From Tiny Acorns

From Tiny Acorns . CHRISTOPHER C. FRENCH was delighted to be invited to contribute to this for- this time, my interest in skep- tieth anniversary issue of SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. The ticism was very much a hobby, Imagazine first came to my attention when I read James something that I pursued in my own time purely for my own Alcock’s wonderful book, Parapsychology: Science or Magic? enjoyment. But I decided that I (Oxford/Pergamon Press, 1981) back in the early 1980s. I knew enough about the area to confess that, prior to reading Alcock’s book, I believed in give a two-hour lecture on para- quite a number of paranormal claims. psychology as part of a “Theoret- ical Issues” module that I taught Indeed, I can even remember a whole new world was opening in. This time, my presentation presenting an entirely pro-para- up for me. I also purchased and was much more skeptical. My normal session on parapsychol- read many classic skeptical books interest in all things skeptical, ogy to a class of adults at a local by the likes of Martin Gardner, but particularly the psychology of community college as part of an James Randi, and Philip Klass. paranormal belief and ostensibly introductory psychology course. I bought and read in its entirety paranormal experiences, contin- In my defense, back then skep- the mammoth volume A Skeptic’s ued to grow, and after a few more tical critiques of parapsychology Handbook of Parapsychology (Paul years I was even publishing the were even rarer than they are Kurtz, Prometheus Books, 1985). odd paper in this area. (I am sure now, and all the books I used in In 1985, I got a job as a lec- you all read my first empirical re- preparing the lecture were uncrit- turer at Goldsmiths College, port in the Australian Journal of ically pro-paranormal—but I still University of London. Up until Psychology.) cringe inside to recall that session. Apart from opening my eyes to the fact that there were skeptical books out there (if you knew where to look for them), Alcock’s book also contained numerous references to a publication called the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, which I had never heard of up until that point. I cannot remember how I came to learn that Mike Hutchin- son was the U.K. distributor for the magazine, but somehow I did and I took out a subscription. I used to eagerly await delivery of the magazine and immedi- ately read every issue I received from cover to cover. It felt as if Skeptical Inquirer | November/December 2016 39 ODYSSEYS IN SCIENTIFIC SKEPTICISM: 40th Anniversary Celebration In 1995, I decided I knew really fascinated me. In 2000, I ning magazine devoted to pro- enough to present an entire set up the Anomalistic Psychol- viding a skeptical perspective on module on “Psychology, Para- ogy Research Unit at Goldsmiths the paranormal. psychology, and Pseudoscience” (APRU; http://www.gold.ac.uk/ The skeptic scene is currently as an optional final year module apru/) to provide a focus for re- thriving in the United Kingdom as part of Goldsmiths’ BSc pro- search activity in this area. I made at all levels. Within academia, gram in psychology. It proved a conscious decision to focus all of anomalistic psychology is increas- to be a popular option with the my research efforts in the area of ingly taught at universities as an students, and I loved teaching it. anomalistic psychology. optional course, and the number The range of topics I could cover One of the APRU’s aims was of academic publications in this The range of topics I could cover was very wide, from entertaining subjects such as the techniques used by psychic con artists to the most profound questions facing humanity such as the possibility of life after death. was very wide, from entertaining to raise the profile and academic area increases year to year. At the subjects such as the techniques respectability of anomalistic psy- grassroots level, there are around used by psychic con artists to the chology, and I like to think we fifty branches of Skeptics in the most profound questions facing have had some success in achiev- Pub up and down the country humanity such as the possibility ing this. We generally publish our and numerous conferences such of life after death. The module research findings in high-quality as those organized by Centre for also provided a fantastic training peer-reviewed journals and edited Inquiry–UK and the wonderful in critical thinking, helping the academic volumes. However, we annual QED conference co-or- students to understand why some are also keenly aware of the value ganized by Merseyside Skeptics forms of evidence, such as prop- of public engagement for uni- and Greater Manchester Skep- erly controlled scientific studies, versities, and therefore we take tics. The APRU has certainly are so much more credible than every opportunity to provide an played a role in achieving this others, such as anecdotes and per- informed skeptical perspective healthy state of affairs—and it is sonal experience. on a wide range of paranormal fair to say that the APRU would Over the next few years, more topics via the media and public probably never have existed if I and more of my research was in events. Last year, for example, had not read James Alcock’s book the area of anomalistic psychol- Goldsmiths hosted the European all those years ago and been in- ogy, but I certainly felt that my Skeptics Congress. The APRU spired to take out a subscription ■ interest in the “weird stuff” was also organizes an Invited Speaker to SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. only tolerated as long as I also Series and the Greenwich branch published in what were per- of Skeptics in the Pub, both of Christopher C. French is Head of the ceived to be more “academically which are open to members of Anomalistic Psychology Research respectable” areas of psychology. the general public and regularly Unit, Department of Psychology, I obliged for a while, but I was draw in large attendances. For Goldsmiths College, University of becoming increasingly aware that a decade, the APRU edited The London. He is a CSI fellow. it was anomalistic psychology that Skeptic, the U.K.’s longest-run- 40 Volume 40 Issue 6 | Skeptical Inquirer.

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