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THE COMMITTEE FOR THE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION of Claims of the Paranormal AT THE CENTER FOR INQUIRY-INTERNATIONAL (ADJACENT TO THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO| • AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION Paul Kurtz, Chairman; professor emeritus of philosophy, State University of New York at Buffalo Barry Karr, Executive Director Joe Nickell, Senior Research Fellow Massimo Polidoro, Research Fellow Richard Wiseman, Research Fellow Lee Nisbet, Special Projects Director FELLOWS James E. Alcock,* psychologist York Univ., Toronto Saul Green. PhD, biochemist president of ZOL James E- Oberg, science writer Jerry Andrus, magician and inventor, Albany, Consultants, New York. NY Irmgard Oepen, professor of medicine (retired). Oregon Susan Haack, Cooper Senior Scholar in Arts Marburg, Germany Marcia Angell, M.D., former editor-in-chief, New and Sciences, prof, of philosophy, University Loren Pankratz. psychologist. Oregon Health England Journal of Medicine of Miami Sciences Univ. Robert A. Baker, psychologist. Univ. of Kentucky C. E. M. Hansel, psychologist. Univ. of Wales John Paulos, mathematician. Temple Univ. Stephen Barrett, M.D., psychiatrist, author, Al Hibbs, scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory Steven Pinker, cognitive scientist. MIT consumer advocate, Allentown, Pa. Douglas Hofstadter, professor of human Massimo Polidoro. science writer, author, execu Barry Beyerstein,* biopsychologist. Simon Fraser understanding and cognitive science, tive director CICAP, Italy Univ., Vancouver, B.C.. Canada Indiana Univ. Milton Rosenberg, psychologist Univ. of Chicago Irving Biederman, psychologist, Univ. of Southern Gerald Holton, Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics Wallace Sampson. M.D.. clinical professor of medi California and professor of history of science, Harvard Univ. cine. Stanford Univ.. editor, Scientific Review of Susan Blackmore, Visiting Lecturer, Univ. of the Ray Hyman,' psychologist. Univ. of Oregon Alternative Medicine West of England, Bristol Leon Jaroff, sciences editor emeritus, Time Amardeo Sarma, engineer, head of dept. Henri Broch, physicist, Univ. of Nice, France Sergei Kapitza, former editor, Russian edition, at T-Nova Deutsche Telekom, executive Jan Harold Brunvand, folklorist. professor emeri Scientific American director, GWUP, Germany. tus of English. Univ. of Utah Philip J. Klass,* aerospace writer, engineer Evry Schatzman, former president French Physics Vern Bullough, professor of history. California Lawrence M. Krauss. author and professor of Association State Univ. at Northridge physics and astronomy. Case Western Reserve Eugenie Scott physical anthropologist, executive Mario Bunge. philosopher. McGill University University director. National Center for Science Education John R. Cole, anthropologist, editor, National Edwin C. Krupp. astronomer, director, Griffith Robert Sheaffer, science writer Center for Science Education Observatory Elie A. Shneour, biochemist, author, Frederick Crews, literary and cultural critic, profes Paul Kurtz,* chairman, Center for Inquiry director, Biosystems Research Institute, sor emeritus of English. Univ. of California. Lawrence Kusche. science writer La Jolla, Calif. Berkeley Leon Lederman. emeritus director, Fermilab; Dick Smith, film producer, publisher, Terrey Hills, F. H. C Crick, biophysicist, Salk Inst, for Biological Nobel laureate in physics N.S.W., Australia Studies, La Jolla, Calif; Nobel laureate Scott Lilienfeld, psychologist. Emory Univ. Robert Steiner, magician, author. El Cerrito. Calif. Richard Dawkins. zoologist. Oxford Univ. Lin Zixin, former editor. Science and Technology Victor J. Stenger, emeritus professor of physics Geoffrey Dean, technical editor. Perth. Australia Daily (China) and astronomy. Univ. of Hawaii; adjunct profes Daniel C Dennett University Professor and Austin Jere Lipps, Museum of Paleontology, Univ. of sor of philosophy, Univ. of Colorado B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy, Director of California. Berkeley Jill Cornell Tarter, astronomer, SETI Institute. the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts Elizabeth Loftus, professor of psychology. Univ. of Mountain View. Calif. University California, Irvine Carol Tavris, psychologist and author. Los Angeles, Cornells de Jager, professor of astrophysics, Univ. Paul MacCready, scientist/engineer, Calif. of Utrecht the Netherlands AeroVironment, Inc., Monrovia, Calif. David Thomas, physicist and mathematician, Paul Edwards, philosopher, editor. Encyclopedia John Maddox, editor emeritus of Nature Peralta, New Mexico of Philosophy David Marks, psychologist City University, London. Stephen Toulmin, professor of philosophy, Univ. of Kenneth Feder, professor of anthropology. Mario Mendez-Acosta. journalist and Southern California Central Connecticut State Univ. science writer, Mexico City. Mexico Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and director. Hayden Planetarium. New York City Antony Flew, philosopher, Reading Univ., U.K. Marvin Minsky, professor of media arts and Andrew Fraknoi, astronomer. Foothill College, Los sciences. M.I.T. Marilyn vos Savant Parade magazine contribut ing editor Altos Hills, Calif. David Morrison, space scientist, NASA Ames Kendrick Frazier,* science writer, editor, SKEPTICAL Research Center Steven Weinberg, professor of physics and astron omy, Univ. of Texas at Austin; Nobel laureate INQUIRER Richard A. Muller, professor of physics. Univ. of E.O. Wilson, University Professor Emeritus. Yves Galifret vice-president Affiliated Calif., Berkeley Harvard University Organizations: France H. Narasimhaiah, physicist president. Bangalore Richard Wiseman, psychologist University of Martin Gardner,* author, critic Science Forum, India Hertfordshire Dorothy Nelkin. sociologist New York Univ. Murray Gell-Mann. professor of physics. Santa Fe Marvin Zelen, statistician. Harvard Univ. Institute; Nobel laureate Joe Nickell.* senior research fellow, CSICOP Thomas Gilovich, psychologist Cornell Univ. Lee Nisbet* philosopher. Medaille College * Member, CSICOP Executive Council Henry Gordon, magician, columnist, Toronto Bill Nye. science educator and television host Nye Labs (Affiliations given for identification only) Visit the CSICOP Web site at http://www.csicop.org The SKEPTICAL INQUIRER (ISSN 0194-6730) is published bimonthly by me Committee for the and on page 63 of this issue. Or you may send a hot request to the editor. Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. 1310 Sweet Home Rd.. Amherst. NY Anides. reports, reviews, and letters published in the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER represent the 14228- Printed in I'.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at Buffalo. NY, and at additional mailing views and work of individual authors. 1 neir publication does not necessarily constitute an offices. Subscription prices: one year (six issues). $35; two yean. $60: three years. $84; single endorsement by CSICOP or its member) unless so stated. issue. $4.95. Canadian and foreign orders: Payment in U.S. hinds drawn on a U.S. bank must Copyright ©2003 by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the accompany orders: please add US$ 10 per year for shipping. Canadian and foreign customers arc Paranormal. All rights reserved. The SKEPTICAL INQUIRER is available on 16mm microfilm, encouraged to use Visa or MasterCard. 35mm microfilm, and !05mm microfiche from University Microfilms International and is Inquiries from the media and the public about the work of the Committee should be made indexed in the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature. to Paul Kurtz. Chairman. CSICOP. Box 703. Amherst. NY 14226-0703- Tel.: 716-636-1425. Subscriptions and changes of address should be addressed to: SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. Box 703. FAX 716-636-1733. Amheist. NY 14226-0703. Or call toU-rrec 1-800-634-1610 (outside US. call 716-636-1425). Otd Manuscripts, letters, books for review, and editorial inquiries should be addressed to Kendrick address as well as new are necessary for change of subscriber's address, with six weeks advance notice. Frazier. Editor. SKEFTKAl INQUIRER. 944 Deer Drive NE, Alnuquerque, NM 87122. Fas 505- SKEFTKAl INQUIRER subsenben may not speak on behalf of CSICOP or die SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. 828-2080. Before submitting any manuscript, rjfcase cc»rmik our Giikfc for Aijthois for for^ Postmaster Send changes of address to SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. Box 703. Amherst. NY references requirements. It is on our Web she at ht^-/'www.csicc5».org/si/guick>for-auihorsJitml 14226-0703. 49 Faking UFO Photos for the Skeptical Inquirer Twenty-First Century For a modern planetarium show, an astronomer/program September/October 2003 • VOL 27, NO. 5 producer created a variety of fake UFO images as a way of showing audiences how easily such photos can be done. TOM CALLEN ARTICLES COLUMNS 23 The Ongoing Problem with the EDITOR'S NOTE 4 National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine NEWS AND COMMENT James Ossuary Verdict: Ossuary Genuine, Inscription Fake / One In spite of statements to the contrary by its director, the Nation's Victory for Sanity Over Alternative Medicine / Russian NCCAM continues to fund and promote pseudoscience. Academy of Sciences Waking up to False Science / Druyan, Loftus Political pressures and the Center's charter would seem Head CFI-West Opening Conference on the 'Assault on Reason' / to make this inevitable. Ethics and the public interest Ghosts in the Physics Lab / Spirited Protest 5 are compromised. INVESTIGATIVE FILES KIMBALL C. ATWOOD IV, M.D. Haunted Plantation JOE NICKELL 12 30 What Does Education Really Do? Educational Dimensions and PSYCHIC VIBRATIONS UFOs Hot and Cold