP demonstration," which Morris should never follow anyone anywhere? the students at the end of his act to tear calls "frighteningly impressive." Or that all cults are evil? Or that any off their clothes, throw him money and After this performance Morris tr\ed belief in any kind of savior, human or start a new cult, we believe some would to "deprogram" his students. He had divine, is crazy and dangerous? Is it like have responded enthusiastically. Obvi two weapons at his disposal. One is what ly that fundamentalist "Moral Major ously, something was going on here that he calls "dehoaxing." This process, last ity" Christians in America would see we didn't understand." ing for only three minutes, consisted in their attitudes reflected in those of fun After this dramatic presentation the revealing how two of the three tricks damentalist Moslems whose fanaticism classes were told they had only been see- worked, together with a confession that they abhor, and that they would there- 24 fore be led to reno1 mce their own fanati four times a year in tabloid form and cism? Why not? At what level of gener is sought out by a mere 7,500 readers? Voyager Visions ality is a lesson learned? Where the many rival debunking jour Stalker's Captain Ray of Light ex nals are always to be found lying around pressed a faith that by debunking his in laundromats? It sounds like a crazy own "miniature" pseudosciences before story fit for the pages of National Enquir· audiences he could transfer to people er! This ludicrous scenario serves to em a more general critical ability, an abil phasize just what the hardy band at cs1- ity to think more clearly about para COP is up against. normal claims. ls this true? There are What good does it do to publish their many believers in some types of para journal when only a handful of already normal phenomena who ridicule other convinced antioccult fanatics read it types. There are people who will scoff anyway? The answer is found in, among at headlines in National Enquirer and at other places, the letters column at the the same time believe, say, that through back of each issue. Many people write transcendental meditation you can learn in to say how vital the magazine has to levitate, or that astrological predic been to them, their friends and their stu We now offer five stunning full-color posters featuring highlights of the Voyager tions come true, or that UFO's are vis dents. High school teachers are among missions to Jupiter and Saturn. These pos itors from other worlds, or that ESP the most frequent writers of thank-you ters measure 22Y, x 29", are mailed rolled, and are suitable for framing. exists. Many people have said: "Most notes to the magazine's editors, but I O APVJ-1 Jupiter psychics are, unfortunately, frauds, have also seen enthusiastic letters from 0 APVS-1 Saturn which makes it all the more difficult for members of the clergy, radio talk-show 0 APVJ-2 Jupiter with Four Moons the genuine ones to . be recognized." hosts and people in many other pro 0 APVS-2 Saturn with Six Moons You even get believers in tricksters fessions. 0 APVS-3 Final Look al Saturn SB.SO for three posters such as Uri Geller who say, " I admit he I would hope that by now I have $13.00 for all five posters cheats some of the time, maybe even aroused enough interest on the part of ($2.00 lor complete catalog, credit 90 percent of the time, but I still think some readers for them to want to sub applied toward next purchase) he has genuine psychic abilities"! scribe to The Skeptical Enquirer. The Foreign orders add $2.00 tor postage. If one is hunting for a signal in a lot of subscription rate is $16 per year, and Salislac"lion Guaranteed noise and the more one looks the more they should write to Box 229, Central Send check or money order to: noise one finds, when is it reasonable to Park Station, Buffalo, N.Y. 14215. In Hansen Planetarium give up and conclude that there is no the interest of open-mindedness I also DEPT. SA-2 1098 South 200 West signal at all? On the other hand, some give the address and subscription rate Salt Lake City, Utah 84101 times there just might be a signal. The of The Zetetic Scholar (Department of Dealer inquiries welcome problem is, one does not want to jump Sociology, Eastern Michigan Univer too quickly to a negative generalization, sity, Ypsilanti, Mich. 48197, $12 per particularly if one's feelings are based year) and National Enquirer (Lantana, merely on some kind of guilt by associa Fla. 33464, $13.95 per year). tion. After all, not everything published Certainly one will never be able to in National Enquirer is false. The subtle empty the vast ocean of irrationality MERGER OR art is in sensing just when to shift, in that all of us are surrounded by, but the sensing when there is enough evidence. ambition of The Skeptical Inquirer has For better or for worse, however, it is a never been that great; it has been, rather, FINANCING? subjective matter, one that few journals to be a steady buoy to which one can heretofore have dealt with. cling in that tumultuous sea. It has been Are you thinking of equity financing The Skeptical Inquirer concerns itself to promote a healthy brand of skepti or merger of your company now or in with questions ranging from the ridic cism in as many people as it can. As the future? Beckman maintains a ulous to the sublime, from the trivial Frazier said in one of his eloquent edito long-term search for top-quality tech to the profound. There are those who rials, "skepticism is not, despite much nical growth opportunities serving would say it is a big waste of time to popular misconception, a point of view. medicine. science and industry. In ad worry about drivel such as ESP and oth-. It is, instead, an essential component of dition to our traditional fields of instru er so-called paranormal effects. Others, intellectual inquiry, a method of deter mentation and precision electronic and I am one of them, believe that any mining the facts whatever they may be one who is unabJe or unwilling to think and wherever they may lead. It is a part components , increased emphasis is hard about what distinguishes the scien of what we call common sense. It is a being focused on clinical-diagnostic tific system of thinking from its many part of the way science works. All who reagents, applied molecular biology rival systems is not a devotee of truth at are interested in the search for knowl and computer software technology. all, and furthermore that the spreading edge and the advancement of under Perhaps you or an associate would of nonsense is a dangerous trend that standing, imperfect as those enterprises like a copy of our Diversification ought to be checked. may be, should, it seems to me, sup Interests statement - for your present The question arises, in any case, port critical inquiry, whatever the sub review or future reference. Available whether The Skeptical Inquirer will ever ject and whatever the outcome." on request and in confidence. amount to more than a drop in a huge It is too bad we should have to con bucket. Surely its editors do not expect stantly defend truth against so many on that someday it will be sold alongside slaughts from people unwilling to think, ROBERT B. BROWN National Enquirer at supermarket check but on the other hand, sloppy thought Director of Corporate Planning out counters! And, carrying this to an seems inevitable. It is just part of human upside-down extreme, can you imagine nature. Come to think of it, I seem to BECKMAN a world where a debunking journal such remember reading somewhere recently Beckman Instruments. Inc. as The Skeptical Inquirer sells millions of about how your average typical-type 2500 Harbor Blvd , Fullerton, CA 92634 USA copies each week at supermarkets, along person uses only 10 percent of their with its many rivals, while one lone cou brain. Talk about sloppy-it's amazing! rageous voice of the occult comes out Even the scientists are stumped! 26