Autumn 2007, Vol 27, No 1

Feature Articles 8. Challenging Beliefs 40. It Gets You Thinking Tony Wheeler Ian Jackson

13. SMS = Stupid Message Services 42. Humour: Walkerbout Guy Curtis Steve Walker

18. Welcome to Sunnydale 45. Satire: Healthmanship Pt 2 Chris Borthwick David Brookman

23. The Foolishness of God 47. Report: The Amazing Meeting 5 Brian Baxter Margaret Kittson

26. The Persuaders and Their Pills Elizabeth Pittman

31. Investigation: Ghost Mining Karen Stollznow Forum 36. Skepticism in Africa 50. Do mind & mental illnesses really exist? Leo Igwe Various

In the last issue we published an article that suggested 38. Dumb, Dumber & Really Dumb at the ABC they did not. Many readers disagreed and you can read Ken McLeod why in our Forum section.

Regular Items 4. Editorial — To Be a Skeptic 56. Letters Barry Williams 61. Notices 6. Around the Traps Bunyip Cover art by Richard Saunders Editorial

ISSN 0726-9897 Editor Barry Williams

Contributing Editors Tim Mendham To Be a Skeptic Steve Roberts

Technology Consultants Richard Saunders Eran Segev The prominent use of the word have good evidence of their own to Chief Investigator ‘sceptic/skeptic’ in the media, often support their conclusion. Ian Bryce in association with rather peculiar Personally I believe that the case ideas, has caused some to question for HIV causing AIDS has been All correspondence to: whether we should consider chang- established but as, like the majority Australian Skeptics Inc ing the name of our organisation. I of Skeptics, I have no qualifications PO Box 268 would argue that skepticism is a in medical or biological sciences, my Roseville NSW 2069 Australia very useful rational mental tool belief is not grounded in any deep (ABN 90 613 095 379 ) under any circumstance, even when understanding of the science in- the position one espouses is ulti- volved. It comes about for a variety Contact Details mately untenable; I would further of reasons; the mounting evidence in Tel: (02) 9417 2071 argue that skepticism is no less favour of the hypothesis, the ad- Fax: (02) 9417 7930 e-mails: [email protected] important when one’s views are vances made in treatment of the [email protected] strongly supported by the evidence. disease, but probably most power- One example of the use of ‘sceptic’ fully because I am more likely to Web Pages was in relation to a South Austral- favour the views of people whose Australian Skeptics ian court appeal by a man who had expertise I have come to respect (Sir www.skeptics.com.au No Answers in Genesis™ been convicted of wilfully infecting Gus Nossal, for instance), rather http://home.austarnet.com.au/stear/default.htm women with HIV/AIDS. The defence than people of whom I have never called two witnesses who asserted heard. That’s a natural reaction, but the Skeptic is a journal of fact and opinion, published that there was no evidence that HIV it’s not particularly skeptical. We all, four times per year by Australian Skeptics Inc. Views caused AIDS, or even that the virus even Skeptics, have our own preju- and opinions expressed in articles and letters in the existed — they were described in the dices. Skeptic are those of the authors, and are not necessar- ily those of Australian Skeptics Inc. Articles may be re- press (and by themselves) as “HIV We should, of course, be skeptical printed with permission and with due acknowledgement sceptics”. Arrayed against them was of accepting propositions based to the Skeptic. a battery of highly qualified experts purely on ‘consensus’, even if it is a consensus of the best minds in the Editorial consultants: who exposed their claims to critical scrutiny and who questioned their field at any moment. I have little Dr Stephen Basser (medicine) expertise. At press time the case has doubt that the consensus among Dr Trevor Case (psychology) Dr Richard Gordon (medicine) not been decided. physicists in the late 19th Century Dr Pete Griffith (biochemistry/microbiology) Dr William Grey (philosophy) It would not be at all surprising if would have been that “everything to Prof Colin Groves (anthropology) many of the things presently ‘known’ be discovered has been discovered”, Mr Martin Hadley (law) Dr Colin Keay (astronomy) about HIV and AIDS were later yet a few short years into the new Dr Mark Newbrook (linguistics) found to be in error, and one would century Max Planck, Albert Ein- Dr Andrew Parle (physics) Prof Ian Plimer (geology) expect that the scientists doing the stein, et al showed that the surface Dr Stephen Moston (psychology) Dr Alex Ritchie (palaeontology) research would apply the tool of of discovery had barely been Dr Steve Roberts (chemistry) skepticism to their own work, for scratched. Mr Roland Seidel (mathematics) that is the way science progresses. Closer to home, for much of the Branch correspondents: While the people who deny any latter half of the 20th Century the association between the virus and consensus about causes of stomach ACT: Dr Pete Griffith Gold Coast: Mr John Stear the disease are entitled to be skepti- and intestinal ulcers was that they Hunter: Dr Colin Keay cal that the connection has been were caused by stress, excessive acid Qld: Mr Bob Bruce SA: Mr Allan Lang established, they are not entitled to and other life style factors, and the Tas: Mr Fred Thornett conclude that there is no such disease was treated accordingly. Vic: Mr Ken Greatorex WA: Dr Geoffrey Dean association, at least unless they Barry Marshall and Robin Warren of

Page 4 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 Perth were skeptical of this consen- tion at large and the media, means Skeptics Around Australia sus and their long and detailed that there is a temptation to rely on research showed that the bacterium spin and hype to sell the message. Helicobacter pylori played a key role Regrettably this often results in New South Wales in the development of these ulcers. reputable scientists (and other Australian Skeptics Inc For their discovery they were experts) impugning the motives or PO Box 268, Roseville NSW 2069 awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize in questioning the bona fides of equally Tel: (02) 9417 2071 Fax: (02) 9417 7930 Medicine. reputable scientists who disagree [email protected] It would be a mistake, however, to with them on their conclusions. We Hunter Skeptics think that simply being skeptical of have all seen charges that scientists PO Box 166 , Waratah NSW 2298 the consensus is sufficient to have are ‘toeing the party line’ to ensure Tel: (02) 4957 8666. Fax: (02) 4952 6442 your ideas proven correct (they continuing funding, or being ‘in the didn’t all laugh at Galileo). In most pay of big oil’ to disparage the Victoria cases consensus opinions are closer findings. There might well be cases Australian Skeptics (Vic) Inc to the truth than those of their of each, but it is by no means univer- GPO Box 5166AA, Melbourne VIC 3001 critics, but in the end it is evidence sal on either side and we would do Tel: 1 800 666 996 that proves a scientific proposition, well to recognise that. [email protected] not popularity. That there are genuine scientific That brings us to a current major disagreements regarding many of Borderline Skeptics issue that goes under the broad the issues encompassed by this PO Box 17 , Mitta Mitta VIC 3701 Tel:(02)60723632 heading of ‘Climate Change’. This is whole debate should come as a [email protected] not a single problem at all, but a surprise to no one. Science hierarchy of highly complex and progresses precisely because differ- Queensland related issues, the solutions to which ent people have different perspec- Queensland Skeptics Assn Inc are not simply a matter for any tives, but we should also recognise PO Box 6454 , Fairfield Gardens QLD 4103 particular scientific discipline, nor that scientists, like everyone else, Tel (07) 3255 0499 even in some cases, for science at all. have their own prejudices and not [email protected] Partly this arises from the many and everything they do or think is various issues involved: ‘scientific’. In the end, as always, it Gold Coast Skeptics • Is the globe warming and if so, is the evidence, not the spin, that PO Box 8348, GCMC Bundall QLD 9726 by how much? will decides the case. Tel: (07) 5593 1882 Fax: (07) 5593 2776 [email protected] • Are human activities a (or the) Above all we should beware of major contributing factor? falling for any ‘One True Answer’; in ACT the past, that sort of thing has led to • What part do naturally occurring Canberra Skeptics the Inquisition, Auschwitz, the events, or cyclical factors play? PO Box 555, Civic Square ACT 2608 Gulag and equally horrible ‘Final (02) 6231 5406 or 6296 4555 • What are the short- and long- Solutions’. [email protected] term effects? In all it is safer by far to be a • What can be done about it? Skeptic. South Australia A vital and contentious topic, Skeptics SA PO Box 377 , Rundle Mall SA 5000 bound to affect us all, it involves Changes Tel: (08) 8272 5881 many experts in many different We hope you find the improvements [email protected] fields, so how can we lay people in the appearance of the Skeptic to know who is telling us the truth? your taste. We thank the many Western Australia None of us has the time, nor the subscribers who offered suggestions WA Skeptics desire, to become expert in all the for improvement, and in particular PO Box 431, Scarborough WA 6922 disparate disciplines necessary to our gratitude to Tim and Hilda Tel: (08) 9448 8458 understand the problems, let alone Mendham, Guy Burns, Richard [email protected] the solutions. As Skeptics, however, Saunders and, as always, Steve Tasmania we should all be able to recognise Roberts, all of whose professional specious arguments when they are Australian Skeptics in Tasmania expertise made the revamping task PO Box 582, North Hobart TAS 7002. presented, and there is no shortage more pleasant than it might have Tel: (03) 6234 4731 of them in this debate — on all sides. been. Please feel free to let us know [email protected] The very complexity of the prob- what you think. lems, together with the widespread Darwin Skeptics Contact lack of understanding of the proc- Tel: 08 89274533 esses of science in both the popula- Barry Williams [email protected]

the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 - Page 5 News and Views Around the Traps

Memo to all journalism schools ancestors stretching back to the very more than $80,000 in calls — paid first living organism that hatched in for from money she stole from her the primordial slime (or was cobbled employer. No person should be allowed to together by a busy deity one Thurs- She pleaded guilty to 12 charges graduate from your school until they day arvo in October 4004 BC). of theft and one count of false have learned the accurate meaning Your parents, grand parents, accounting that totalled more than of the word “ancestor”. great grandparents and an extraor- $157,000, from the company where The proximate cause of this dinary number of preceding greats, she was employed as an office diatribe was a front page article in were all your ancestors. Your chil- administrator responsible for ac- The Australian (March 12, headed dren, grandchildren, etc, are your counts and banking. “Feelings high at English bridge “descendants”. It is moot whether Although she had repaid some of claim”, by Peter Lalor. It concerned a some people (journalists, for in- the money, she was sentenced to two claim by an English engineering stance) should be allowed to have years’ jail, suspended for three firm that the final design for the any descendants, but descendants years, and put on a community- Sydney Harbour Bridge was com- are the ones who carry your genes based order with a condition that pleted by one of their engineers, into the future. she do 200 hours of unpaid work. Ralph Freeman, and not by the Dr J J C Bradfield was born in . Australian, Dr J J C Bradfield, as 1867 and died in 1943. The chance, popularly supposed (and celebrated therefore, of his having any living in a soft drink advertisement). ancestors is very remote indeed. Pop pill — pop off? That controversy aside, the article (Unless someone has really invented states, inter alia, “... in a move that a Time Machine, in which case all has angered Bradfield’s ancestors, It seems that those of us who have bets are off.) including his grandson Peter ...”. long thought the habit of taking This from a journalist and author excessive amounts of vitamins has a who has just published a book on the deleterious effect on the hip pocket, history of the Bridge. It is not clear Costly advice even if otherwise harmless, might whether Peter Lalor, journalist, is have erred on the side of optimism. related to Peter Lalor, leader of the If a report in The Journal of the Eureka miners, but it is a racing For those who are tempted to think American Medical Association, is certainty that the former is not an that irrational New Age beliefs are accurate, vitamin pills could be ancestor of the latter. simply harmless diversions, the doing more harm than good. This is by no means the first time recent case of a Melbourne woman Based on low-bias trials involving that we have noted this misuse of might be instructive. Allison Lunney more than 180,000 people, research the word; even Auntie ABC has been sought help for her serious marriage conducted by the Cochrane Collabo- guilty on more than one occasion. problems from a “psychic line”. ration found that supplements as a In life not many things are There she found sympathy and whole increased the death rate by 5 certain, but one thing that is, is that support, but it came at a price. The per cent — vitamin A by 16 per cent, every living thing (including journal- price was $5.50 a minute, and beta carotene by 7 per cent, and ists) has an unbroken string of because she was hooked, she ran up vitamin E by 4 per cent.

Page 6 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 The team concluded: Our findings then received many complaints from anomalies that some thought would contradict the findings of observa- parents who could not understand ‘prove’ the existence of assorted tional studies claiming that antioxi- why the eclipse viewing was held on paranormal effects. dants improve health. a school night that prevented Much of its work concentrated on They go on to say ... there are students from attending. They testing the ability to consciously several possible explanations. One is demanded to know why the eclipse influence the output of random that oxidative stress is not the cause was not held on the weekend when number generators. It later became of conditions such as heart disease their children could stay up late. Oh part of the Global Consciousness for which it has been blamed, but dear. Project and some claims were made may be a consequence of such condi- that major disasters, eg, 9/11, or the tions. Alternatively, by eliminating Boxing Day Tsunami, were presaged free radicals we may interfere with by ‘deviations from randomness’, essential defensive mechanisms. Voyance not so clair thereby indicating a ‘global con- But the team adds that they sciousness’. examined only the use of synthetic Those who read James Randi’s web However, like most research into vitamins, and their findings should site (www.randi.org) will be well the paranormal, the results were not be translated to fruit and vegeta- aware of the TV ‘clairvoyant’ Sylvia sketchy at best and now, after 28 bles. Browne. Browne, who makes much years of not finding very much at all, The British Heart Foundation, in of her alleged assistance to police the laboratory is to be closed. concert with Australian Skeptics, and relatives in missing person or urges people not to take supple- murder cases, has recently had more ments but to concentrate instead on exposure that she would have eating a healthy diet. wished. Unforeseen circumstances First there was the case of a young lad, Shawn Hornbeck, who Even less successful was the York went missing in 2002. A few months Psychic Museum, set up by well In short later, she told his parents that “he is known British astrologer Jonathan no longer with us” and described Cainer in 2003, which has shut due Recent media discussions of a where his body could be found. to unforeseen circumstances. It possible merger between the Catho- However, Shawn was found alive seems the Museum had been at- lic and Anglican churches led one and well a few weeks ago, living just tracting only around 100 people a newspaper letter writer to wonder if miles away from his home with a week, which is hardly sufficient to this would signal a recrudescence of man who has been charged with his keep the werewolf from the door. antidisestablishmentarianism. abduction. Cainer reckons he might be back Surely if this position was to be Further, Randi reports, in 2002, in business in a year or so, but resurrected it would be neoantidis- Browne told the daughters of Lynda according to the York Press he establishmentarianism? Then again, McClelland who had disappeared in cautioned: there could be those whose commit- 2000, that she was alive, that she’d If you are asking me for predictions ment to neoantidisestablishment- wandered off after having a nervous when exactly it will open up again, then arianism might only be a sham and breakdown, and she’d had been it is hard to say. Although I’m in the we should all beware of such taken to Orlando, Florida by a man prediction business, I don’t believe you pseudoneoantidisestablishmentarianissts, with the initials “M.J.” Subsequently can make predictions about things you as we should of the cryptoneoanti- it was learned that the woman had are close to. disestablishmentarianism of those been murdered the same day she’d Quite! who keep their allegiance to such disappeared and had been buried ideals secret. less than two miles from her home in Pennsylvania. Prima Donna Stargazing Pear-shaped Thanks to subscriber Dixie Lee, who sent us the latest “your guaranteed We can’t vouch for the accuracy of lottery numbers” offer from a psy- this story, but if it’s not true it Back in the late 1970s, Princeton chic who goes under the improbable should be. It is claimed that a South University set up the Princeton name of Marie Callas. We wonder if Carolina planetarium and a local Engineering Anomalies Research she also sings Tosca? astronomy club recently held a (PEAR) laboratory to study the viewing of a lunar eclipse on a effects of human consciousness on Thursday evening. The planetarium various physical processes — Bunyip

the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 - Page 7 Belief Challenging Beliefs

Changing firmly held beliefs is e’ve all done it: whenever we have told us to beware of sharp not as simple as it seems. Whave access to a group of knives in case we cut ourselves; as a students we inevitably end up result we believe sharp knives are passing around a questionnaire dangerous. We may test components asking them “do you believe in of this belief by seeing what happens ghosts?” (Anon, 1988a, b; Grey, 1988; when we pull the sharp edge of the Frasier, 1992a, b; Bridgstock, 2002). blade along our sister’s shoe. Wow — We then use the feedback to draw up it cuts the shoe! And that experience tables of figures, compare them to supports our belief that sharp other published polls of beliefs in knives are capable of cutting us. But weird fringes, and pronounce “What without the experience of actually a surprise!” — our sample is just like pushing the blade into our flesh it is everyone else’s. And lament the still a belief; a belief that may be sorry state of science education that true, or not. allows such a large number of unfounded beliefs to persist. Beliefs are not all equal If the education industry isn’t While our students have ticked those going to give young consumers the boxes telling us which paranormal science skills necessary to separate possibilities they believe in, the the wheat from the chaff, the pla- attitudes they have expressed will cebo effect from the pharmaceutical vary in strength (‘I definitely believe cures, it is a case for the Australian in faith healing, and maybe some Skeptics. But what are we going to UFOs are alien spacecraft’), in do about it? frequency (‘I don’t think a day passes This is the usual rhetoric. But without faith healing cropping up in hold fast there young feller. Let’s go conversation or at least my thoughts, back a step: What did that question- and I read an article on interpreting naire showing such large numbers UFOs once’), and whether they are of believers in pseudo-tripe really qualified (‘I think faith healing is tell us? great for most illnesses, though I Beliefs and knowledge have doubts about some of the pastors practising it’). A belief (or attitude) is something we Although these three characteris- hold to be true without actual tics of a belief are related, they do knowledge. If we experience the heat not necessarily always correlate Anthony Wheeler, a founding member of Qld of the gas flame by putting our hand highly. A strong belief in UFOs Skeptics, teaches science and maths classes in in it then we know flames are argued vehemently at social gather- Mackay in schools, TAFE and at CQU. painful. As a child our parents may ings may not be related to a highly

Page 8 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 frequent attitude; this belief may was not strong enough to produce skeptics whose strong anti-acupunc- only be expressed in the presence of the commensurate behaviour. ture views are already known. In challenging unbelievers who need to There are flaws in this study; other company, say in their work be converted, or by the occasional nevertheless the conclusion is that place tea room, they may not hesi- need to defend one’s own publicly- the belief held does not necessarily tate to endorse the practice. stated position. predict the behaviour observed. The most important attribute of Indeed belief is a poor predictor of Persuasion: Changing others’ beliefs attitude is its strength, and this in behaviour (the mean correlation in I’m sorry to say this but changing turn is affected by how important we 88 studies is 0.38, which on a scale others’ beliefs is a huge business in consider our attitude (‘sure I believe of ‘0’ to ‘1’ is pretty low). Australia and overseas. This is most in ghosts, but they don’t have any The lack of correlation between familiar as advertising. Whether effect on our world’), by how much of beliefs and behaviour is an impor- advertising for commercial products a vested interest we have in it (‘I tant point. Just because you approve (magnetic energy polarisers to purify spent $18,000 last year on a ‘ghost of chiropractors being reimbursed by your tap water), or services (thou- hunting’ holiday; of course I believe medical insurers does not necessar- sands of customers have enjoyed the in ghosts’), and by how much we ily mean you will seek one for benefits of chiropractic treatment – know about it (‘I must have a dozen treatment. I’ll emphasise this point why not you?), political parties (vote books and hundreds of catalogued with another example. ‘green’ for more biodiversity), or to articles on ghosts’). There is growing acceptance of change attitudes (grow native plants So one person’s belief in ghosts the reality of global warming, and in your garden and you too can have may be very weak; for them ghosts the consequent serious possibility of weird children running around in are not important, they have in- sea levels rising. Nevertheless, the funny fairy costumes) — changing vested little money in supporting price of houses in our major cities others’ beliefs is common practice in their belief, and know very little continues to rise, even though most our society. about it. But for another respondent major cities in the world are on Changing the beliefs of others, or ticking the same, single box in our rivers and coastal harbours within a ‘persuasion’, consists of four ele- survey, their belief in ghosts may be few metres of sea level. And although ments: the source, message, channel very important to them, buttressed the UK spent one thousand million and receiver. by a great investment of money, time pounds on a barrage across the The source is usually the person and effort, and based upon a consid- River Thames to prevent London trying to persuade others. Often, as erable knowledge of the subject. In flooding from this, and other, rea- in advertising, a surrogate is used. our survey both of these ticks would sons, London is still a popular and Persuasion is most effective when be counted the same as equivalent expensive place to live. the apparent source has high cred- believers. The biggest reason for the lack of correlation between beliefs and ibility with the audience due to their Beliefs and behaviour behaviour is the need to take into expertise, trustworthiness and likeability. Not all beliefs necessarily produce account the strength of the belief: • Expertise is enhanced by consequent behaviours (‘Sure I the stronger the belief, the greater listing your degrees, your training, believe in ghosts, but it’s not a factor the correlation with behaviour. etc. Hence many alternative health when choosing a house to buy). And Asking students whether they this is where surveys of students ‘believe in telepathy a little bit/ practitioners call themselves ‘Dr’ most often fall down mighty heavily. strongly/very strongly’ is a crude and list their qualifications. ‘Crea- A classic demonstration of the lack estimate of the strength of their tion scientists’ are the masters of of correlation between beliefs and belief. A better question would focus creating apparent expertise: Dr behaviours comes from the 1930s in on their behaviour: ‘Would you buy a Wilder Smith with his ‘three earned the USA when prejudice against telepathy-blocking device to keep doctorates’ is a classic. (Rarely asked Asians was common. A Chinese your thoughts private?’ is the question: Why would anyone couple travelled across the continent, A second reason for the lack of bother to earn three doctorate dining out along the way. Of 184 correlation is the context, the degrees? Haven’t they got a profes- restaurants patronised not one situation, in which the behaviour is sional life to get on with? Einstein turned the Chinese couple away. But looked for. Most important here is never even had one earned doctor- when surveyed by post six months the subject’s perception of how ate, and he didn’t do too badly in the later 90% of those restaurants others expect them to behave. A high-achievement/change-the-way- replying said they would not serve client of an acupuncturist is hardly the-world-thinks department!) The Chinese customers. Hence although like to voice support for this whole ‘debate’ thing with creation prejudice in this case was common, it pseudomedicine in a meeting of science vs evolution is all about the

the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 - Page 9 Challenging Beliefs creation scientists attaining appar- just one, to use all our possible isolate just one channel, since ent expertise and hence credibility. arguments or just the strongest, to personal contact will be more effec- • Trustworthiness can be adopt a low key and logical presen- tive if the recipient is already demonstrated by referring to your tation or an emotional attack, to familiar with at least the name from number of clients or subscribers make one clear statement of our other channels like billboards. (‘thousands have benefited already position or repeated assertions? Characteristics of the receiver — join them in having your aura Mentioning that there are two also affect persuadability. Forewarn- massaged today’), and is enhanced sides to an argument, if not devoting ing the receiver and the receiver’s when the source is impartial (‘inde- some time to the opposing argu- initial attitude are more important pendent tests have shown that ments, will enhance your credibility. factors than the receivers’ personal- Bowen Therapy cures more head- Television ‘documentaries’ on ity or intelligence. aches than aspirin’ — the fact that Atlantis often very effectively devote Forewarning that persuasion will aspirin doesn’t claim to cure any a little time to critics; not much time occur tends to reduce resistance, as headaches is irrelevant to the Bowen certainly, but some. This enhances in entering a shop you know the Therapists). I think the creation their credibility and authority. salesman will try to make a sale. So scientists’ infamous The Quote Book Concentrating on your strongest advertising a meeting as presenting had some effect in making them arguments may be the best strategy the case for scepticism about ghostly appear more trustworthy than their since adding weaker arguments hauntings may result in more of the ground-shifting equivocal evolution- often raises doubts in the listener. audience being persuaded that ist opponents. Atlantis theorists again rarely waste maybe ‘ghosts’ are not the best • Likeability of the source is time on the detailed points; just explanation for the observed phe- often important, and includes sticking with the main message nomena. physical attractiveness (Bob Hawke works. Existing conflicting attitudes v John Howard?) and similarity (car Many campaigns are based on strongly held are hardest to change, salesmen will often identify some scares and fear: anti-nuclear power, especially where they mesh with point they have in common with the anti-smoking, and even deodorants other similar attitudes that would customer). Again, the creation (fear of embarrassment) often use also need revision. scientists come over as far more scare and fear. Anti-recycled water Attitude formation and change likeable: less academic and more on fears, not arguments, recently the audience’s level. And hopefully defeated a referendum in Changing others’ attitudes is big the evolutionist will get so frus- Toowoomba. And effectively arousing business as I have already said, and trated they will lose their temper, fear in listeners and readers works as such has been studied widely and which will boost the reasonable, when the consequences are por- in depth. There are several main conciliatory creation scientist’s trayed as serious, unpleasant, theories of how attitudes can be likeability even more. probable and avoidable. changed. Most businesses use a proxy Repetition is a most effective Learning Theory appears in three source, a spokesperson. Have you strategy, making a statement appear guises: In classical conditioning (as ever seen the chief executive officer more valid. Repeat your message in Pavlov’s dogs) a product is linked of Telstra advertising telecommuni- often enough, and some will believe to pleasant emotional responses. cation services? Instead they use it. This is part of the reason belief in Pavlov linked the ring of a bell to anonymous actors. Pele, the abso- UFOs is so common, the message food, and pretty soon the dogs would lutely great footballer, is a huge that UFOs exist is repeated so much salivate whenever they heard the bonus to impotency programmes. in movies (Crop Circles, Independ- bell ring. Sex works for many (drink Gordon Jackson, the butler from the ence Day, Mars Attacks!, Star Trek, a certain flavoured milk and young popular TV series Upstairs, Down- ET, Signs), TV documentaries, ladies wearing very little will stairs was the proxy source in magazine articles, and so on that surround you), while in other in- advertisements for a building society consumers start to believe it may be stances likeable actors (use a certain in the UK for some time in the true. Likewise astrology and ghosts. brand of hair dye and you will be as 1970s, until the advertising stand- Channel options include making beautiful and successful as Andie ards agency ruled that he was too use of personal contact, or via MacDowell), and cherished events trustworthy, too credible, and television or radio. Direct mail, mail like the Olympics (buy my photo- required the advertising campaign drops, emails, audio-tapes and copier and you will be part of a to be abandoned. billboards are among many other worldwide team) may be used. When considering the message options. Most new subscribers to the Operant Conditioning works factors we must decide whether to Skeptic , I suspect, are introduced by when we express our attitude, and present all sides of the argument or personal contact. But it is hard to the agreement of others reinforces

Page 10 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 our attitude (and disagreement task really was. Common sense and people’s need for their attitudes to punishes us, weakening the strength Learning Theory predicts the $120 be consistent, producing results that of our attitude). This comfort we group of subjects would say it really are less reliable and harder to gain from others agreeing with our was more fun. However, the results predict. I wonder if sceptics have a attitude crops up repeatedly, and is were as predicted by Dissonance greater need for their attitudes to be why peers put pressure on noncon- Theory: the $5 group claimed to consistent than non-sceptics? formists (I’ve just seen a television have had more fun. Effort Justification Theory is advertisement for an ice-cream The reason given was that the similar: your opinion of an experi- based on mocking this truism by $120 group had good reason for ence is affected by the effort you reversing it). Operant conditioning lying (the $120 bribe); the $120 made to participate. After waiting a is why smokers pressure nonsmok- being a good reason for behaving long time to enter a restaurant you ers to join them in their habit. We contrary to their true attitude. With will have a higher opinion of the all need others to agree with us; and such a good reason for lying little meal — how else can you justify when they do our own attitudes are dissonance (being bored contradict- having endured the long wait? (The reinforced. wait to be served at Scaloppini’s is Observational Conditioning, or terrible, and the prices are huge — peer pressure, occurs when you but the food is absolutely divine! adopt attitudes that you hear The wonderful food makes the wait expressed by others, which explains Repetition is a and the service all worthwhile.) why so many attitudes often are No wonder we have such a poor similar within families; opinion of fast food, despite the fact particularly political when they are most effective we keep buying it: if the experience strong enough to be a regular involves little effort and little cost feature of family conversation. then it cannot be worth that much. Hence teachers, coaches, and strategy ... Hence we must have a poor opinion celebrities have an effect when they of the food. voice their attitudes; and hence the Maybe we should make the opposition to homosexual teachers Repeat your Skeptic much harder for readers to for fear they will influence the obtain so that they appreciate children they teach. receiving it more? Such observational conditioning message often Self-Perception Theory was has been found to be an important proposed as a better explanation factor in juries reaching their than Dissonance Theory in explain- unanimous decision: it is more enough, and some ing why people believe their own important to some jurors to agree lies. The basis is the inference of with others than to be correct. And your attitude from your behaviour. their agreement feeds back to will believe it. According to Self-Perception Theory, reinforce the beliefs of others $5 is not enough of a bribe to make (operant conditioning). me lie, so if I am saying that the Dissonance Theory, an alterna- task was fun I must really have tive to learning theory, predicts ing the fun they said they had had) found the task more fun than I that when one person holds several had been created. However the $5 realised at the time. (Why would one attitudes that conflict with each group had had little reason to group find a boring task more fun other, creating psychological dis- behave inconsistently ($5 was not than another based on a later bribe comfort, one or more of these much of a bribe to lie about the fun- to say they found it fun?) Like existing attitudes are likely to level), and experienced high disso- dissonance theory Self-Perception changed to reduce the dissonance, nance (saying a dull task was fun). Theory suggests “If I said it, it must the discomfort. They reduced this dissonance when be true”, but for different reasons. A key experiment involved questioned afterwards by revising Subsequent studies suggest that subjects performing a dull task. their true opinion on the task to one Self-Perception Theory is most Afterwards they were asked to tell a that was less dull/more fun. Their applicable when subjects do not have third person that the task was fun. saying that the task really was fun well-defined attitudes on the issue, To lie. Half of the subjects were paid did not create dissonance with and so supplements Dissonance $5 to do so, the other half were paid paucity of the bribe. Theory rather than replaces it. This $120. Afterwards the subjects were The biggest problem with Disso- may be important to swinging questioned as to how dull/fun the nance Theory is the variation in voters: if we could get the ‘unde-

the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 - Page 11 Challenging Beliefs cided’ to repeat “Psychic healing is scientific paranormal nonsense (as web sites, blogs, e-mails, movies, utter nonsense” twenty times before defined by our beliefs) maybe we radio, postal fliers and imaginative bed each night, Self-Perception should: crop circles. Theory predicts that some will adopt • Measure beliefs in a support- • The message should be in the attitude that psychic healing is ive context, that encourage respond- multiple forms: carefully reasoned utter nonsense. ents to reveal their true attitudes. and thoroughly explained for our The Elaboration Likelihood Model • Focus only on frequent and intellectual targets, and strongly presents two routes to persuasion: unqualified beliefs that are strong emotive with a soundtrack and the central route occurs when the enough to result in behaviours (like celebrities for those less literate. subject carefully ponders the content actually buying ‘liver detoxification’ • Priming the receiver (this and logic of the message. The products rather than just saying series will change your beliefs for peripheral route is taken when non- they sound like a good idea). ever!) and suggesting support from message factors like likeability and • Focus on beliefs whose other beliefs (if you believe in UFOs, credibility are influential. strength comes from their being you must believe The Masked So evolutionists approach Crea- considered important, that believers Skeptic!). tion-Evolution debates believing the have a vested interest in, and that • Adopt peer pressure by central route, a carefully reasoned they are knowledgeable about. showing thousands of wildly-cheer- explanation, will suffice. While In persuading our target audience to ing supporters agreeing with us. politicians frame their television change their beliefs: • And (my own contribution)… advertisements to exploit the periph- • Use a source with high lots of exclamation points and eral route. Politicians’ focus on the credibility due to their expertise (put Capital Letters! (If it works so well peripheral route is demonstrated by some books on a shelf in the back- for them, why shouldn’t we make the ALP’s current (2007) effort to ground), trustworthiness (a deep use of it?) increase their credibility on eco- voice and a sincere expression, ex- nomic issues newsreaders preferred), and A politician campaigning with likeability (female celebrities wear- carefully researched papers thought- ing not very much, or male celebri- fully analysing complex issues, ties in dinner suits). References printed for voters to read, is taking • Use a message that contains: the central route (Australian politi- All sides to an argument (UFOs are cians certainly do this in their policy often Venus, or meteorites, or low- Anon (1988a), “Survey on belief in documents). Another candidate flying ‘planes, or reflections), or only the paranormal”, the Skeptic, Spring investing in bands, flag-waving, our strongest arguments (most 1988, vol 8, no 3, p 5. emotional slogans and celebrity UFOs are Venus), depending on how Anon (1988b), “Australia’s credulity endorsements (sounds like the likely our targets are to be swayed rating: bad or worse?”, the Skeptic, American political rallies I have by apparent doubt; makes use of Summer 1988, vol 8, no 4, p 35. seen reported) is taking the periph- scares and fear (can you get AIDS Bridgstock, M. (2002), “Paranormal eral route. The former central route from acupuncture needles?, and has beliefs among science students”, the is likely to result in a more enduring anyone seriously studied the side- Skeptic, Autumn 2002, vol 23, no 1, change in attitude, but relies on effects of aromatherapy shampoos?); pp 6-10. voters thinking about the message is repetitive [are we ready for a Frasier, K. (1992a), “Who believes in subsequently. The former is also sceptical TV series (SSI – Sceptical astrology and why? Surveys give more likely to produce a change in Scene Investigator, coming to a some surprising insights”, Skeptical attitude that drives a commensurate channel near you!), a major movie Inquirer, Summer, vol 16, no 4, pp change in behaviour. The latter (SSI the Movie – the search for 344-347. peripheral route may produce only a Atlantis) with possible sequels (SSI temporary attitude, but as long as it 27 newly released!), a tie-in maga- Kendrick Frazier (1992b), “NAS lasts the journey to the ballot box, zine (SSI Weekly), comics (Can scientists highly skeptical about ESP that is all that counts. Super-Skeptic save the world in just and PK, survey reveals”, Skeptical Inquirer, Spring, vol 16, no 3, pp 230- Conclusion one episode?), and well-placed leaks to newspapers (will Madame Ovary 233. So not all beliefs are equal, and fool the SSI team, or is she just a Grey, W. (1988), “Paranormal belief existing beliefs can be changed. love interest for Ben?)]; and send our in Australia; a national survey”, the If we are to change the attitudes message out over multiple channels: Skeptic, Winter 1988, vol 8, no 2, pp of those that believe in pseudo- billboards, newspapers, magazines, 18-22.

Page 12 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 Pseudoscience

SMS = Stupid Message Services

Demonstrating that correlation Prime time current affairs shows Name Compatibility SMS services does not equal causation are often a source of annoyance to skeptics, especially when they In doing a little internet-based report uncritically on whacky research for this article, I discovered claims by psychics and pseudo- that there are lots of businesses that scientists. However, I must admit I are willing to take people’s money in occasionally find myself cheering exchange for an SMS text message on these shows when they expose concerning romantic compatibility. scams. Many of these businesses are oper- A recent example of current ated by people claiming psychic affairs television exposing a scam powers. However, there is one was in airing the claims of particular ‘service’ I would like to anonymous insiders from an SMS talk about in some detail because its chat service. The chat service was late-night advertising raised my advertised on late-night TV as hackles and those of some of my putting real single men and women undergraduate psychology students in touch with each other to flirt, at the University of Western Sydney with the implied possibility of (UWS). meeting. However, the insider Some people may have seen the revealed that her job was to answer late-night ads I’m talking about, SMS text messages, via computer, they went something like this in such a way as to string “Numerologists and psychologists customers along to reply (at a cost agree that names play an important of around $5 per message to the role in love, compatibility, and the unsuspecting customer). In doing success of relationships”. The ads this, she was ‘flirting’ with around then went on to show something like 20 different men at once using 20 someone texting two names to the different names. service and receiving a reply that But, dating and flirting are not gave a percentage score to indicate the only SMS games in town. SMS their compatibility (eg, 86%). Like now seems to be the medium of many such SMS services, the prices choice for, among other things, per message were not what I’d call mediums — as well as psychics, cheap. astrologers, and numerologists. A student drew this to my atten- There are two SMS services that tion on a university internet discus- have recently appeared that I think sion board, saying ‘I don’t think I Guy Curtis is a Lecturer in Psychology at the should worry skeptics: Name have ever heard of research in University of Western Sydney and will be a first- compatibility ratings and daily psychology where they have said time dad any day now. horoscopes. that Bobs and Janes go really well

the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 - Page 13 Stupid Message Service together and will have a successful may have got something right, or ing that an individual is more likely relationship! Does it bug anyone psychologists got something wrong. [than expected by chance] to marry a else? I think it’s interesting that this Yet this is what the name compat- similarly-named person (Jones et al, pseudoscience is being flaunted as ibility SMS ad did. To paraphrase a 2004). More specifically, an archival psychology. — Beth’. As you can see, common movie disclaimer: any analysis of marriage records found that she particularly took issue at the similarity between any psychological before they got married, significantly incredible claims made by these ads and numerological theories is purely more couples (than expected), share the being publicly linked to psychology coincidental. However, to be fair, the first initial of their surname, share the and psychologists. I had to agree. student’s comment that she was complete surname, or had similar first Like most academic disciplines, unaware of research linking names names (eg, Carl and Carla). This psychology had some undeniably to compatibility does not mean that American study did offer alternative unscientific beginnings. In the early no such research exists. explanations such as proximity, that by days of psychology, unscientific being grouped together in an educa- psychoanalytic ideas were main- Compatibility research tional setting like sharing a homeroom stream. Nowadays psychology There is actually some very interest- in high school (which is segregated by students get taught about Freud in ing name and compatibility re- surnames), would affect how often peo- the same way that medical students search. What I find most interesting ple of similar names saw each other; get taught about blood-letting and is that people have a preference for ultimately affecting the interpersonal the four humours (out of historical other people with similar names. For relationship. This alternative, however, curiosity, and perhaps as a caution- example, people are more likely to is discounted when Texas data revealed ary example). Psychology now marry someone with the same first a larger surname effect for couples born defines itself as the scientific study initials as themselves than you’d several years apart (Jones et al, 2004). of human behaviour and mental expect by chance (Jones, Pelham, Age disparity means the couples would processes. In doing this, it uses Carvallo, & Mirenberg, 2004). Last have attended different grades, there- scientific methods of experimenta- year I was invited to two weddings: fore different homerooms. The latter tion; systematically and objectively Nadine and Nigel was one, Maria study also accounted for possible eth- testing theories against evidence. and Michael was the other. However, nic matching by examining a Latino By contrast with psychology, the trends observed in marriage population and still finding a signifi- numerology is not a science. True records are not strong — and the cant first-initial matching effect. enough, people devised counting and next three weddings I’m invited to Several experiments suggest a relation- arithmetic to describe nature — it’s are Vanessa and Gavin, George and ship between implicit egotism and life helpful for a shepherd to know how Maree, and Meredith and Dion. My decisions, like where one chooses to live many sheep they had yesterday, and honours student last year (Sylvia or one’s chosen occupation. For exam- how many they have today. How- Kocan) did an interesting study ple, people named Denise or Dennis are ever, it is also true that if you play where she found that this ‘name- over represented among dentists with numbers enough you’ll find letter-preference effect’ may be (Pelham et al, 2002). Furthermore, a seemingly meaningful, but coinci- explained by most people having disproportionate amount of people dental, patterns. Numerology high self-esteem, which leads them share first or last name letters with the attempts to predict personality and to prefer objects and other people name of the place they live in (eg, more the future from numbers derived with associations to themselves. Penny’s than expected, live in Pennsyl- from people’s names and birthdays. Psychology research has consistently vania) (Pelham et al, 2002). Yet, there doesn’t seem to be any shown that the evidence favours the viable underlying theory to explain conventional wisdom: ‘birds of a When the student named Beth why this should work and no reliable feather flock together’, but not the commented that there’s no research evidence that it works (Carroll, conventional wisdom: ‘opposites showing that ‘Bobs and Janes’ going 2007). Moreover, numerology has no attract’ (Cialdini, 1993). People tend well together, as far as I know she way of distinguishing accidental and to be more similar to their partners was right — in that there’s no meaningful numerical patters from than to a randomly-chosen stranger research that’s quite so specific each other (Stewart, 1995). in age, education, values, ethnicity, about particular names. However, Numerologists and psychologists socio-economic status, attitudes, and there are reasons to believe that most likely agree, for the same many other characteristics. So a ‘Bobs and Janes’ may go well to- reasons, that food, air, and water are preference for similar names gether (rather than quickly tire of vital for survival. However, anyone shouldn’t be entirely unexpected. each other). Afte r all, couples do saying that psychologists and Here’s a quote from my honours tend to be of the same cultural or numerologist agree on anything students’ literature review: ethnic background more often than about human behaviour is simply implicit egotism [liking one’s self with- you’d expect if people in the world saying that, through pure chance, or out being aware of it] plays a part in were paired at random. As such, perhaps blind luck, numerologists interpersonal attraction, with a find- you’d expect there’d be more couples

Page 14 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 named ‘Bob and Jane’ than ‘Bob and Considering all this name and and IQ, are significantly, but weakly, Wei’ or ‘Ahmed and Jane’. compatibility research, we have to positively correlated. That is, taller The SMS service’s advertising ask a few questions, the first one is: people tend to be smarter. However, said that it would rate couple’s where is the causality? Most of the there are many problems. First, potential success. If success is research I have quoted is correla- males and females don’t differ in defined by longevity of relationships, tional. But, just because certain average IQ, even though men are on then research linking names to this phenomena go together, it does not average taller than women. Second, seems to be missing entirely. So mean that one causes the other. Not individual differences are so great perhaps we should consider whether to put too fine a point on it, you that with any randomly-chosen pair a pairing of ‘Bob and Jane’ would be aren’t going to make your child rich of people the chance of the taller one more economically successful than by naming him Bill Gates. And, if being smarter is barely above 50%. other couples. you’re parent to a Charles, do you Finally, the predictive power of this Well, psychology research has need to find him a Camilla as his weak correlation is so small that it’s found that people have more positive future wife to ensure his happiness? useless in a practical sense. For connotations about conventional If you had a potential romantic example, if you had someone of names than unusual (or unusually couple where one person is aged 80 average height and IQ (average IQ is spelled) names (Garwood et al, 1980; years and another is aged 20, you 100) and you wanted to raise their Mehrabian & Piercy, 1993). These could fairly safely guess that there IQ to 130 (gifted level) you’d need to name connotations may effect how will be some serious incompatibility find a way to make them 14 feet tall people are treated by others, so in relation to physical health, life (Cohen, 1994) — maybe a medieval ‘Jane’ may prosper in situations experience, values, and education. rack? where her evaluation by other However, the numbers 80 and 20 are The research I’ve talked about people matters (eg, job interviews) not, in themselves, the cause of any shows minor trends over large more than someone named ‘Jaiynn’ incompatibility; they are an arbi- samples of people. Most couples or ‘Apple’ (apologies to Gwyneth trary labelling of age. have mismatched names, but having Paltrow). Similarly, you may find that even a few percent more than would people are more likely to be called be expected by chance of couples Correlation or cause? Bob or Jane because they are raised with matched names (or initials) In addition, an economist has in households with similar values, could cause a significant result in a recently found that some names are socioeconomic-status, ethnicity, etc. large sample. But can you really associated with socioeconomic The names themselves may not predict a perfect partner from that? status, particularly, in the US ‘white’ cause compatibility, but the similar Furthermore, trends from large names. Even controlling for most backgrounds that led to the selection studies don’t fully account for other variables African Americans of those names by the couple’s individual differences. Jane would with ‘white’ names (like Bob) do parents may have an impact. Thus, better off dating a nice man named better economically than those with even if names could in some way Xyilote than a complete bastard ‘black’ names (like LeShawn) — predict compatibility, they may not called Bob. As such, my opinion as a explicit and subtle societal preju- be the cause of it. psychology academic is that you dices no doubt play a role in this Next, we need to ask whether we could not possibly make accurate phenomenon (Levitt & Dubner, can generalize from the research to percentage compatibility estimates 2005). the wider population. The studies of (with very fine distinctions of one or In the US, Caucasian people do conventional and unconventional two percent) if you were simply better economically than people from names, for example, involved people given two names and you had no rating names on a questionnaire in a other details about the people most other ethnic groups — Jane 1 and Bob are Caucasian names. As laboratory, would it really apply to whatsoever. such, if we really stretch our as- real life? To sum up the name compatibility SMS concept: I don’t think that the sumptions (after all, some Jane’s are Effect size not Caucasian, and a Caucasian psychological research is sufficiently Jane could move to India, where her From there, we’d have to ask how clear to give an exact percentage name would be uncommon) we big is the effect? The correlation estimate of compatibility for two might guess that ‘Bob and Jane’ may between height and IQ, provides an people based solely on their names. have a better chance than some easy example of where an effect that As such, I think that the ad for the other people in some cultures of is statistically significant in a large being an affluent couple. However, group of people is next to meaning- 1. Nonetheless, if the people promoting this service you’d be very hard pressed to put a less for making predictions about would like to share any research they’ve used to percentage number on this, let alone individuals. Large scale studies devise their compatibility ratings with readers of one that would allow for individual (often with more than 10,000 people the Skeptic then I hope the editor would differences. in them) have shown that height accommodate them.

the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 - Page 15 Stupid Message Service particular SMS service that claimed there are two main ones worth A second reason why people numerologists and psychologists mentioning. First, people tend to believe astrological predictions and agree that names are important for remember the ‘hits’ and ignore the profiles is related to the first: we are predicting compatibility has misrep- ‘misses’. That is, they remember biased in what we count as a ‘hit’. resented psychology. With this in when something comes true but not Because people tend to have positive mind, I wrote the following email to when a prediction that was made self-esteem, we tend to believe nice the peak professional body for never eventuates (Gilovich, 1991). things that are said about us (albeit antipodean psychologists: Thus, an astrological prediction that that there’s a limit to our gullibility The Australian Psychological Society comes true is seen as supporting — see Cialdini, 1993). Horoscopes (APS). astrology, but failures aren’t recalled. tend to say nice things about us — Humans are very much like other we are caring, worthy, nice, special, Sent: Sunday, 26 November 2006 4:01 animals in this respect, we pay smart people — which, of course, we PM attention to things that happen believe (Hamilton, 2001). To: ‘[email protected]’ much more than things that don’t. In addition, horoscopes are Perhaps this is why you can train a sufficiently vague, and people are Subject: fraudulent advertising pigeon to peck a button that lights sufficiently good at finding meaning, I just saw an ad on TV for a service up in order to get food, but, no that there’s sure to be a ‘hit’ some- that sends a compatibility rating (ex- matter how much you try, you can’t where to be found if you’re looking pressed as a percentage) via sms to peo- get a pigeon to peck a button that for one. Often, astrological personal- ple who send in their own name and fails to light up in order to get food ity profiles will describe people with that of their partner. This ad claims (Gilbert, 2006). one-size-fits all descriptions such as: that ‘numerologists and psychologists Because people tend to not notice ‘Sometimes you are outgoing and agree’ that names indicate compatibil- what’s missing, I’d bet that most sociable, while at other times you ity. This sms service is charging high people haven’t considered that are cautious and reserved’. If you prices per message for a service that astrology is generally absent from look carefully, you’ll see that this seems to have no basis in fact. I find it places where is should be if it did, in description could be taken as a ‘hit’ particularly disturbing that this ‘serv- fact, work. What I mean, is that if for people with either introverted or ice’ seems to be associating itself with astrology predicts personality and extroverted personalities. endorsement from psychologists. I think the future, you’d see it employed the APS need to make a public state- everywhere, but you don’t; and, the Truisms ment disavowing this service and a fact it isn’t there would most likely Sometimes horoscopes don’t even complaint to the advertising standards go unnoticed by most people. need to rely on the normal workings and/or fair trading authorities. Here are some concrete examples. of human psychology to make If astrology accurately predicted Guy predictions appear true. Instead, personality we would see it used by At the time of writing this article, they use truisms as if they were Human Resources professionals in predictions. As a teenager I distinctly I have had exactly no reply from the recruitment and selection for jobs. If APS to my comments, and I could recall reading a newspaper horoscope astrology predicted the financial that said: ‘some people with disagree not locate a media release on their future we would see it widely em- website about this issue. Still, I have with your controversial ideas.’ Of ployed by stockbrokers to predict the course, no one would disagree with not seen the ad on TV in the last markets. If astrology predicted the month, but I suspect that this is not your uncontroversial ones. future of human behaviour opinion As for the evidence concerning a result of my email to the APS. In pollsters and market researchers astrology’s claims, I’d like to direct the mean time, a new SMS scourge would be out of a job — or would readers to a previous article I has beset TV advertising in its place, change their methods to use astrol- contributed to the Skeptic for a brief that worn old chestnut: astrology. ogy. We, and typical astrology summary (see Curtis, 2004). In that Daily Horoscope SMSs believers, usually don’t notice any of article I pointed to a range of evi- these absences of astrology from dence contradicting, or not support- First-time readers of the Skeptic daily life. Not noticing what isn’t ing, the claims of astrology. As an may be unaware of some of the there is a normal part of human example, a recent study showed that reasons why astrological predictions psychological functioning (Gilbert, 2,101 people born less than 5 min- and personality profiles seem to 2006), so none of us should feel bad utes apart on average did not work, and some of the evidence from about it. However, now that I’ve display the similarities in behaviour scientific research into astrology. drawn this to your attention, you and personality predicted by astrol- Now is as good a time as any for a should notice that these vital ab- ogy (Dean & Kelly, 2003). quick summary. sences of astrology from daily life Now, back to the SMSs. Recently, The reasons why astrology seems fail to recommend it as a useful I have seen two different TV ads for to work are many and varied, but pursuit. daily astrology/horoscope subscrip-

Page 16 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 tion SMS services. One of these was minute ($330/hour), which would be astrologers accompany their adver- for a gentleman named Milton Black a good hourly rate for a lawyer. I’d tising, in small print, with a dis- — I did not get the details of the like to invite readers to compare this claimer: ‘for entertainment purposes other. The website of Milton Black rate with the $75/hour that Medi- only.’4 (who claims to be Australia’s leading care rebates for the services of a This, I think, signals to consumers astrologer and psychic) offers SMS psychologist with 6-years of formal that these services are not to be astrology, numerology, and compat- training and government-accredited taken seriously, and are probably ibility ratings. He offers this service professional registration. Kulkens’s not reliable. I am not sure whether free for the first 5 days and at a rate and Black’s SMS services seem to be the typical US disclaimer is imposed of $5 per 5-days thereafter. In the tip of the iceberg, as it is fairly by law, whether it is pre-empting considering these charges, readers easy to find other instant or sub- legal liability, or whether it is the should keep in mind that this is for scription SMS horoscope services on- result of a previously successful an on-going subscription that users line or in the phonebook. liability claims. Regardless, I’d must cancel if they wish to discon- As I said, there seem to be more definitely like to see something tinue receiving, and paying for, objective reasons to doubt astrology similar used in Australia for messages. than to believe that it makes true pseudoscientific enterprise like SMS I tried to take up Milton Black’s observations about the world. As name-compatibility ratings and free offer so that I could report on such, it seems an awful shame that astrological predictions. the content of the SMSs. However, it such expensive products appear to be seems that my mobile phone is both unregulated and without any incompatible with his service. This kind of warnings about their efficacy. phenomenon was mysteriously 4. Struck and White’s excellent writing guide The similar to the way Uri Geller’s Conclusion Elements of Style points out that the word ‘purposes’ powers abandon him in the mere In the United States, people adver- is probably redundant in a context such as this. I’d presence of skeptics, and is perhaps tising their services as psychics or argue that the word ‘entertainment’ is too. worthy of investigation in itself. As such, I can’t tell you whether Milton Black’s SMS horoscopes are bril- liantly insightful and precise, or whether they are like all the other References astrological predictions made thus far in recorded history. Other read- Carroll, R. T. (2007). www.skepdic.com/ astrologically derived personality ers are free (at least for the first 5 numerology.html descriptions on acceptance of astrology. Personality and Individual Differences, 31, days) to try this for themselves. Cialdini, R. B. (1993). Influence: Science 895-902. Milton Black’s SMS service is an and practice. (3rd ed.) New York: example of an on-going subscription HarperCollins. Jones, J. T., Pelham, B. W., Carvallo, M., & Mirenberg, M. C. (2004). How do I love service. Other astrologers offer SMS Cohen, J. (1994). The Earth is round astrology profiles and predictions on- (p<.05). American Psychologist, 49, 997- thee? Let me count the Js: Implicit egotism demand, which means that people 1003. and interpersonal attraction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87, 665- could rack up bigger bills more Curtis, G. (2004). Newspaper horoscopes: 683. quickly. For example, on the website Who wants them? the Skeptic, 24:2, 50-53. 2 Levitt S. D. & Dubner, S. J. (2005). of Kerry Kulkens (who claims to be Dean, G., & Kelly, I. W. (2003). Is astrology Freakonomics: A rogue economist explores Australia’s best-known psychic relevant to consciousness and psi? Journal 3 the hidden side of everything. Camberwell, astrologer) there are 28 different of Consciousness Studies, 10, 175-198. Vic: Allen Lane. SMS services from which people can Garwood, S. G., Cox, L., Kaplan. V., obtain astrology and other ‘read- Wasserman, N., & Sulzer, J. L. (1980). Mehrabian, A., & Piercy, M. (1993). ings’. Beauty is only “name” deep: The effect of Positive or negative connotations of All SMSs are charged at $4 for first-name on ratings of physical conventionally and unconventionally each sent and received. Her 1900 attraction. Journal of Applied Social spelled names. Journal of Social voice number charges $5.50 per Psychology, 10, 431-435. Psychology, 133, 445-451. Gilbert, T. D. (2006). Stumbling on Pelham, B. W., Mirenberg, M. C., & Jones, Happiness. New York: Knopf. J. T. (2002). Why Susie sells seashells by 2. Ms Kulkens died two years ago, so her Gilovich, T. (1991). How we know what isn’t the seashore: Implicit egotism and major predictions must really be from ‘beyond’. so: The fallibility of human reason in life decisions. Journal of Personality and everyday life. New York, NY: The Free Social Psychology, 82, 469- 487. 3. Anyone who has seen the Skeptic’s previous Press. Stewart, I. (1995). Nature’s numbers: list of people claiming status as Australia’s best, Hamilton, M. (2001). Who believes in discovering order and pattern in the leading, etc, psychic should find this amusing. astrology? Effects of favorableness of universe. London: Phoenix.

the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 - Page 17 Review Welcome to Sunnydale

A review of Ritual Abuse and dvocates for Survivors of Child • Ritual abuse is a complex Torture in Australia, a report AAbuse (ASCA) wants to see the crime and perpetrators are difficult to categorise. The intersection of produced by Advocates for reality of ritual abuse recognised, survivors of ritual abuse heeded, and familial abuse, torture, organised Survivors of Child Abuse reports of ritual abuse investigated. paedophilia and ‘cultic’ ritual puts (ASCA) April 2006 This report has been produced to such perpetrators in a unique document the existence of ritual category. abuse in Australia and to lend • Victims of ritual abuse are weight to the stories of the survivors. children and adults from all walks of We all know about satanic cults, life. As a consequence of having because we’ve seen the movies — endured extreme levels of torture Rosemary’s Baby, The Omen, any and trauma, victims frequently Hammer film, and so on. We may experience a diversity of complex even have read the rather more mental and physical health issues explicit and detailed books by and needs, which characteristically reputed survivors of such cults go unmet. explaining, for example, how chil- • A culture of disbelief compro- dren are born without birth certifi- mises the human rights of survivors. cates to be sacrificed on ritual altars. A culture of ignorance and denial on The iconography comes readily to behalf of authorities and the commu- hand. The report makes a real nity prevents ritual abuse survivors attempt to stay away from these from realising their basic rights to images, but they’re still lurking in safety, health and justice. the back of our heads as we read the The last point is the most conten- tious. The report wants to shift the report. default setting on claims of satanic The summary of the report’s main abuse from ‘improbable’ to ‘common’. points says: If the report’s message was taken • Ritual abuse occurs in Aus- seriously, it might help some people. tralia. Ritually abusive groups have I believe, however, it would do more been uncovered during police inves- harm than good. While some people tigations in Australia, and group are probably being abused in circum- members have been successfully stances that have something to do prosecuted before a court of law. with ritual, and they may be helped, • Ritual abuse is a core practice it is extremely unlikely that there within subcultures of extreme are satanic cults in Australia that criminality. Ritual abuse is a prac- have ritual abuse as part of their Chris Borthwick is a long-time Skeptic subscriber tice closely associated with child liturgy, and going looking for them is from Melbourne. His satanic credentials are prostitution, child pornography, and almost certainly a waste of effort and unknown to us. drug smuggling. a diversion of scarce resources.

Page 18 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 Definition actually do all occur in the one case, tices and rules and mores, rather than that still doesn’t necessarily prove one very bad habit; and The first problem with the report is the existence of a category, an entity, (b) the ‘celebration’ of the power of the the issue of definition. When the or a reason for public concern, rather report says “The intersection of perpetrator at the expense of the body than a horrible coincidence. The and soul of the victim isn’t particular to familial abuse, torture, organised report accepts the reality of ritual paedophilia and ‘cultic’ ritual puts ritual abuse — it also appears to be a abuse as a category, and then feature of, for example, P&O cruises. such perpetrators in a unique cat- accepts a lot of different situations Ritual abuse groups don’t seem to egory” this is a classical example of as roughly the same kind of thing. begging the question. Given that we exhibit many of the characteristics have unquestioned evidence of Ritual of other cults, and many things that widespread familial abuse, occa- aren’t cults share characteristics sional instances of torture, some The difference between satanic with ritual abuse groups. The instances of paedophilia that ex- rituals and the things that Fred identifying features aren’t unique to tends beyond single family units and West did in Gloucester is ‘cultic the category. may thus be called organised, and elements’, and they, too, are rather There are features that would be given, even, that there are occa- hard to pin down. The basic referent uniquely identifying; for example, sional cultic elements, does that for what constitutes ritual is the the report quotes one writer as constitute a category? Catholic Church in its glory days — saying: rites, sacraments, services, liturgies, The intersection of familial abuse, An occult belief system deals with the theologies, heresies, canon law, the torture, organised paedophilia, and problem of cognitive dissonance not by full banana. How far can you thin ‘cultic’ ritual, places ritually abusive redefining sexual abuse as harmless or these out and still have a cult, perpetrators in a category of their desired by the victim, but by reversing rather than a club or a gang or a own. A 1994 survey of cases of ‘good’ and ‘evil’. From this Sadeian per- ring? It’s a basic and important organised child abuse investigated spective, cruelty and violence are ‘natu- by police and social services found question. If Satanism was applying to the tax office for religious exemp- ral’ to man and denials of this essential that 44% of respondents were unable truth are mere hypocrisy. (p 14) to fit the case into a predefined tions, what would it put forward to That would be a clear distinction, category such as ‘cult’ or ‘paedophile support its case? The practice of but as very few abusers are really up ring’ (Gallagher, Hughes et al 1996), sexual abuse, by itself, would be which suggests that current crimino- unlikely to convince the tribunal; on philosophical speculation it would logical typologies may be inad- but little else has been brought also mean that there wasn’t very equate. (p13) forward. much ritual abuse about. The Among the examples given are: The report refers to “the misuse of situation is thus complicated by the ritual in the context of sexual abuse’, introduction of ‘instrumental’ ritual, infants terrorised into silence during a definition capable of covering where: baby-sitting sessions by a family friend; everything from sacrificing children children exploited by an abusive day the ultimate function of ritual abuse is on altars to burning incense sticks care attendant; a vulnerable child traf- that of camouflage. In Australia and during date rape. ficked into a paedophile ring while in overseas, constructive efforts on behalf Ritual is an important aspect of institutional care; the Canadian wife of tortured and trafficked children have cultures and subcultures. In ritual battered and terrorised into compliance often been derailed by disbelief and abuse it is a way of expressing and by her ritually abusive husband; the scepticism generated by the bizarre ritu- transmitting the beliefs, practices small-time American drug runner ritu- alistic practices of the perpetrators. and worldviews of a perpetrator ally tortured for non-payment of debts; (p15) group. The rape and torture of the young Australian who joins an oc- In this formulation the abusers children and adults is structured cult group that isn’t everything it seems; don’t believe the ritual themselves, around ‘metaphysical’ symbols and or the Mexican teenager trafficked into they just use it to muddy the waters. actions that differ between groups. sexual slavery in America for $200 who This is possible, certainly, but it’s However, a common foundation lives in fear of the ‘occult powers’ of her just not the same thing as a Sadean underlies all acts of ritual abuse: the captor. (13) will to power. ‘celebration’ of the power of the These are completely different perpetrator at the expense of the Evidence and unrelated abusive behaviours. If body and soul of the victim. (p 14) they’re different things, lining them The trouble with this formulation The last quote brings out the real up side by side does not make them is that: difficulties of the formulation. a category. If they are occasionally (a) expressing and transmitting the be- Normally, bizarre stories are met paired, that still doesn’t make them liefs, practices and worldviews of a group with scepticism (and skepticism), for a meaningful category that can be generally involves (as with the Catho- perfectly appropriate reasons; applied to other cases. Even if they lics) a wide range of beliefs and prac- bizarre stories are, by definition, less

the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 - Page 19 Welcome to Sunnydale probable than ordinary stories. This The rest of the evidence is either Many people say they have been rule will only be reversed if there is consistent with other non-fatal sex ritually abused. The report suggests evidence that what we call bizarre is clubs: that they have been unable to have in fact of frequent occurrence. And Ritual abuse pornography has been their abusers prosecuted because of before we actually look at any cited by police officers, judges and law- any or all of the following; evidence, we must consider what yers; • The nature of torture: Ritual kind of evidence would in fact abuse victims, due to the neuropsychol- strengthen the case for a category of Purpose-built ritual abuse infrastruc- ogy of extreme trauma, are often unable ritual abuse. ture has been uncovered in ritual abuse to provide the detailed disclosures that The report puts forward several cases in the United States, England the police and judiciary require in or- Australian cases to demonstrate the and Switzerland; der to provide assistance. This effec- existence of the problem. Assuming Ritual sites with human remains, chil- tively excludes victims from standard them all to be true, they still present dren’s clothes, animal skeletons, knives, police assistance, and discredits them difficulties. blood-stained daggers, candles con- in the eyes of other agencies. In 1991, Perth police stated that they taminated with faecal matter, robes, had proven a link between ‘organised jars of blood, masks and other ritual • The silence of victims: Since child sex abuse and devil worship’ fol- paraphernalia has been found in con- childhood, victims are taught that they lowing the conviction on 22 counts of nection to ritual abuse cases in the have been complicit in the activities of indecent assault of a perpetrator re- United States, England and Europe. the group, and that they will be harmed cruited into a ritually abusive group as (p16) if they reveal their abuse or the activi- a teenager). Or relies on one’s confidence in ties of the group. The resulting shame, But how organised can child the profession of therapy: terror and guilt means that victims of- abuse be if only one person was A survey of 98 social workers, psycholo- ten strive to protect the perpetrators convicted? gists and counsellors based in Mel- from prosecution. In 1998, the Supreme Court found that bourne identified 153 cases of ritual • Investigative inadequacies: self-described ‘traditionalist witch’ abuse in the decade from 1985 to 1995; The police are not finding ritual abuse Robert Angus Fletcher had sexually Professionals report ritually abused networks because they aren’t specifi- and physically abused two minors, clients from all around the world; cally looking for them. Similarly, po- forced one of them into prostitution and lice often do not recognise victims when The majority of clinicians working with then attempted to have both murdered they do surface, since they receive lim- ritually abused clients believe their cli- to stop them giving evidence against ited training in trauma, sexual abuse ents’ experiences to be true; him. He told the girls that their rape or organised sexual exploitation. and torture was part of their initiation A 1999 survey of social workers, coun- • Ignorance and disbelief: Ritu- into a group called the ‘dark coven’. sellors and psychologists in Melbourne ally abusive perpetrators have demon- But why didn’t anybody pursue found that 85% believed ritual abuse strated a preference for torture the other members of the coven, if to be an indication of genuine trauma; techniques, such as electrocution and there was one? In one study, 30% of professionals work- near-drowning, which do not leave a In 2004, former primary school teacher ing in the field of ritual abuse reported mark. Whilst some survivors may and National Party official, Garry various forms of intimidation and present with ritualistic burns and scars Robin Ford, was jailed for eight years threats, including abusive phone calls; congruent with ritual abuse, others for ‘sexually abusing teenage boys dur- may have no ‘proof’ of their ordeal be- ing pagan rituals to initiate them into In 1994, the majority of clinicians re- yond what they can disclose. In both a group dubbed the White Brotherhood.’ sponding to an editorial call for papers cases, the extremity of their story means (p15) on ritual abuse stated that they were too frightened to speak in print about that ritual abuse survivors face the dual But why didn’t anybody pursue their ritually abused clients. (p16) victimisation of the perpetrators, and the other members of the Brother- the incredulity of a society that refuses hood, if there was one? Reasons why to believe their traumatic histories. The existence of a group cannot be proved by the conviction of an If counsellors accept the word of • [Pressure]: In Australia, inves- individual. It’s not impossible to their clients who claim to have been tigators’ phones are tapped, cars are identify criminal groups where they ritually abused (as the report asks run off the road, mail is tampered with, occur — the Purana task force has them to) then they will believe their and families are threatened. A former successfully mapped the existence client’s experiences to be true, and NSW policeman who was involved in of several criminal ‘families’. they will then fear for their own ritual abuse cases stated: ‘As soon as Nobody has ever rounded up as lives. This adds little to the evidence you find someone willing to talk, and many as two members of a ritual of the clients — and it is here that they want to talk, they could end up at abuse association. the trail tends to peter out. the bottom of the harbour.’ (p19)

Page 20 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 Well, yes, but — if ritual abuse clear view. However, after setting achieved much better outcomes than victims are often unable to provide out this equivocal evidence, the any other psychological practition- detailed disclosures, this means that report then proceeds to discuss the ers, much more reliably, on a much they sometimes are able. If victims issue as if every element of the wider range of subjects. No other often strive to protect the perpetra- indictment has been made out in conditioning experiment has ever tors from prosecution, that means full. The remainder of the report been able to claim comparable that they sometimes don’t. If police carries us right into the middle of results. In the outside world, away often do not recognise victims when the Hammer Films scenario. from the candles and the electric they do surface, that means that The perpetrators are all-powerful, all- shocks, reliable posthypnotic sug- they sometimes do. If ritually knowing, and much more efficient than gestibility is a fantasy that can’t get abusive perpetrators have demon- the ordinary police or the medical sys- most people to stop smoking, let strated a preference for torture tem. alone forget a murder. I can see why techniques which do not leave a this line of thinking would appeal to mark, that means that some survi- Ritual abuse perpetrators use torture psychologists, who would be glad of vors present with ritualistic burns techniques that are designed to break any evidence that any of their and scars. These arguments don’t down, control, and ‘re-educate’ victims. techniques work at all, but I’m not just have to be sufficient to cover Perpetrators manipulate trauma and obliged to accept it myself. most cases, they have to be able to dissociation to control their victims. cover all of them. When human beings dissociate, they Common Themes Extraordinary claims require often enter a state where they are mo- The Report refers to Common Themes: fairly thorough explanations, and mentarily separated from sensations of • Violent rituals: Initiations, claims that in Australia, investiga- pain or fear, but they also become auto- tors’ phones are tapped, cars are run mock-marriages, mock-funerals, fake sur- matically obedient and highly suggest- gery, ritualised rape, ritualised torture. off the road, mail is tampered with, ible. and families are threatened by • Torture: Sexual assault, abduc- people who aren’t associated with Perpetrators use torture and drugs to tion, use of drugs, pills and injections, large drug dealers, do require more create this dissociative state and exploit forced to ingest filth, tied up, starva- background as to why the investiga- it. Some indoctrination focuses on in- tion, sleep deprivation, electric shocks, tors — who don’t suffer from the graining the ritually abusive belief sys- use of snakes or insects, suffocation, neuropsychology of extreme trauma, tem into the victim, as well as burned, hypnosis, use of needles, hang- who don’t strive to protect the post-hypnotic ‘rules’ to prevent the vic- ing, spinning. perpetrators from prosecution, who tim from speaking about their abuse. • Organised sexual exploita- do recognise victims when they do Conditioning is used to shape a victim’s tion: Victims prostituted, used in por- surface — don’t take their troubles thought patterns. nography, sex with adults, group sex, to the police successfully. Perpetrators use classical conditioning sex with animals, other children and Issues of evidence do include the techniques to groom victims to respond corpses. status of ‘recovered memory’: unconsciously to specific words, sym- For years I had a strange jerk in my bols, gestures or music. Once exposed • Props and symbols: Blood, left arm and had no idea why. I was to a ‘trigger’, victims may uncontrolla- knives, altars, circles, animal parts, always pulling away when ever I felt bly dissociate, switch into a different human parts, fire, corpses, ropes, pen- triggered by anxiety or terror. It was personality, or feel the urge to self- tagrams, urine, faeces, graves, torches, bones, coffins, insects, animal horns, only when the memories of the abuse harm, commit suicide or return to the razor blades. came up that I realised that they were group. using electricity to force me to comply Perpetrator groups use a ‘cycle’ of an- • Extreme fetishes and with their demands. This was espe- nual dates in which specific ritualistic paraphilias: Sadomasochistic para- cially true when I was forced to harm traumas take place… the victim’s birth- phernalia, paedophilia, sadism, tor- other, younger kiddies. Electricity is a day, Christmas, full moons, and the ture, coprophagia, bestiality, great motivator and leaves no scars. solstices and equinoxes. Victims learn role-playing, slavery, domination, ritu- Paul, Australian satanic ritual abuse to associate these days with ritual alism. survivor (2006) (p.24) abuse, and may experience uncontrol- • ‘Supernatural’ beliefs: Belief but this is so much a side issue lable urges to return to the group on in omniscience of perpetrator group, be- that I shall not address it here. these days. (p27) lief that perpetrators have ‘magical’ The evidence, in short, is less If true (and I note in passing that powers, belief that perpetrators can than overwhelming. It has to be said none of the Australian cases cited as monitor thoughts of victims, perform- that in its survey of the evidence the evidence suggest anything of the ance of ritualised rape and ‘sex magick’, report is careful not to exaggerate its sort), this amounts to a claim that ritualisms performed on ‘significant’ strength; all the problems are on satanic abuse practitioners have dates or events.

the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 - Page 21 Welcome to Sunnydale

• Simulations of the death ex- their own statements were received unquestionably falls into that perience: Live burials, near-strangu- by the police; but there the report category). I believe, however, that: lation, near-drowning, electrocution, fails me. (i) if the claims are not true, it damages torture into unconsciousness, drugging I’d also like to know how many the people concerned to behave as if they into unconsciousness, encouragement of authors there are, and how far their were true; and self-mutilation. experiences are mutually support- (ii) even if a proportion of the claims of ive. How many ritual abuse groups ritual abuse are true, the evidence sug- Performance of the death ex- • are they themselves attesting to? gests that proposed remedies like perience: Ritual murder, sacrifice of What is their estimate of the inci- trauma counselling would be likely to animals, ritual abortions, necrophilia, dence and the prevalence of ritual make the trauma even worse. necrophagia. abuse? The report cites that figure of If the claims made in this report 153 cases of ritual abuse known to • Terrorisation: Threats of harm were true, life in Melbourne would therapists in Melbourne. It’s not to self and others, threats of abandon- be very like living in Buffy Sum- suggested that any evidence is ment, stalking via the phone/email/in mer’s Sunnydale, and we would hear mutually reinforcing, so that’s person, home invasions, pets killed, our own school swimming coaches presumably 150 separate groups, at house vandalised with blood and ani- saying Sunnydale-like things like “If (say) 25 people per group (it would mal flesh. we can focus, keep discipline, and surely be difficult to keep up a not have quite as many mysterious steady routine of occult ritual • Bonding mechanisms: Victims deaths, Sunnydale is gunna rule!” services with many fewer, given given ‘new’ parents, victims ‘rescued’ by You cannot re-evaluate the people’s other commitments) for a ‘good’ perpetrator, victims forced to per- basically law-abiding (or at least total of 3,000, and if only one case in petrate against other victims, victims undiabolical) nature of the average five comes to the attention of the told they are ‘evil’ and ‘deserve’ the person, one of the basic elements of therapists (a conservative estimate) abuse. our society, and still suggest that that would imply a total cult popula- everything else in our society would • Role-playing: Perpetrators tion of 15,000 in a city of two million go on normally. If there were satanic wearing robes, masks, horns, costumes, people, or almost one person in every cults operating freely within our ‘professional’ uniforms, victims made to hundred. I find that hard to believe. suburbs, this would have an effect wear robes, victims painted white or red. At the end of the report, that is, I on church attendance, voting pat- fall into the stigmatised group of • Extreme secrecy: Operant con- terns, pet choices, TV watching, ditioning and psychological coercion Vocal commentators in the media and supermarket sales — almost every- used to enforce silence of victims, code academia [who] have persisted with thing. Instead, these stories are an words used to refer to perpetrators, claims that ritual abuse does not exist, internal drama fuelled by a detailed abuse, places of abuse, drugs used to and that those who claim otherwise are but incoherent public mythology. disorientate victims, blindfolds, capsi- ‘hysterical’ or ‘making it up’. (p.22) The fundamental problem with cum spray in the eyes to blind victims. The publicly available evidence the concept of ritual abuse is that (p.28) does not support the frequent you only need a group explanation I can believe in any one of these occurrence of these abusive groups. for a behaviour when people are things, or even several, coinciding The explanations as to why they are doing things that they don’t want to. with sexual abuse in any given case; not exposed require a large number If you observe people not eating I cannot accept that the evidence of improbable assumptions. To pork, or not eating fish on a Friday, will support any systematic associa- believe that frequent wide-ranging you may look for an explanation in tion between all of them. cults with highly televisual practices the nature of their religious beliefs. These themes have been drawn from the can stay hidden from all exposure If you observe people eating pork requires the repeal of Murphy’s Law. personal experiences of the authors, as and fish, on the other hand, you If the Exclusive Brethren can’t keep well as clinical studies, case histories don’t need any hypothesis at all. The a lid on their secrets, nobody can; and the testimony of clinicians, and history of the twentieth century and the EB have been having an court cases (p.28) suggests that there are many people almost daily appearance on the front who would very much like to abuse Report failures pages for months. others, horribly. There’s no need to I might be held back from making hypothesize a social organisation The authors of this report, that is, an issue of my dissent if I believed that tells them to do it. Without such claim to have histories that feature that in doing so I risked damaging an organisation, there’s no ritual these abuses. I would be greatly vulnerable people (and anybody abuse; there’s just abuse. assisted by their accounts of how making a claim of ritual abuse

Page 22 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 Belief

The Foolishness of God

It all depends on where your t is December 2004 and Peter Beckford expresses concern that the baseline lies IStokes of the Melbourne Salt man declined to ‘engage with the Shakers ‘Christian ethics’ group is scholarship’. He seems slightly being interviewed by Gary Fishlock, puzzled about this. editor of the Sydney gay publication In April 2006 Bill Muehlenberg, SX. At one stage, Fishlock: formerly with the National Civic … can’t help pointing out to Peter that Council’s ‘Australian Family Asso- many of the Bible’s passages are am- ciation’ and now a Religious Right biguous, open to interpretation and freelancer, takes issue with mistranslation and have been taken out Beckford’s series: of context both historically and cultur- … [I]n the Beckford version of things, ally, and that this is acknowledged by the five Books of Moses weren’t written many people who know and under- by Moses at all, but by four anonymous stand the Bible well. writers [sic], each with his own particu- Stokes calmly replies that lar view to promote. ‘[t]heological revisionism is nothing Muehlenberg asserts that this new’, elaborating as follows: hypothesis has now been ‘largely Once a person feels able to disbelieve abandoned by Old Testament schol- or revise one piece of scripture then ars’. Nor does he like the critical there really is no reason why they stance that Beckford adopts towards should not change any or all of it to suit the New Testament, claiming that themselves. (Salt Shakers E-News, 16 ‘very few credible New Testament Mar, 2005) scholars would take that position’ In the course of his Channel 4 and that Beckford continually documentary Who Wrote the Bible?, ignores ‘the wealth of contemporary recently shown on SBS, British biblical scholarship that is out there’. theologian Robert Beckford asks a (‘ABC’s Easter assault on Christian- very conservative Jew for his opin- ity’, News Weekly, 29 Apr. 2006, 4) ion of the ‘JEDP’ or ‘documentary’ A few minutes on Google will hypothesis. This refers to the idea rapidly convince you that all of that the first five books of the Bible Muehlenberg’s assertions are wrong. were not written by Moses but were So is he telling us fibs? Not at all. instead derived from a number of It’s just that the Old Testament different sources. The Jewish man scholars he’s talking about are hunches his shoulders, looks at the conservative evangelical Old Testa- Brian Baxter is a Melbourne writer and keen ground and then grins. He’s read ment scholars, the ‘credible New observer of the fringes of religious activity. nothing about such an idea and it Testament scholars’ are also con- He is not photogenic. strikes him as ‘naïve’. Later, servative evangelicals, and of course

the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 - Page 23 The Foolishness of God the ‘wealth of contemporary biblical interpretation of the Bible and its [Royer] said that in Corinth where two- scholarship’ is also essentially ‘propositions’. thirds of the people were slaves and fundamentalist in nature. On this Smaller Christian bodies also 1,000 people were temple prostitutes, reading, modern critical scholars often claim the right to make defini- Paul preached nothing but the cross for aren’t really scholars at all, but tive decisions about scriptural 18 months and many people became fol- rather, mere ‘liberal theologians who propositions. Diane Wilson (2002) lowers of Jesus Christ. But in Athens, are quite happy to debunk the Bible gives this account of how such a city of intellectuals, the people would and challenge orthodox theology.’ questions are dealt with by the not listen — and perished —because the Critical scholarship simply doesn’t Jehovah’s Witnesses’ own teaching foolishness of God is wiser than man’s count. authority, the Watchtower Society wisdom … [T]o make the cross intellec- (Sarfati would probably deny that tually acceptable empties it of its power. Baseline Jehovah’s Witnesses are true Chris- ‘It sounds stupid. It is foolishness. But tians, but he can rest assured that it works.’ (Helen Woodall ‘Going God’s What we are talking about here is a the feeling is mutual): way’, New Life, 27 Apr. 2006) ‘baseline’ problem. Whereas most modern researchers try to follow the … [T] he Watchtower Society’s response ‘God’s foolishness’ begins to look evidence wherever it leads, con- to sincere questions often does cause increasingly like an obscurantist servative Christians (and the problems. Once questions are voiced, ploy. Royer confirmed this impres- conservative adherents of many the questioner is all too often told that sion when at another meeting ‘[he] other religions) pursue lines of he or she is to accept whatever the So- spoke of the many convincing proofs evidence only so far as this evidence ciety teaches and is not to ‘reason’ about that Jesus was alive and that we does not contradict the basic beliefs it, but must blindly and dogmatically should not need many proofs — or mandated by their holy texts. In the fully accept whatever is taught. The in- any.’ case of conservative Christians, dividual’s reason, they stress, is ‘human The ‘propositions of the Bible’ scientific research, educational reasoning’, but the Watchtower’s rea- seem to be an unsatisfactory basis research, biblical research — all of soning is ‘God’s reasoning’. (Awaken- for serious research of any kind — these are just fine as long as they ing of a Jehovah’s Witness imprecise, somewhat protean don’t clash with the ‘foundational [Prometheus], 293) depending on whose version of the truths of scripture’. The ethical, but propositions we are talking about, otherwise unfettered pursuit of God’s reasoning and all with a healthy dose of anti- intellectualism thrown in. Some knowledge is no longer the research- So not only are conservative Chris- er’s point of departure. The Bible is conservative evangelicals actually tian researchers supposed to work seem afraid of the research process the baseline. from a different baseline: they seem itself, or perhaps of what it might Jonathan Sarfati of Creation to have a choice of baselines depend- uncover. Science Ministries (formerly An- ing on whether they’re Catholics, swers in Genesis) has put this Jehovah’s Witnesses, Jonathan Enlightenment position explicitly: Sarfati, etc. To pursue one of Diane … [T]he ministry’s axioms are the Wilson’s points, it would be a great It all gets back to the deep-seated propositions of the Bible, not the theo- help if we knew something about fundamentalist desire to ‘repeal the ries of fallible scientists. (Technical ‘God’s reasoning’. He seems to like Enlightenment’. I used to feel that Journal 12[2], c. mid-1998, 150) the idea of reasoning: ‘Come now, this phrase exaggerated conserva- and let us reason together’ he says tive evangelical rejection of so much The word ‘axiom’ can mean either in Isaiah 1:18, but unfortunately it’s of modernity, but I no longer think a widely-accepted principle or, as in all downhill from there. so. One of my favourite proto- geometry, a self-evident truth and I We’ll pass over one troubling fundamentalists is Rev Samuel strongly suspect that Sarfati is using passage: ‘[M]y thoughts are not your Andrews who, in 1898, wrote a book it in the latter sense. But just how thoughts, neither are your ways my entitled Christianity and Anti- self-evident is this baseline? Sarfati ways’ (Isaiah 55:8), but we can’t skip Christianity in Their Final Conflict. obviously thinks that the proposi- around Paul’s observation to the Andrews was quite sure that the tions of the Bible are both accessible Corinthians: ‘For the foolishness of reappearance of Christ was at hand (Scripture is supposed to be ‘per- God is wiser than men …’ (1 Cor, and had no trouble in listing the spicuous’, or easily understood) and 1:25) Rather than engage in specula- ‘tendencies’ preparing the way for absolutely clear-cut. But most of the tion about what this might mean, I’ll the ‘Antichrist’ who would precede world’s Christians don’t agree with hand over to Hans Peter Royer, head him: liberal Christianity, biblical him on this. The Catholic Church, of the Capernwray Bible College, criticism, modern science, modern for example, holds that its Tauernhof, Austria, who recently literature, etc. magisterium, or teaching authority, enlightened a Queensland audience The most interesting thing about plays an essential role in the correct in the following terms: Andrews was the way in which he

Page 24 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 resolved ‘the problem of modernism’. However, there are still some criticism is invariably specious at No half-measures here: educational institutions that follow heart because it focuses on an Andrews reinterpreted the conflict be- Andrews’ precepts right down the irrelevant factor, namely the biblical tween modernism and biblical faith in line. One of these is the well-known baseline. Sometimes this is glaringly such a way as to leave no doubt where Bob Jones University (BJU) in obvious, as with Rev Samuel An- God-fearing Christians’ loyalties must Greenville, South Carolina: drews and Bob Jones University. At lie. His constituency no longer had to Research and analytical thinking other times it’s quite well disguised, trouble themselves with reasoned refu- [have] never ranked as high priorities as with many advocates of Intelli- tations of modernism’s intellectual at [BJU]. Conceiving their mission to gent Design; and usually it’s some- where in between, as with the three claims. Instead, all modern science and be one of protection [of the faith] and items that opened this article. philosophy could be dismissed outright indoctrination, the Joneses [Senior and Reading the arguments of the as an act of religious loyalty. (Robert Junior] did not place much value upon baseliners is quite unlike reading, Fuller [1995] Naming the Antichrist scholarship if it did not buttress what say, Richard Dawkins, Peter Singer [OUP], 117) was already regarded as the truth. (Mark Taylor Dalhouse [1996] An Is- or Carl Sagan who generally attack Simple, isn’t it? Just cut the the opposition head-on and with Gordian knot. On a literal reading of land in the Lake of Fire [University of Georgia Press], 70) great rigour. Instead you’ll find the Bible, modern science and enveloping clouds of non sequiturs, biblical criticism, etc, simply can’t be Bob Jones Sr once remarked that every ad hominem positions, lots of circu- right and therefore why waste time time the university hired an academic lar reasoning, inventive insults and arguing with their proponents? with a PhD, they had to hold an evan- regurgitation of long-discredited Andrews felt no obligation to examine gelical revival to offset his secularising ‘facts’, together with a final, ringing the academic soundness of biblical influence. For BJU, knowledge or truth assertion that yet again, the Bible scholars’ conclusions … He was certain was not something to be discovered has been ‘proven true’. Conservative that ‘this overthrow of the faith of men through enquiry, but rather something evangelicals’ point of departure in the Bible is a great step forward in that had been revealed and preserved doubles as their conclusion. preparing the way for the Antichrist.’ in the past for faithful transmission to Although I’d only recommend it to Once his readers knew that biblical future generations. (120) Education it- masochists, you can occasionally scholarship was the work of the Anti- self was an inculcation process, in- induce feelings of doubt in some christ, it would not be necessary to in- tended to transmit religiously-- fundamentalists by honing in on the quire any further into its academic established (ie, biblical baseline) val- baseline itself. To use Robert Beckford’s term, you must make merits. (118) ues and uphold the social order. (123) Whatever teachers did, they must not them ‘engage with the scholarship’: Bob Jones University substitute ‘multiple, ever-shifting hu- • Why do you reject the documen- man constructs for absolute, eternal tary hypothesis?; The rapid advance of secularisation verities’. (128) (Compare this with • What is your evidence for the ex- in the West during the past century Jonathan Sarfati’s assertion about istence of Moses, Abraham, Jesus?: has rendered a ‘pure’ Andrews-style creationist ‘axioms’, quoted above.) approach virtually untenable. Only a ‘Uncertainty is eliminated. Decision • Why is the story of the woman fundamentalist audience will accept making and critical thinking are kept taken in adultery included in the the bald assurance that anything to a minimum.’ (146) Bible?; etc contradicting the Bible must be It’s worth noting that the educa- and then nail them every time wrong. Instead, conservative evan- they give a baseline answer eg, tional publications of BJU Press are gelical speakers and authors present • I know Moses existed because widely used by Christian ‘home- their arguments in a pseudo-scien- it says so in the Bible’ schooling’ parents in Australia. tific style, their articles often laden Generally they’ll walk away but a with abstracts, appendices and long Conclusion surprising number will admit lists of references. Popularisers of they’ve learned something from the the neo-creationist notion of Intelli- Fundamentalist reasoning about experience. And one of them even gent Design are very good at this. subjects like evolution or biblical thanked me.

Deadline for next issue, May 1

the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 - Page 25 Health The Persuaders and Their Pills

Understanding the hype in the harmaceutical manufacturers the advertisers and media all know, healthcare debate Pthat try to encourage us to pop and trade on. So we are consistently more pills are among the most bombarded with advertisements for powerful and wealthy companies in pills and potions and articles pro- the world. The industry is worth moting health fads, while the media US$500–550 billion and this is regularly portray scientific break- expected to rise to $700 billion by throughs as if there is endless 2008. “In 2004, Pfizer, the largest medical progress towards solving all drug company, had a profit margin our health problems. The result is of nearly 22 percent of sales ($53 that, even in our prime, we worry billion). The same year, it spent 32 that we might fall ill or worry that percent of sales on marketing and we are not as well as we think we administration and only 15 percent ought to be. on R&D [research and develop- ment].”1 In 2002 the Australian Categories of drugs government spent AU$1.4 billion on Two broad categories of drugs are prescription drugs and it is continu- marketed by the pharmaceutical ally growing.2 The Economist says industry: those that require a the pharmaceutical industry “is a prescription and those that are sold business to die for”. The median over the counter in retail outlets. profit of the nine pharmaceutical Although the strategies are slightly companies among the Fortune 500 different for each category, press list had a median profit margin of 16 per cent of sales in 2004. The me- releases are among the most suc- dian profit for the other companies cessful tactics and any report of a listed was around 5 per cent. The wonderful new drug (or over-the- prospects for pharmaceuticals seem counter product) should be viewed bright indeed, as populations in rich with great scepticism by both the countries get older and more people public and the medical profession. suffer from chronic conditions that The new drug may indeed be won- Elizabeth Pittman with a background in nursing need drug treatment,3 but unfortu- derful but because the news is and as director of a distance education unit at nately for the these firms there are primarily aimed at increasing the La Trobe University, is an adjunct senior very few new drugs coming through, company’s market share, more often lecturer in the School of Nursing and Midwifery. so most are marketing ‘me-too’ than not, the news will turn out to She is a member of the Mental Health Research versions of already established be premature, exaggerated, or and Ethics Committee, Royal Melbourne drugs which only offer marginal designed to create unwarranted Hospital, a member of the Australian Society improvements in treatment. fears about ordinary conditions. of the History of Medicine and a Fellow of the Australians have the reputation Although we like to think that our Royal College of Nursing, Australia. of being great pill-poppers, which doctor’s prescribing habits would not

Page 26 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 be influenced by advertising, there is cheaper arthritis painkillers. It was Administration (FDA) rushed its evidence that many doctors are. hailed as a wonderful breakthrough approval through. Although there Direct to consumer advertising of simply because the manufacturers was no direct-to-consumer advertis- prescription drugs is not allowed in claimed that Vioxx did not induce ing in Australia, the campaign’s Australia, but it is in the USA and any serious gastric problems. success in America percolated New Zealand. The objective of this What transpired is an example of through to this country and Vioxx kind of advertising is to encourage how marketing and advertising can and other similar drugs were ap- people to request a particular drug even influence the watchdogs that proved for listing on the Pharmaceu- when attending their physician. are supposed to protect us. The tical Benefits Scheme (PBS) in 2000. Research undertaken in three campaign successfully convinced Some of the expert advisers to the American cities used actors trained many doctors, and the public, that PBS were opposed to the listing, but as patients, who presented with Vioxx (and other drugs in a similar they were overruled by the then symptoms of major or minor depres- class) were the answer for arthritis Minister for Health, Dr Michael sion. Those who requested a pre- sufferers. Patients rushed to their Wooldridge. Merck’s campaign had scription for an unspecified doctors to ask about it and doctors engendered so much faith in this antidepressant drug received it 40 wrote hundreds of thousands of new category of drugs that Dr per cent of the time, but when they prescriptions.6 Wooldridge told reporters that specified a particular brand, they The intriguing thing is that the listing them was the biggest single received it 55 per cent of the time4 — original trial of Vioxx had shown an important decision the PBS had potentially increasing sales by 37 increased risk of heart attacks made in 52 years! He went on to say per cent. In countries such as attached to the drug. But in that that the drugs had dramatically Australia, where drugs are only first trial Vioxx was being compared fewer side effects and that was a allowed to be promoted to the to Naproxen, one of the earlier great advance!8 medical profession, drug manufac- arthritis drugs that seemed to act About 18 months later, following a turers have devised marketing like aspirin. Both Naproxen and damaging report from the FDA, the strategies to overcome this and Vioxx were thought to be less likely Australian Therapeutic Goods these are well illustrated by the case to cause inflammation or bleeding in Administration finally banned history of a drug used to relieve the stomach than older anti-inflam- Vioxx’s use and warned against the arthritis pain. matory medicines, so researchers use of similar drugs. By 2004, 25 wanted to find out was which of the million prescriptions had been Case study two was the more effective. written for these drugs, costing the In 2004, the drug company, Merck, It was already well-known that taxpayer, through the PBS, nearly voluntarily withdrew an anti- aspirin helps to prevent heart $800 million. inflammatory arthritis drug (Vioxx) attacks and stroke. The group We will never know how many from the market. Merck had been taking Vioxx were shown to have Australian patients suffered serious investigating whether Vioxx would four times the risk of heart attacks side effects, because the reporting also slow down the development of and strokes than the group taking mechanism in this country is volun- cancers, but found that patients Naproxen. Instead of concluding that tary, and most GPs are too busy to taking it for 18 months had in- Vioxx harms the heart, the research- take the time and trouble to report creased the risk of heart attack and ers drew the conclusion that them. In 2005 it was suggested that strokes.5 In the same year during a Naproxen must have protected lower doses may not produce any congressional hearing it was re- against heart attacks and strokes side effects and, since most Austral- ported that 40,000 Americans had just like aspirin. “But of course, ians had been taking lower doses died from heart attacks after taking without testing that hypothesis, it than the Americans, perhaps the Vioxx. was simply a self-serving specula- serious effects were fewer. tion.”7 How did this unfortunate state of Bald facts affairs come about? At least part of At that time a few specialists the reason was the effectiveness of were so worried by the researchers’ The baldness awareness campaign Merck’s marketing campaign. In the conclusions they asked Merck for further exemplifies the strategies USA the media campaign that more information, but the company used where direct-consumer-adver- accompanied its release cost US$160 failed to supply any additional tising is not allowed. Moynihan and million. Vioxx was trumpeted as a details about the design of the study others reported on this in the British new anti-inflammatory that would and its statistics. Medical Journal in 2002. The not cause gastric bleeding in the way The initial direct-to-consumer following is a summary of what they that older style drugs did, even advertising campaign was so suc- said. First, a hair growth drug called though it was no better at relieving cessful in gaining public and medical Propecia was approved as a prescrip- pain than aspirin and other older, support that the US Food and Drug tion drug by the PBS. At the time it

the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 - Page 27 The Persuaders and Their Pills was first marketed in Australia, careers and other men actually as widespread as possible.10 In 2001, leading newspapers carried stories shave their heads to increase their double-page advertisements told about the terrible emotional trauma masculine image. Australians that 39 per cent of men associated with hair loss. An article Companies call this marketing visiting general practitioners have in The Australian featured a ‘new strategy a ‘disease awareness erection problems. The “ad” featured study suggesting that a third of all campaign’. Of course, it suits drug an unhappy couple, apparently in men experienced some degree of hair companies to use such terms, which their thirties or forties, seated on loss.’ This story included comments they justify by claiming they are opposite sides of a double bed. The by concerned experts and the news accompanying text said: “Erection that an International Hair Study problems are hard to talk about, but Institute had been established. The easy to treat.” story suggested that losing hair The prevalence of the problem could lead to panic and other emo- the original was exaggerated in two ways: first tional difficulties and even impact by the way the percentage of those on job prospects. affected was calculated, and then by The article did not reveal that Vioxx trial of the age range implied in the picture. Merck, the pharmaceutical company The 39 per cent said to have erection marketing Propecia had funded both problems was based on a legitimate the study and the International Hair had shown an survey. But this figure was calcu- Study Institute. Edelman (a global lated by adding the number of men public relations organization) had that had only occasionally experi- supplied the experts quoted in the increased risk enced erection difficulties to those newspaper article. This was not who reported consistent problems. mentioned—although the public So the figure of 39 per cent was relations firm did give this informa- of heart attacks obviously intended to exaggerate the tion in their publicity materials, the prevalence of the problem. writer of the newspaper article chose The “spin” did not stop there. In to ignore it. Around the same time a attached to the the same survey, the average age of series of advertisements appeared in men reporting consistent erection other newspapers and magazines. problems was 71 years—not the 30- The ads advised men who were drug or 40-year-olds depicted in the losing hair to consult their doctor, advertisement. Another survey, to and by this time GPs had had a call from a company rep who gave them raising public awareness of under- which the advertisement did not pamphlet about the new wonder diagnosed and under-treated prob- refer, gave the age range a different perspective: about 64 per cent of drug so that when their patients lems. But to clinical pharmacologists men in their seventies reported said there was a new prescription it is ‘disease mongering’—they erectile problems but only three per drug for hair loss the doctor was well believe it is selling sickness.9 To cent of men in their forties. Because prepared. expand the market, essentially of the emergence of several competi- Of course the advertisements did healthy people are targeted by tors marketing similar drugs, the not mention the prescription drug or making the ordinary ailments of life, company was trying to shift the the company promoting it—that or personal or social problems market to include those with spo- would be direct-to-consumer appear to require medical treatment radic difficulties.11 In Australia this advertising. The ads simply implied with a prescription drug. Mild ad has been replaced with others, that hair loss was a serious symptoms (like loss of hair) are the latest of which does not depict condition for which doctors had a portrayed as portents of a serious new treatment. The company men and women but bears a visual condition requiring treatment. The argued that it did not describe message—the images are bent prevalence of the problem is ‘spun’ so baldness as an illness and pointed bananas. that it appears to affect many people out that men have a legitimate The original advertisement did in the community. right to be made aware of not mention that it was funded by scientifically proven options to stop Hard cases Pfizer, the manufacturer of Viagra. hair loss. True! The irony is that The fine print cited a host organiza- baldness does not seem to be the A key strategy in the Australian tion, “Impotence Australia” but problem it once was. There are campaign to market a drug for the failed to mention that it was funded many well-known bald people that prevention of erectile dysfunction by a grant of AU$200,000 from seem to have very successful was also to make the condition seem Pfizer. A Pfizer spokesman told

Page 28 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 Moynihan and colleagues “the best effectively ensures that a very wide the ages of 15 and 45. By compari- consumer is an educated consumer section of the public is influenced to son with non-users, they are more …Who better than the manufac- ask their doctor about the drug. The likely to be better educated, have a turer to help this process?” 12 companies also hope to influence higher economic status, and have a Indeed! ministers of health and government higher household income.14 Since agencies—as we have seen, the these women are likely to be savvy Public relations Vioxx campaign influence was consumers, they know that the effective in this regard. biggest killers are cancer, heart What does do these campaigns tell Second, when promoting its conditions, and strokes. To ensure us about the marketing of drugs? In products, the pharmaceutical their health is maintained they go to Australia prescription drugs can not industry not only co-opts the media the gym, take up walking or jogging be advertised to consumers, so to spread the word, where possible pharmaceutical companies have and pop a few dietary supplements. they co-opt experts—stacking developed five strategies to over- When advertisers address their advisory boards with their own come this hurdle. All five were pitch to this group, they suggest that scientists is one example. aimed at influencing prescribing they are busy people, living in a fast Third, so that each doctor will be habits, one way or another. First of food society, and since they cannot ready to supply the drug in response all, the big companies spent large possibly have the time or capacity to to patients’ requests for the latest sums on public relations firms that ensure they are getting sufficient ‘wonder’ drug, a squadron of drug can produce press releases about an nutrients in their diet, they should reps call on GPs and leave pam- exciting new drug breakthrough. be taking dietary supplements. phlets and free samples. Since this tactic seems to help Advertisers claim that strenuous Other tactics are aimed directly at secure money for further research, exercise increases the need for some the medical profession and are not quite often research centres will also extra vitamins and minerals. This is so obvious to the public. Drug employ public relations experts to true, but after exercise our body tells companies fund scientific societies announce their latest research us to eat, so any loss is usually and medical conferences where their findings. replaced by increased food intake. representatives take the opportunity Newspapers, radio programs and Some advertisements subtly suggest to convince doctors that their prod- television shows love the term that the body cannot store water- ucts are not only the newest, they ‘breakthrough’—it is so redolent of soluble vitamins, so daily replace- are the best. As part of this strategy, immediacy and progress. Between ments are required. But this is not doctors receive invitations to con- 1992 and 1994, 31 cancer “break- true. Water-soluble vitamins, like B ventions and symposia in magnifi- throughs” were announced in the complex and C, can be stored in the cent resorts where they are wined 15 Sydney Morning Herald. In 2003, a body for several weeks. Vitamins and dined—all well-funded by drug group of investigative reporters such as C, E, and betacarotene companies. Scientists from the contacted experts in cancer research (which the body converts to vitamin pharmaceutical companies present to find out if these announcements A) are often advertised as antioxi- conference papers (quite legiti- had been supported by further dants. These block the action of free mately) on the drug trials they have research. Of the 31 reported, only radicals in the body and are thought undertaken, which help to authenti- eight had reached the stage of being to prevent heart disease, cancer and cate a drug’s benefits. And, so that a incorporated into medical practice, aging. new drug will have additional and while 16 were still considered to This idea was originally sug- scientific validity, drug company be potential breakthroughs, three gested in the early 1990s on the scientists publish their research in had been abandoned for lack of basis of two epidemiological studies. refereed journals (again quite confirming evidence, and the other Unfortunately, numerous double- legitimately), although now most four were considered questionable. blind trials have failed to support journals require a declaration of Thus, unfortunately, the promised the benefits of taking additional competing or conflicting interests. breakthrough seldom matches antioxidants, with a few exceptions. reality. It is notable that this study Food for thought A study that followed 22,000 physi- was conducted by journalists at The cians for 12 years found no differ- Age, a newspaper that belongs in the Over-the counter medicines are also ence in cancer or cardiac disease same media stable as the SMH.13 strenuously marketed—a prime rates between users and non-users The press releases are designed to example is dietary supplements. of betacarotene.16 The results of draw attention to the latest treat- Here, middle class, well-educated recent systematic and meta-analysis ment, which is presented as a women are often the main target. An of 14 trials that together included scientific ‘breakthrough’ and, as in Australian survey shows that buyers over 170,000 participants were even the Propecia case, to create fears of over-the-counter remedies are more disappointing. about a condition or disease. This most likely to be females between

the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 - Page 29 The Persuaders and Their Pills

The trials involved the use of “Weaknesses in either Sex, Whether their efficacy. Therefore, any claim beta-carotene, vitamins A, C, and E, Occasioned by Excesses, Ill-habits or about efficacy is considered to be and the mineral selenium, as anti- Diseases.” What could be more unsubstantiated, and statements oxidants to prevent cancer. None of inclusive than that? that supplements treat specific the antioxidants had any effect on Most developed countries have diseases are not allowed. A standard stomach, large bowel, or liver cancer, laws regarding efficacy claims for disclaimer is required which must apart from selenium, which did remedies classed as dietary supple- say that the product is not intended appear to have a beneficial effect on ments. Since these are considered to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent liver cancer.17 Some research has “low-risk” medicines, statutory any disease. Are you sceptical shown that vitamin E can help bodies do not require research into enough to read the fine print? prevent atherosclerosis, but it has anticoagulant properties that can cause excessive bleeding, and one References study found that those who took vitamin E had a higher frequency of haemorrhagic stroke. So the verdict 1. Angell, Marcia. 2005. The truth 12. Roy Moynihan, I. Heath & D. on vitamin E is, if you do take it, be about drug companies: How they Henry, Selling sickness, p. 889. careful not to overdose. deceive us and what to do about it. 13. The Age (2003). Warning on Another way advertisers try to Scribe publications, p. xxi. cancer ‘breakthroughs’. 8 December. widen their market for dietary 2. V. Gurvich & J. Groman (2004). A supplements and other remedies is 14. H. Maclean, D. Wilson & A. pill-popping party. The Age, (A3), by using the phrase ‘may help’, Taylor (1996). Prevalence and cost of followed by a list of possible com- Melbourne, Monday, 5 July, pp.4–5. alternative medicine in Australia. plaints as an aid to self-diagnosis. 3. The Economist (2005). Survey of Lancet, 347: 571. Such advertisements suggest that the pharmaceutical industry: Pre- 15. S. Barrett, W.T. Jarvis, M. all and sundry need medication for scription for change. A special report, Kroger & W.M. London (2002). dozens of assorted complaints. p. 3, 18 June. Consumer health: A guide to intelli- Internet sellers are particularly 4. R.L. Kravitz, R.M. Epstein, M.D. gent decisions. New York: McGraw- prone to suggesting that every Feldman, C.E. Franz, R. Azari, M.S. Hill, p. 238. system in our body needs stimula- Wilkes, L. Hinton, & P. Franks 16. C.H. Hennekens, J.E. Burney, tion or support by extra nutrients. (2005). Influence of patient’s requests J.E. Manson, M. Stampfer, B. Rosner, One advertisement concerns a for direct-to-consumer advertised N.R. Cook, C.L. Belanger, et al. product called PD Combination Key antidepressants. JAMA, 293(16): (1996). Lack of effect of long-term Product. This product “supplements 1995–2002. supplements with beta-carotene on the body’s own digestive secretions” 5. Marcia Angell, The truth about the incidence of malignant neoplasms and “each tablet contains 325 mg of drug companies, p. 271. and cardiovascular disease. New betaine HCl, supplying hydrochloric England Journal of Medicine, acid and 65 mg of pepsin, a natural 6. ABC Background Briefing, 10 334(18): 1145–49. protein digesting enzyme.”18, 19 If we April 2005. http://www.abc.net.au [Accessed 8 June 2005] 17. G. Bjelskovic, D. Nikolava, R.G. are uncertain which body system Simonetti, & C. Guud (2004). Antioxi- needs support, all we need to do is 7. Marcia Angell, The truth about dant supplements for prevention of fill in a “systems/lifestyle question- drug companies, p. 271. gastrointestinal cancers: a systematic naire” and help will be forthcoming. 8. ABC Background Briefing, 10 review and meta-analysis. Lancet, Virtually all bodily systems are April 2005. 364: 1219–28. catered for on this website list: 9. Roy Moynihan, I. Heath & D. 18. http://www.A-Better-Way.com/ respiratory, glandular, circulatory, Henry D (2002). Selling sickness: the keyprod.html [Accessed January 27, nervous, intestinal (as well as pharmacueutical industry and 2004] digestive), the immune system, and disease mongering. British Medical the body’s structures (hair, skin, 19. The PD Combination Key Journal, 324: 886–891. nails, bones, muscles, tendons, and Product is no longer listed on the ligaments).20 10. Roy Moynihan, I. Heath & D. website: http://www.A-Better- Collectively, such advertisements Henry, Selling sickness: How the Way.com/keyprod.html [Accessed are not much different from those drug companies are turning us all June 14, 2005] that appeared in the heyday of into patients, p. 889–90. 20. The questionnaire now requires quackery in the 17th century. During 11. Roy Moynihan & A. Cassels registration by name and email that era an advertisement for New (2005). Selling sickness. Sydney: address, so the actual content may Canada Balsam said it was for Allen & Unwin, p. 184. have changed.

Page 30 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 Investigation Ghost Mining

Historic haunted hostelry gives tate Route 49 wends its way opportunity to observe the investiga- up few secrets Sthrough the historic mining tion. Would the investigators strike towns of the California Gold Rush. it rich with a sighting, or would this Like the San Francisco football ghost rush only unearth fool’s ghost? team, this highway takes its name from the Forty-Niners, the influx of Evidence is all some 90 000 gold seekers who Is a paranormal investigator a travelled to California during 1849. skeptic or a believer? With dual Infected with ‘gold fever’, these connotations, both ‘sides’ can stake prospectors braved the seas, or the claim to this title —the difference is treacherous California Trail, in the in the investigative approach. In this hope of finding their fortune in gold case, we have a claim: the National in the Wild West. Hotel is haunted. What evidence do During the Gold Rush, the town we have to support this claim? As is of Jackson was a popular mining usual with alleged hauntings, all camp and pit stop on the road to that exists is anecdotal ‘evidence’. more prosperous areas, such as Therefore, the evidence is also the Sacramento. Today, Jackson is claim. Therefore, there is no evi- classified as a ‘semi-Ghost town’. Enroute to Lake Tahoe and a nearby dence. This investigation was an casino, the sleepy town is still a attempt to gather evidence. How- tourist pit stop, with a not-so-sleepy ever, for the paranormal investigator pub. Keeping the West wild, many of (believer), the evidence is usually in the locals and those passing through the eye of the beholder. can be found at the National Hotel Apparently this is not the first on a Saturday night. Could this group to investigate the hotel. A ghost town have any ghosts? bartender at the pub confirmed that Built in 1862, some seven years several other groups have previously after the Gold Rush ended, the explored the hotel, their findings National Hotel is reputedly rich in proving that it is “certifiably” ghosts. Along with many pub and haunted. As the only skeptic hotel patrons, the owner and staff amongst a group of self-proclaimed have witnessed some strange occur- psychics, mediums and intuitives, I rences. Is there a rational explana- looked forward to assessing what or tion for these phenomena, or is this who was certifiable. Karen Stollznow, a member of the NSW proof of the paranormal? A group of Prior to the investigation, mem- Committee, is a postgraduate researcher in self-proclaimed ‘paranormal investi- bers of the paranormal group buzzed linguistics, now working in the USA. gators’ planned to go ghost mining at that the hotel is home to between 20 www.bad-language.com the National Hotel, and I had the and 30 ghostly guests. I did a

the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 - Page 31 Ghost Mining preliminary online search for reports second floor of the three storeys is wearing a blue dress and she’s of hauntings at the hotel, and only reputedly the mother lode of par- walking back and forth. She’s very came up with a single entry. Quite anormal activity. We were all allo- upset”. As suddenly as it started, she simply, the National Hotel was listed cated rooms on this floor. At any snapped out of her reverie and the as “haunted”, with no details what- rate, I was allocated the John Wayne reading resumed. I was told that I soever. The hotel stands on the site suite, and to prove this, there was like to travel (What a giveaway my where another building previously an enormous cardboard cut-out of accent is!). I am a seeker in life. (I’d stood, the Louisiana Hotel and Wayne in the room. just explained that I’m an open- Store. This building burnt to the minded skeptic). ground in 1862, and many of the The intuitive occasionally group members attribute the gesticulated as she spoke. I hauntings to this significant realised that her gestures con- event. So far, all the group had to tained some sign language. Wow, work with were the following few I thought…what a powerful cold anecdotes: reading I could perform on you! • A guest found the covers of The reading ended when she the bed pulled back and an announced, “You know…I’m a indent, as though someone had skeptic too. I’m skeptical of sat on the bed. myself”. Not skeptical enough, I • In one room, a maid was mused. “held down on the bed when she The hotel was littered with was trying to make it”. copies of the National Enquirer, • A guest reported that a revealing the owner’s inclination. “spirit” followed her down a As I was flicking through these, a staircase. (N.B. this claim was woman approached me and made by a medium). introduced herself as an intuitive, It is easy to think of some claiming “I used to see dead simple, rational explanations for people when I was a kid.” I each of these events. In scenario countered that many children 1, did the guest or someone else create imaginary friends. She with access to the room create the insisted, “Well, my parents were indent on the bed? In scenario 2, worried because I spoke about did the maid somehow fall onto Haunted hotel — or perhaps not being friends with old men”. the bed? In scenario 3, was there It was still early afternoon and another guest using the staircase? I was immediately cornered by a the investigation was not due to (We also have to question the medi- few members of the group. A not-so- commence until 1.30 am. We had to um’s reliability, as the purpose of her intuitive intuitive mistook me for an wait until the band finished, the pub visit was to write an entry for a intuitive. “I can tell that you’re an closed and the patrons had left. The book). Furthermore, these accounts intuitive. What are your skills?” group whiled away the hours, have probably been embellished Always the paranormal wowser, I exploring the hotel and doing tarot with each retelling. explained that I am a skeptic, and and psychometry readings for each my skills are analysis and critical Preliminaries other. Some checked out the town thinking. “But your aura is blue”, and the casino. What is a paranor- This was to be an overnight investi- came the incongruous reply. Well, mal investigator to do, with hours to gation. Planning weeks ahead, I my coat was anyway. kill and a pub downstairs? Adding to called to arrange my accommoda- Herein began an impromptu the uncontrolled environment, some tion, requesting the “most haunted reading. Did I have a daughter? of the group were to be found in the room in the hotel”. I was informed, (No). Then I will have a daughter. pub, enjoying the live band and a “there isn’t one. There’s lots of Did I grow up near a large space? drink, or two. This was fast becom- activity everywhere”. Yet strangely, (Yes, near a suburban park. This is ing an evening of ghosts, drugs and later that week, the event organiser not an uncommon thing. Was this rock ‘n’ roll. claimed that she had secured for reflecting a stereotype that all In the bar I chatted with a long- herself the “most haunted room in Australians live in wide open spaces term staff member. I found out that the hotel”. When I arrived on the in the country?). The reader sud- I’m not the only Australian to have day and started to meet the group denly paused. Lost in her own world, ever graced the hotel. Aussies will members, this was a claim shared by she began pacing the hallway. find the bars, wherever they are. I a further two parties. Overall, the “There’s a Blue Lady here. She’s asked about the stories connected

Page 32 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 Ghost Mining with the hotel and was informed all that she ‘saw’. The ‘Blue that most of the locals believe Lady’ had returned. “I’m seeing that it is haunted. Skeptical a blue lady. She’s dressed in old himself, he still values these fashioned clothing. She’s very stories as part of the folkloric aggressive. She’s saying, “Go history of the hotel. Over the away!” She’s very angry that years he has heard stories of the we’re here”. I asked where the phantom sounds of people gam- ‘Blue Lady’ was and curiously, bling, singing and laughing. Most the intuitive crouched down, recently, the owners heard an pointing low towards the corner extremely loud crashing noise, as of a door. though a piece of furniture had She ‘saw’ lots of apparitions fallen over. Curiously, a different that none of the rest of us could version was relayed to me by see. Apparently, we were also in another staff member. In this the company of a shy “Pink second iteration, the owners Lady”. There was also an “Or- heard the sound of broken glass ange Lady”. There was a barking or broken wood (although these dog, possibly a poodle. There two sounds are very distinct). In were two wayward children, both tales, the owner and staff screaming and arguing. There searched the premises, but was another lone, quiet little couldn’t find the source of the girl. There was an indigenous noise. In a 3-storey, 33-room hotel American, in full tribal regalia full of guests and with a busy pub The author’s strong, silent room mate (perhaps this was motivated by downstairs, how could the staff be the ‘Indian’ statue on display in everywhere at once to determine the 10% is paranormal”. As we were the pub). There was a man smelling source? Furthermore, the hotel is about to start, she asked, “where is of beer and wearing a cowboy hat located at the intersection of two the skeptic?” Someone had dobbed and boots. Like an episode of major freeways, and with the busy on me! I raised my hand and she Romper Room, the intuitive could backdrop of the downtown area, the assured me, “I’m on your side”. ‘see’ Veronica, Jeffrey, Cindy, Scott noise may have originated outside. The intuitive who provided me and Peter. The living were clearly The lack of an immediate explana- with a reading was in my team. She outnumbered by the dead. tion is not proof of the paranormal. was the focal point in the group, The intuitive was very open to providing a running commentary of suggestion. I joked that one of the Investigation rooms looked like a brothel, At around 1.30 am a group of about draped in red velvet and with 30 people assembled in the hall of tacky faux ‘opulence’. Later on, the second floor. Everyone had she claimed that one of the some sort of investigative ‘tool’, female spirits was a prostitute from video cameras and hand-held and had taken her clients to this recorders, to Electro Magnetic room. There was proof too. A Field (EMF) readers and fellow sat down on a chaise ‘tempguns’ (temperature gauges). longue in the room and claimed These gadgets attempt to give a that he felt a sudden pressure on scientific basis to the investigation. his thighs, as though someone They detect normally occurring sat down on his lap. Then he felt phenomena that are misconstrued as though he was being groped as ‘proof’ of paranormal activity. by invisible hands. In the name We were split into three teams to of empirical research, another investigate the three floors. At this fellow tested the chair with great stage we couldn’t view the pub area determination for at least 20 as the police were there, following minutes…to no avail. These two up on a brawl. I was allocated a men got off lightly. In this same group that was to monitor the third room, a few females claimed to floor. The group leader gave us a feel their hair pulled or their face pre-hunt pep talk, “Remember “poked”. It turns out that this guys, about 90% of what happens room is named The Bordello can be explained and only about Searching for the Blue Lady Room, honouring the ‘red light’

the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 - Page 33 Ghost Mining district that was once near drinking coffee, energy the hotel. This is a theme only. drinks, and some, alcohol. It’s not as though John Wayne However, there was some had ever stayed in my room exciting news. According to (but apparently, he once lost a the group leader, the investi- poker game in the bar!). gation had elicited “2 pretty In another example of concrete EVP’s (sic) so far!” suggestion, the intuitive was Electronic Voice Phenomena accosted by a man who also are recorded sounds that are claimed to be intuitive. He interpreted as speech and reported seeing an “angry reputed to be paranormal in man”, a troubled spirit who origin. Taking a snippet of a mumbled incoherently as he recording, listeners attempt marched up and down the to recognise isolated words hallway. However, it was this and phrases that are often ‘intuitive’ patron who was believed to be alien contact or incoherent, and extremely (Un)chaste longue in the Bordello Room messages from the dead. intoxicated. In a cringe Gibberish is often conven- worthy gaffe, the intuitive took this images of the same scene, to “avoid iently perceived as an alien or suggestion and embellished it. “Yes, misinterpretation”, and wondered foreign language. Usually, there are I can see him too. He is smoking a why the orbs were not fixed in every many external influences and the cigar and telling us to ‘Get out!’”. shot. This was cited as ‘proof’ that hearer has to sort any unusual Unable to intuit that the patron was the orbs were spirits, but is clearly sounds from conversations and drunk, despite the fact that he due to the movement of dust parti- background noise. Often, the sounds stumbled and clutched at his head, cles. aren’t audible during the actual another intuitive asked him, “What’s The various cameras didn’t detect recording. EVPs are in the ear of the wrong?” The fellow complained that anything unusual, only revealing behearer, they are subjective inter- he suffers from headaches when mundane images of bedrooms, pretations. This is the audio version there are too many ghosts around. hallways and furniture. The only of pareidolia (ie, seeing faces on It wasn’t just the patrons who had person who ‘saw’ anything was the places other than heads). Other had ‘a few’. Clearly, some of the intuitive, who professed to see an examples can be explained away as investigators were mixing spirits exhaustive array of ‘spirits’. How- radio interference, or simply, human with spirits. It was almost 4am, and ever, her claims are unreliable, as voices. some were still snapping photo- suggested by her corroboration of Proof? graphs of empty rooms and ‘enticing’ the inebriated patron’s prank, a the spirits, demanding that they ‘vision’ of an “angry man”. A few What EVP ‘proof’ did the investi- “reveal” themselves to the group. people claimed to feel ‘cold spots’, gators have? There were two alleged Others were falling asleep on ‘hot spots’, ‘sad spots’ and reported EVPs, recorded by two different barstools in the pub and on chairs in feeling an inexplicable “thickness” in investigators. I was not present the hallways. The investigation was the air. The possible explanations during either taping. The first EVP over. are unexciting. The investigation was a twelve-second snippet of took place between 1.30-4.30 am, on interaction between the intuitive Results a cold night, in a warm hotel, with and a ‘spirit’ (the actual EVP can be What were the results of the investi- 30 investigators who were tired, heard on my website, at: www.bad- gation? Of the hundreds of photo- language.com/evp). graphs taken, none revealed Spirit: ‘Chill, chill’… any ghosts. Several investiga- Intuitive: (overlapped slightly) tors reported ‘orbs’ (circular Okay. patterns of light that com- monly appear on photographs), Hello. We need to but no self-respecting ghost know…um…what’s your name? hunter perceives these as Can you tell us? ‘evidence’ anymore. Orbs are so passé! Orbs appeared in many Spirit: (Two fast, short breaths) of the photographs that I took, Intuitive: (overlapping slightly) and no surprises there…the Okay. hotel was dusty, stale and dark. Some took multiple Mysterious ‘orb’ So…do you like any of us?

Page 34 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 Clearly, the spirit didn’t like any doing?” with no reply, and a clear premise, ‘there is something par- of them, as the spirit’s conversation conversation held in the background. anormal here’, and went into the ended here. The initial ‘utterance’ A few of the investigators claimed investigation, determined to prove sounded like the gravelly, cancerous that they could hear a mumble on this belief. As an example of confir- throat-like strains of Sylvia Browne. the recording. Throughout the mation bias, many believed that While this sounded like the repeti- investigation, others claimed to hear something was there, and, sure tion of the English word chill, this strange whispers, laughing or cries, enough, they ‘found’ it. Every occur- made no sense as any kind of mes- but no one produced any recordings rence was rationalised as a paranor- sage, or in the context. Interpreted of these. mal event, but there was no actual as speech, this was just a meaning- One investigator initially claimed analysis. Where science would less sound. to have recorded the sounds of an normally begin, this investigation The two staccato-like breaths “an old time piano playing”. In a ended. sounded feminine. There was a pleasing display of skepticism, the The conclusions of this extremely slight overlapping between the owner of this ‘EVP’ eventually superficial investigation were that dialogue of the ‘spirit’ and the deduced that it was not a piano, but the National Hotel is haunted, on intuitive, so that eliminated the the sound made by another mem- the basis of the two examples of intuitive as the source. However, I ber’s video camera as it was Electronic Voice Phenomena, the learnt that there were at least two switched on. ‘visual evidence’ provided by the other people present in the room, a intuitive, and any other anecdotal female, and the male recording the Conclusion evidence. The group plans to take episode. The door to the room was This was a highly biased, uncon- their ‘findings’ to the owners of the also open, allowing for outside trolled investigation that did not hotel, to confirm the mutual belief interference. All around, there were produce any proof. The ‘results’ were that it is haunted. There is a popu- groups holding conversations, and a not analysed using critical thinking lar stereotypical saying that, ‘For live band playing downstairs. This is skills. The participants should have the believer, no proof is needed. For proof (not so) positive. entered into the investigation asking the skeptic, no proof is enough’. The second EVP was even less the question, ‘is there anything However, for some of these paranor- convincing. This featured a human paranormal here?’ Instead, many of mal investigators, it seems that voice asking the ‘spirit’, “Hey, how ya the investigators started with the ‘everything is proof’. Karen’s Research

Karen Stollznow’s research at UC writing. They will effectively become This conservation is of linguistic, Berkeley, is part of the Script Encod- incompatible with modern technol- historical, educational and cultural ing Initiative (SEI), a project that ogy, and redundant. importance. Encoding these aims to encode endangered writing The project is currently working to scripts can help to promote native- systems into the Unicode Standard encode about 80 endangered scripts language education, literacy, research (the universal computing standard from all around the world. These and publication. Scripts are systems specifying the representation of text represent a diverse range of language of meaning, but they are also arte- in all modern software). Simply, this families, and the many different facts and artworks. is to preserve these scripts so that types of scripts (eg, alphabets repre- These scripts are fascinating and they can be used on computers, in a sent sounds and ideographs repre- each one has a story to tell. For universally standardised format. sent ideas). Some are historical example, some of the scripts are So far, Unicode has mostly focused writing systems (eg, Egyptian undeciphered, such as Rongo Rongo on the world’s major modern scripts, Hieroglyphs and the Linear A) and from Easter Island. For 500 years Nu such as the Latin and Cyrillic Alpha- others are modern scripts (eg, Shu (“women’s writing”) was a secret bets. The SEI is the voice for ancient Balinese and Tulu). script in China, used solely by scripts and living minority scripts. women. The Bassa script was used in These need to be preserved in a parts of Liberia and Sierra Leone to modern format (not just any created avoid slave traders. The script almost font but a universal standard). If they died out when colonial forces banned aren’t preserved in this way, all we’ll its use. The SEI is also trying to have left to attest to these scripts are encode artificial scripts such as J.R. a few extant examples such as Tolkien’s Tengwar script. inscribed tablets, coins, tattered The project website can be viewed at: scrolls and fading samples of hand- Rongo Rongo script www.linguistics.berkely.edu/sei/index.httm

the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 - Page 35 Letter from Nigeria Skepticism in Africa

A chance for Skeptics to assist n November, I traveled to Sen- spiritual, occultic and supernatural our friends in Africa Iegal, the Gambia and Sierra means. Witches are said to cause Leone to meet scientists and skeptics diseases, accidents and death. and to explore the prospects of The students told me that they skepticism in these countries. were brought up to fear owls. An owl In Senegal I met Prof Fadel Niang is believed to be a witch with the of the Ecole Superieur Polytechnique power to kill or harm human beings, in Dakar. Fadel heads the Center for so children are told to kill it Inquiry-Senegal, the only organis- wherever they see it. The students ation of its kind that promotes were excited to hear about a reason and science in the country. movement that promotes reason, Like most countries in Africa, science and critical thinking. They Senegal is a deeply religious society asked me to send them science and — 95% Muslim , 5% Catholic. skeptic books and magazines. I gave Traditional life is mired in myths, them copies of the Skeptic and the superstition and taboos. For Skeptical Inquirer. instance, in some communities, While in the Gambia I met a people do not go to market on Wed- witchdoctor selling charms in the nesdays or cut their hair on ferry. Through an interpreter I Saturdays. They believe that such understood that the charms were an actions would lead to death and mis- antidote to poison and snake bites. fortune — these beliefs have gone Some people, mostly women, bought unchallenged for centuries. CFI- charms from him, but I told people Senegal has set up programs to that they should not patronize promote critical thinking and peddlers of such paranormal wares scientific outlook among the Wollof unless they can prove or demonstrate people. There is no doubt that the the efficacy of their claims. In Africa, Center faces a herculean task. people believe that juju and charms In the Gambia I met with leaders can protect them from gunshots, of the science club at the University infertility, business failure, pre- of the Gambia. We discussed the mature death and diseases. Even prevalence of superstition in the with all the charms and amulets country and how we can tackle it. Africans use, the continent is still They told me how seers and marabus ravaged by hunger, poverty, famine exploit poor ignorant folks by and preventable diseases. manipulating commonsensical In Sierra Leone I met with Leo Igwe, a regular Skeptic correspondent, runs knowledge and data. One of the most skeptics who are doing whatever the Nigerian Skeptics. Anyone who wishes to common superstitious beliefs in the they can to keep alive the ideals of support his efforts can contact Leo at Gambia is witchcraft — the belief reason, science and critical thinking [email protected] that people can harm others through under very difficult circumstances.

Page 36 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 Since the war, the country has systematically robs Africans of the one leg, had his bone recreated by witnessed a proliferation of irrational good they would have achieved and God there and then. Another boy had beliefs and paranormal claims. enjoyed by thinking critically and a rotten hip, they brought him there Alternative medicine men are scientifically, and by basing their and while we prayed God repaired promoting their dubious therapies, lives, thoughts, actions and decisions every thing there and then.” while Christian evangelists are on facts and evidence. Kumuyi further claimed to have organizing crusades promising the In Senegal I met many people performed miracles in Burkina Faso, salvation, miracles and break- begging in the name of Allah. The Ghana and Sierra Leone. But if throughs ‘in Jesus’ Name’. In fact beggars were not asking Allah for Kumuyi really believes that his paranormalists are having a field help. Instead they were asking prayers can recreate bones, why day as the people grapple with the commuters and passers-by to give didn’t he visit the Amputees Camp in task of reconstructing and them alms so that Allah would bless Grafton while he was in Sierra rehabilitating their nation. Leone and pray so that God There is no place this is would recreate the bones of more evident than in the these people whose hands country’s only university. We and legs were chopped off by visited the science depart- rebels during the war? They ment at the Fourah Bay are really the people who College and met Mr Okoni- need the miracle of bone Williams of the Department recreation and repair. But of Biological Sciences. We Kumuyi did not and, I am discussed how the faculty sure, he would never try to staff and students could put his God to the test by partner with the skeptics visiting Grafton. movement to promote critical This is a clear pointer to thinking and scientific the fact the Africa needs a temper. viable skeptics movement to After a quick glance at a challenge, confront and copy of the September/ expose these fraudsters, October 2006 edition of the University of Gambia students with Skeptical reading matter parading themselves as Skeptical Inquirer — this faith healers and witch- edition focused on DNA and them in return. If Allah can bless doctors. Without proactive skeptics Evolution among other topics — Mr anyone who gives alms to the poor, groups, mass exploitation, gullibility Okoni-Williams said he welcomed why can’t he/she bless the poor and nincoompoopery will continue to the proposal. But that (he was very directly so that they could get off the reign on the continent of Africa. emphatic about this) he would not streets and save the resources of Already there are some skeptics accept any idea that would distort people, most of whom are living on groups and individual activists on his Christianity. He teaches genetics less than one dollar a day? campuses and communities across and evolution, but he said that ‘as a But I know that when it comes to the region. But they are too few to born again Christian’ he ‘believes in matters concerning religion most confront the enormous tasks ahead the Bible and the creation’. He went Africans do not want to think or of them. African skeptics are doubt- on to lecture us on how the teachings apply their common sense. They ing, debunking and debating under of the Bible were superior to those of always want to be ‘faithful’, hence very difficult and antagonistic the sciences. Africa has become a continent where circumstances. So they need your One of the tragedies of the most people are not only filled with help. scientific enterprise in Africa is that faith but are fooled in the name of African skeptics need books and trained scientists denigrate science faith. magazines to nourish, inspire and and instead celebrate and profess While in the Gambia I bought the motivate them. They need training pseudo science. Africa needs October edition of the New African. It opportunities to equip them with scientists like Richard Dawkins and had a supplement on Nigeria’s skeptical tools and techniques. The Stephen Jay Gould to promote public Deeper Life Church, founded 30 skeptical cause in Africa is too appreciation and understanding of years ago by a mathematician and important to be left to the few the scientific outlook. former university lecturer, Pastor W. Africans who are currently champi- In Senegal, the Gambia and F. K u m u y i . oning it. So I invite you to join Sierra Leone, there was palpable In an interview published in the efforts with us and help make evidence of how religious hogwash magazine, Kumuyi claimed to have skepticism happen on the African and paranormal claims are under- healed many people through his continent. The civilization you help mining the growth and development prayers.“The blind had their eyes save could one day become your own of the region. Superstition opened. A boy, who had no bone in or that of your children.

the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 - Page 37 Investigation

Dumb, Dumber & Really Dumb at the ABC

Is a National Cultural Institution n the Spring 2005 issue, we asked Factual Programs. “what is going on at the ABC?” growing senile? I 5.2 Every effort must be made to ensure We went on to say that following on that the factual content of such pro- from the decidedly daft program grams is accurate and in context and Second Opinion, Rachael Kohn’s does not misrepresent viewpoints. program The Spirit of Things claimed that so-called ‘forensic Suspecting that the ABC had not psychic’ Alison DuBois had helped run some sort of accuracy rule over police and the FBI solve murders, the series, I offered to the editor to and we showed that this claim is view the entire series and analyse it demonstrably false. One would have to see if it was of a high standard, thought that our ridicule would was accurate and did not misrepre- persuade the powers-that-be in the sent viewpoints. “Yes please” said ABC to be more careful in future not your editor, “just let me get back to to arouse the ire of the Skeptic. the Ashes Series.” Alas, there’s no fool like an ABC So I recorded the series of Psychic fool. Hardly had our ink dried, but Investigators, and what did I find? I your ABC, at great expense to the found: • Nowhere in the series did a poor bleeding taxpayer, ran a com- ‘psychic’ solve a crime. Every crime plete series called Psychic Investiga- depicted here was solved through tors, from 30 November 2006 to 8 ordinary police work, the develop- February 2007. Now call me a ments of new technologies such as a skeptical old curmudgeon if you will, national computerised fingerprint but surely one would expect that the database and DNA profiling, and ABC would have run some sort of through the confessions of people accuracy rule over programs on offer, involved in the crimes. if only to ensure that the ABC runs • Nowhere in the series was any programs that conform to the ‘psychic’s’ claim subjected to any Australian Broadcasting Corpora- verification. In every episode, tion Act 1983 Section 6 which says ‘psychics’ claimed to have special that the: insight into the crimes and the Charter of the Corporation (1) perpetrators, in one case claiming The functions of the Corporation are: 120 hits, but the program makers never subjected these claims to any (a)to provide within Australia innova- sort of scrutiny. Everything they Ken McLeod worked in Search And Rescue for tive and comprehensive broadcasting said was accepted without a quibble. 30 years, all the time bewildered by psychics, services of a high standard… In some cases, the claims were made until he retired to his boutique farm on the and the ABC Code of Practice in interviews 20 years after the NSW south coast which says in Section 5: crime; surely that would raise some

Page 38 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 suspicion that the ‘hits’ were made series could persuade the gullible 5.1 The ABC is committed to providing after reading newspapers. that ‘psychics’ helped police solve programs of relevance and diversity • Nowhere in the series did a serious crimes, but a careful analysis which reflect a wide range of audience policeman concede that a ‘psychic’ does not show that. interests, beliefs and perspectives. helped to solve a crime, although in So, was the series of a high So that’s all right then, even if a two episodes they did come close to standard, accurate and did it accu- program is absolute trash, is inaccu- that. However, they would say that rately represent viewpoints? No, it rate, does misrepresent, and does not wouldn’t they: in one case the was absolute trash, was inaccurate, conform to the Australian Broadcast- detective married the ‘psychic’ and and did misrepresent, so it did not ing Corporation Act and the ABC in the other the detective was conform to the Australian Broadcast- Code of Practice, the Code of Practice subjected to such ridicule in the ing Corporation Act and the ABC has a contradictory escape clause office that I suspect she said that to Code of Practice. that commits the ABC to programs justify her involving the ‘psychic’. None of this would matter much, which reflect any interest, belief and Even then all she said was that the except that duping people into perspective, no matter how bizarre, ‘psychic’ ‘enhanced the investiga- believing ‘psychics’ solve crimes and and no matter how much trauma tion’, whatever that means. locate missing people, as I learned they cause. It’s only money after all; • In Episode 2, a policeman being early in my 30 years in Search And why waste it on schools and hospi- interviewed said ‘Would we have Rescue, further traumatises the tals. Following on from Psychic solved the crime without consulting bereaved and wastes the time of Investigators, we will soon be seeing the psychic?’ Without anyone an- police and searchers. a steady stream of whackos sprout swering the question, the scene and The ABC has done a great mis- their cases for paedophilia, aliens the narration went elsewhere. The chief here, compounding the mischief building the Moon, and my old viewer is left to make his or her own of Rachael Kohn’s program The favourite, the Flat Earth. assessments, which if one is rather Spirit of Things. The ABC should On the 7:30 Report, during a piece gullible, the selective presentation of show a series which scrutinises the on global warming and coral bleach- facts might led him or her to a ‘yes.’ claims of ‘psychics’, the result would ing, Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldburg, • Nowhere in the series did the lead to less trauma for the bereaved, of Qld University said: … well, there producers specifically claim that a but that is clearly not what the ABC are places for flat-earthers.... psychic solved, or helped solve, a is interested in. The ABC claims to How right he was, but I don’t crime. By interweaving two sets of be conforming to the ABC Code of think the Professor had the ABC in facts, (psychic claims and crime Practice which says in Section 5: mind. Pity. scene facts) the producers imply that they are related, a poor example of logic, and a misrepresentation that can easily dupe the viewer. In Furthermore Episode 9, after a long series of On a related theme, on February 26, “Murders and Clairvoyants” (24:1), it claims by the ‘psychic’ , the narrator the long-running and usually excel- is highly likely that many of the asked “Would the crime have been lent ABC programme, Australian stories the police heard would not solved without psychic help?” No Story, aired a piece about the still have come from witnesses who might answer is given, that is left to the unsolved disappearance, in 2003, of have seen something, nor from gullibility of the viewer. 13 year-old Sunshine Coast boy, people who might have known • Police were always ‘baffled’, yet Daniel Morcombe. It was a heart- something about possible perpetra- nowhere do the police ever say they wrenching story, cataloguing the tors, but from self-proclaimed were baffled, and in several episodes pain and suffering of a family losing psychics. police had identified the culprit a child under mysterious circum- People whose unsubstantiated early in the investigation, but did stances, consisting of interviews with ‘feelings’ or ‘visions’, no matter how not have sufficient evidence to make the parents and police officers who well-meant, could only have added to an arrest. Later developments did had been involved with the case. the distress of a grieving family and provide the extra evidence needed, During the course of the pro- to the work load of an over stretched but not from any ‘psychic.’ gramme, the officer in charge of the police force. Conclusion investigation, Detective Superin- It’s a pity that the ABC which, in tendent John Maloney, said “We the face of many complaints so What are we left with after all this? have hundreds and hundreds of strenuously defended its decision to A pile of unverified claims from stories there that come in and we show Psychic Investigators, could not psychics, spooky music with heav- investigate them all, try and sub- have included information about how enly choirs, blurry visions of bare stantiate whether there is any truth psychics behave in real investiga- trees and ghosts, and not one single in them.” However, as we learned tions in a real documentary about verified claim. At first glance, the from Bret Christian’s Skeptic article real people.

the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 - Page 39 Pseudoscience It Gets You Thinking

There’s more to energy than ometimes the strangest things ethics, it does not care if you’ve been simply feeling good Sget you thinking. A dear friend, naughty or nice, and it lacks empa- Shona, was recently diagnosed with a thy in the same way it lacks brain tumour, benign thankfully, but thought. Like much New Age jargon, growing. Surgery was the only the word ‘positive’ has been bor- option. Now I didn’t want to make rowed directly from science. Energy this about myself; sure I was certainly can be positive, not in devastated, but Shona was the one reference to any intrinsic glass half- who had to go through the surgery, full/half-empty properties it might deal with the pain and cope with the possess, but to its electrical charge. fear of having someone poking Now the power of thought does seem around inside her skull. Still, I was to have an effect on the healing upset and such emotions are not process; it is usually referred to as diminished by the notion that psychosomaticism and though, as someone else is feeling worse than yet, the evidence for it is inconclu- you are. I wasn’t handling it well at sive, at least a scientific dialogue is all; three days with inadequate sleep, present. But the psychosomatic little food and a gnawing anxiety process comes from within, whereas that grew day by day, made it obvious my Canadian friend’s energy was to anyone who spoke to me that I was being ‘projected’ over a considerable reaching the limits of what I could distance. Just what exactly was this endure both physically and mentally. energy supposed to be? There were many well-wishers, pep Of the four fundamental forces in talks and hugs from people acting as the universe, two tend to avoid the people tend to in these situations — life of a commuter. Both the weak and with outpourings of love. But through strong nuclear forces operate over it all I was acutely aware of how very small distances; in the case of many people offered to send my the weak force its range is around friend ‘positive energy’. One girl in 10-18 meters, which is about 0.1% of particular, living in Canada, claimed the diameter of a proton. The strong to be sending this energy every night force’s propensity for travel is more before she went to bed. That got me variable but certainly it is not going thinking. What exactly is positive to win any prizes for long distance energy? athletics. Gravity travels over long Clearly, within this context, the distances, although the particle that word positive refers to an attitude, carries this energy, the graviton, has simple good-willed thoughts that are yet to be found and remains supposed to aid Shona’s ordeal in theoretical. Gravity however is a very Ian Jacksonis is completing a PhD in Politics ways not clearly specified. Of course, weak force and the amount of gravity at Murdoch University. energy has no basic philosophy, no that my Canadian friend’s head can

Page 40 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 generate would be too small to tends to travel in a straight line. As consumption of excessive amounts of measure. escape velocity on the surface of the listeria-ridden cheese or herbal That leaves electromagnetic Earth is 11 km per second, the Alpha ointments ‘from the Yangtze valley’, radiation as the only likely candidate wave would simply shoot off into all are available from people who for positive energy. Electromagnetic space. Poor Shona. possess the conviction that their radiation, like Heinz products, comes For this positive energy to reach product works but who lack the in a number of varieties, and it is the her at all it would have to steer itself altruism to share it for free. type of energy that human beings are around the curvature of the Earth, The practice and use of such most intimately familiar with, not not something that energy is usually remedies is inherently cowardly — least because it forms the visible wont to do; exceptionally massive psychic healers, upon learning of a spectrum that we refer to simply as gravitational wells can pull energy off brain tumour, run to doctors as light. Since it is reasonable to assume course but the Earth does not even quickly as the rationalists do. Their that my Canadian friend’s forehead come close to being massive enough to healing powers suddenly become does not light up like a beacon when have any noticeable effect on the ‘comple-mentary’ and though the she sends this positive energy, we can route of em radiation. What is worse crystals might still hang over the remove the visually perceivable (for Shona) my Canadian friend has bed, it is the doctors who will do the wavelengths — around 380 to 780 nm never met her and knows little of her surgery. — from the equation. We can also location other than the fact that, like And if all this sounds a little remove a whole host of other me, she lives in WA, an area of some flippant, a little too upbeat, it is wavelengths; any gamma or X-rays 2,529,875 sq km. Her Alpha wave because three days ago the brilliant emitted from someone’s head would would have to make a couple of phone surgeons of Sir Charles Gardiner destroy the tissue of the brain and calls when it arrived in order to find hospital in WA operated on Shona, irradiate anyone and anything Shona. It is inherently absurd. removing the tumour and saving her unfortunate enough to be in close New Age healing, with its crystals life. This morning she was well proximity to the ‘sender’. Magnetic and chanting, appeals to the enough to be wheeled down to a café projection would cause paperclips to emotional, and quite natural, fear and sit and drink some coffee with leap from desks, and form a rather that humans have of their own me. Thirty or forty years ago, Shona’s unusual crown around our New mortality. It relies on romanticised, tumour, if they had found it at all, Ager’s head. Again, it is reasonable to facile concepts, easily understood, would have killed her within a year. assume that this isn’t happening to packaged and sold to people en masse. Science is like a pebble, rolling my Canadian friend. It is also very selective. No one is down a hill whose gradient increases But the brain does produce interested in practising the medieval into infinity. Unlike the proverbial electromagnetic (em) energy, in the art of drilling holes in heads to let out rolling stone this one does gather form of electromagnetic oscillations, demons, allowing themselves instead moss, each fleck of which is added to referred to as Alpha, Beta, Delta or to be steered towards the far more the collective knowledge, increasing Theta waves; the Alpha waves are exotic practices of other cultures. our understanding of the universe in most commonly associated with Iridology, Ayurveda or homeopathic some small but significant way. It theories about telepathy, making treatments have seen something of a was science that saved Shona’s life, them a likely candidate for ‘positive renaissance in recent years. science that created the kettle that energy’. It hardly needs saying in a Part of the appeal of New Age boiled the water for the coffee we magazine called the Skeptic that medicine is that scientific medicine drank and science that will allow me parapsychological studies in this area remains an imperfect art. Diseases to transmit this article to Barry have been characterized by deception, exist for which little or no treatment Williams for review and publication. fraud, incompetence in setting up is available, and doctors must And although my Canadian friend controlled experiments and occasionally inform patients that had nothing but good intentions, and evaluating statistical data, but let’s their condition, fatal or otherwise, is though I truly appreciated the be kind and allow for the assumption beyond their means to cure. sentiment, I can’t help but be glad that human beings can transmit Crystals undertake to bring their that the medical profession long ago Alpha waves over distance. mysterious energies to bear upon a realized her Alpha waves were of no Alpha waves, like all forms of em problem, promising so much and use to anyone but herself. They sat energy, travel at the speed of light — rarely taking the time to record what down and worked out solutions to 300,000 kilometres per second. My it has failed to deliver. Nor is it mortal ailments using rationalism Canadian friend lives roughly 18,000 always benign; those unfortunate instead of mysticism. km from Western Australia so her enough to be diagnosed with terminal If they hadn’t, my days of sharing Alpha Wave would take only 0.06 cancer will find the Internet awash a coffee with my dear, sweet friend seconds to reach Shona. Not too with miracle cures that for a ‘small would have been numbered. And I’d shabby! fee’ will denude the desperate of their have had one less reason to smile Unfortunately for Shona, the money in order to divulge the secret. when I woke up this morning. Earth is a sphere and em energy The power of positive thought, the Makes you think, no?

the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 - Page 41 Humour

Walkerbout

Chronicle of the peregrinations hen I arrived in Australia in ham Vice Squad. He took great of a not-so-innocent abroad. W1968, I used to ‘play the clubs’ pleasure in showing me an article of NSW with a Comedy and Magic For best effect, this article from the Nottingham News which act, which was once described as reported that: should be read with a “Good and Original”, however the Despite complaints from local resi- Yorkshire accent. problem was that the parts that dents, an S&M {Sadism and Maso- were good weren’t original … and chism] Club in Stapleford had escaped the parts that were original weren’t the law thanks to being issued with a good. Amongst other bits it featured license to operate as a physiotherapy a routine about “Signs” — things centre’. ‘We’d like to close them down’ like Stainless Steel Sinks … doesn’t said a police spokesman ‘but our hands everyone know that? and Ears are tied’. pierced while you wait ... tell me, With that kind of positive action what’s the alternative? … and my from the Police it’s no wonder that particular favourite which used to there has been a four-fold increase adorn the escalator on the lower in Massage Parlours in the Notting- platform at Wynyard Station Dogs ham area in the last few years. Must be Carried on Moving Stair- Football hooliganism is still case … sometimes it can take up to rampant in the UK and normally, 40 minutes to find a dog to carry! therefore, it would be Liverpool Well you get the idea. Football Club who’d be apologizing I’m not sure if it was that, or to the residents of Skegness for joining the Skeptics that has fuelled trashing their town after Liverpool this lifelong interest in things that won (or lost) an FA cup match there. are ‘Funny Ha Ha’ or ‘Funny Pecu- However, in a twist of fate, the local liar’ but it has certainly generated a Skegness newspaper had to apolo- healthy skeptical interest in the gize to all Liverpool fans when, in intended meaning of the written their match report, they stated that (and spoken) word and a strong the song, which has become the belief that truth is stranger, and anthem for Liverpool, was in fact often much funnier, than fiction. You’ll Never Walk Alone and not, as Last year I decided to take a trip they had reported, You’ll Never Walk back to the UK, via magicians’ Again. conventions in the USA and Sweden, Skegness is a seaside resort (some to visit with family and friends. say a last resort) on the Lincolnshire In Nottingham I met up with two coast. It justifiably boasts Seven Steve Walker, master magician, comedian and University drinking buddies, Miles of Golden Sand, but unfortu- Skeptic, was born in the Yorkshire village of Margaret and Wendy, and met, for nately is extremely windy for most Wedlock — well actually just outside it. His only the second time, Margaret’s of the summer. The spin doctors grandfather was psychic as he knew exactly husband Julian who, before winning have used this to create the town when he was going to die — mind you, a judge the Queens Medal and retiring a few motto, told him. years ago, was head of the Notting- Skegness is Bracing.

Page 42 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 In a desperate attempt to segue Milligan of course was the ulti- daily so I checked the various smoothly to the next item, the mate wordsmith genius when it websites to update myself and was apology, plus the “bracing” wind came to finding alternative mean- surprised to find at Southwest Air reminds me of a trip to Wellington, ings. Take for example his descrip- the following paragraph: Parachutes New Zealand about a year ago, tion of his first theatrical agent, who are allowed in checked or carry-on where I managed to visit on the only promised he would make Spike a luggage but not allowed to be worn day of the year that the famous “star”, however he warned Spike in flight. We decided against flying cable car was closed for its annual that: IOn the ladder of success it is to Jersey. maintenance. necessary to start on the bottom The local WH Smiths had a large Beside the sign was another note rung. Spike commented, Not only travel section so I bought a book on which apologetically said, We regret did I not believe him, but if his Prague which tells me among other that our Windspeed Indicator is not bottom rung I wouldn’t answer it. places of interest that the Museum working as it was blown away in the of Communism is located in recent gales. Trouble at t’ mill Wenceslas Square ... above McDonalds and next to the Casino! Last words Visiting my hometown of Dewsbury in Yorkshire I was appalled to see This sounds somewhat similar to the state of the old, yet majestic, the Exhibition of Nazi Memorabilia “I have news 6 feet deep …. That sounds that opened recently in Berlin. After like grave news” The Goon Show Pioneer Building, not only once a Picture Palace of splendour both the grand opening ceremony the Obituaries and epitaphs hold a inside and out, but also the holder of official party went down the road certain fascination for me and I was the town’s box office record for a and invaded a Polish Restaurant. recently made aware of the obituary weeks takings for the movie The [I’m sorry I made that up] of Frank Shackelton Fergus which Robe. This former temple of dreams We did however go to Ireland, appeared in the UK Daily Telegraph and back row co-ed college for flying Luton to Waterford, with Aer around the turn of the millennium. snogging and groping, had fallen Arann, and I’m happy to report that Poor Frank died aged 89, but into disrepair together with the rumours the plane stopped at the according to the researcher he will adjacent Co-op shops. The majority Isle of Man to take on wood were be best remembered for being ... the of the shops being unused and with unfounded. We had a wonderful time first man [or woman] to X-ray a duck the remaining three joined together and at a party after the local agricul- billed platypus. to sell cheap furniture with tatty tural show in Pilstown (between Peter O’Toole was recently on the signs strung everywhere saying Waterford and Limerick), a Piltown David Letterman Show and when Closing Down Sale, 80% off and resident [That’s a Piltown Man not asked what he would like on his suchlike. Piltdown Man] tried to teach me the headstone he told the following Two of the many signs gained my basics of Irish Dancing, which Dave story. attention, the first said, SALE ... Allen always reckoned was invented Many years ago he had a leather Last Week …. Once I’d got my brain in a pub in Dublin when the toilet jacket that became his favourite around the fact that it was the last door got jammed shut. The man said casual wear due to the fact that it week of the sale rather than they it was really easy ‘cos the hands and was stained with all manner of were advertising a sale that took arms did nothing but just hang things, including Guinness, red place last week, I noticed the follow- there. All that was necessary, he wine, vomit and other debris, too ing: assured me, was to ... get your left humorous to mention, every drip leg right then you’ve only got your Commode Chairs £30 … Stools £10. and dreg reminding him of only right leg left to get right. happy times. His wife, at the time, My wife, Ann, was joining me in My efforts to partake in this decided, unbeknownst to him, to the UK for the last month of the trip activity were as a result of reading have the jacket dry cleaned and and since I was first to arrive I had The Irish Gazette which stated that: when it returned it had a note from to check on various possible excur- Most newcomers to Ireland respect Sycamore Dry Cleaners attached sions that were available to us. Irish culture. They want to fit in and which stated: Prague, Ireland, Jersey and Paris contribute to their new home by It distresses us to return work that is less were mentioned as possibilities. This attending Irish language classes and than perfect. was just after the terrorist alert and playing traditional Irish music. It was right then and there that stringent restrictions had been Special mention must therefore be O’Toole decided that would be for quickly put in place for carry-on given to Nigerian-born Irish Mo- him, a most fitting epitaph. luggage, basically saying no liquids nopoly champion Ekumdayo The most famous gravestone in of any kind, and everything carried Badmus, who represented Ireland in recent years would have to be that of on board had to be in a transparent the Monopoly world championships Terence “Spike” Milligan which plastic bag. As the time progressed in 2000, for going a little beyond the simply says, I told you I was ill. the restrictions were relaxed almost call of duty when he ... changed his

the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 - Page 43 Walkerbout surname to O’Badmus to sound more occasionally, right) but points are de- addressed Bill Bryson, Author, Irish. ducted for answers which merely repeat Yorkshire, England. Returning to England’s green and common misconceptions and urban Here’s the latest story. pleasant land [sounds better than myth. A postman successfully delivered a let- flying back into Manchester] I noted I even emailed the people respon- ter marked only with a name, a map of in the newsagents that Prima sible for this show [the producer is South West England and the words magazine contained an article titled John Lloyd famous for, among other ‘Somewhere Here’. A sketch on the en- “463 Ways to make Christmas great shows, Black Adder] which I’m velope showed Cornwall, Devon and Simple”,The Sussex Express advised sure would appeal greatly to Skep- Somerset with an arrow pointing to- you could: tics, and I urged them to sell it to wards a dot. Australia. I even received a reply Win Free Tickets to see the First Life- The postal staff worked out that the size Knitted Garden asking me which channel I thought intended town was Bude in North and that the Independent on would be the most suitable. Cornwall and they recognized the name Sunday reported A Welsh tortoise Typical of the of questions asked as Peter O’Leary. The letter was from a has been recaptured 1.8 miles from was one in reference to the results of former colleague who was trying to get home after 8 months “on the run”! a survey that appeared in the back in touch but unfortunately for Mr I also managed to watch an British Medical Journal stating: O’Leary the sender failed to include his episode of Q.I. [which stands for Most obese adults, who have chosen own address! Quite Interesting], now in its fourth surgery and experienced complications, By the way, I did get to Paris; I series, with Stephen Fry hosting and including death, have been satisfied took a cab from my London Hotel Allan Davies as the permanent with their choice. and asked the driver for the London panel member. The QI website Let me finish on a story about the to Paris train terminal. He looked states that the program: UK postal service. This kind of story at me , smiled and said, ‘You’re a ... could loosely be described as a com- seems to occur every year in Eng- Star?’ ‘Well’ I said modestly, ‘I’ve edy panel quiz. However, none of the land so it could be generated by been on TV in Australia but I’m no stellar line-up of comedians is expected their PR department however if you Rolf Harris’. to be able to answer any questions, and have read Bill Bryson’s Notes from a It was with a red face and much if anyone ends up with a positive score, Small Island [and by the way, you embarrassment that I paid him they can be very happy with their per- should] he had a high regard for the quickly when he dropped me at the formance. Points are awarded for be- UK Post for being able to deliver “EUROSTAR” check in. ing interesting or funny (and, very letters to him that were merely Thanks for your indulgence.

Sydney Dinner Meetings 2007

Sydney Skeptics and visitors can May 19 Prof Fred Watson, Astronomer-in-Charge, Anglo-Australian enjoy performances by Steve Telescope, Siding Spring, popular science broadcaster (and folk singer) will address the State of the Universe. Walker and his prestidigitational pals at the NSW Skeptics Magic Night at the Chatswood Club, 11 July 28 Dr Tim Entwisle, Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Help St, Chatswood on Saturday, Sydney, will ask Are plants immortal, and how do they feel about it? October 13. Oct 13 Magic Night, with Steve Walker, Peter Rodgers and friends will Following the sell-out perform- amaze and amuse you with their magical skills. ance of our first Dinner with Dr Details of all dinners, on-line reservations plus functions Karl Kruszelnicki on February 24, conducted by all Skeptics branches can be found at: patrons are advised to book early for the following events. www.skeptics.com.au/events/events.htm

Page 44 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 Satire Healthmanship Part 2 — Diagnosis

The second in our continuing elcome to the second part can not) read the advertising and series, leading to success in Wof the Healthmanship corre- does not watch the advertorials. the Alternatives2Medicine spondence course. I would like to say These ‘word of mouth’ referrals may a few words about our college, the just have symptoms. In these professions Greater Southern Hemispherical circumstances Healthmen need to Electronic Correspondence College interpret the symptoms in such a of Life and Professional Skills for way that the assertion cannot be the Alternatives to Medicine Indus- simply refuted by the clients. The try. It has a proud history of provid- best method is to apply ‘cold reading’ ing training for a huge range of methodology. This allows the institutions. We do not provide the Healthman to appear to be a keen spiel that Healthmen will use in observer, or better still for the their professional practice, but do we credulous, clairvoyant. provide the skills needed to the The chiropractor or osteopath, practice a business success. aided by years of extensive market- One feature common to all ing, can begin by saying “I sense you alt2med professions is the need to are worried that you have something simulate a diagnosis when there is wrong with your spine”, notice that no training in sciences to underpin the content is focused immediately the action. The first and easiest step on the client and that there is the is to accept, unquestioningly, the self appearance of empathy. Obviously diagnosis provided by the client. Our how this line is acted will signifi- competitors err by applying scien- cantly affect its acceptability to the tific methods when they see clients client. I suggest that prospective with a new problem. The ridiculous Healthmen copy the look of the old questioning of the clients beliefs TV doctors — Kildare is probably about their bodies’ structure and the best example of an acted earnest functioning alienates the customers, caring expression. who know what they feel is due to For those of you with a limited the interpretation they read in any advertising budget, in preparing the self diagnosis magazine. This is why ground you may need to act more it is so important to build and keep a medical, but the opening line must relationship with the media so we be delivered with the same earnest can continue to undermine client caring expression. If the client trust in scientific method to our provides some interpretation from J.D. Brookwell, Professor and Head of School mutual profitability. another professional, do not attack Health, Greater Southern Hemispherical Occasionally Healthmen will see a the other professional directly — Electronic Correspondence College of Life and patient who does not express a self that is to be left for later when a Professional skills for the Alternatives 2 diagnosis due to social shyness, or return visit is set up. This person Medicine Industry they meet someone who does not (or has failed to achieve what they

the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 - Page 45 Healthmanship wanted from the other professional, dummy records and ensure they can Of course the doctor does not do their symptoms may be persisting or be seen from the waiting room so compensation cases, he does not get whatever. However, there will be a that clients think you are more paid by the insurance industry for key dissatisfaction which you will popular. If you use a book for ap- useless treatments but do not state need to exploit but we will leave that pointments write dummy names in this — imply that he chooses not to for another day. the book and block off large sections do workers compensation. This does As the client delivers their expla- so that people can never get an not preclude payment from the nation for being there nod with each appointment immediately, unless Department of Veterans affairs who, point, wince when episodes of pain you or your staff make it very it seems, will pay for any ‘therapy’ are described and maintain eye obvious to them that your are doing that makes the poor old diggers or contact. If people mention something them a favour, and putting yourself their widow feel better irrespective they find socially embarrassing they to considerable inconvenience. The of efficacy. will look away, and when they do, you conversation should run like this… The person answering the phone can drop your eyes, but until then Beep….beep of course will not leave the desk continuing eye contact establishes a (unless there are witnesses in the Hello, Dr X’s surgery, How can I help belief in your honesty, empathy, waiting room), she (kid on work you? sympathy and being an all-round experience, or a subsidised trainee), good chap who can be trusted. By I’ve just hurt my back; can I get in to- will merely switch the phone to hold. establishing this early, you are day or tomorrow. Of course our professional may setting the ground for many return I am sorry but doctor is booked out for not actually be teaching one of our visits. Even if your ‘treatment’ fails to next few days, have your seen doctor X courses, but they can claim to be (we alleviate their symptoms, you can before? will never deny that you are, or have continue to exploit them because they No, but he was recommended to my by been one of our many teachers or will know you are doing your best. one of my work colleagues. mentors) — this implies our profes- It is remarkable how effective this sional has expertise in his chosen Doctor X does not do workers compen- is; one of our former teachers, who field, sufficient for a tertiary teach- sation. marketed himself as a biochemist ing organisation to have him on providing cancer treatment, was This is not compo, I did it at home. their books. able to keep people on the hook even I will just have a word with Doctor Make the appointment the last of when they were dying in excruciat- please hold on … the day, so if the potential client gets ing pain, but he was very successful Switch to radio station with local cold feet about the cost you do not in denigrating other professionals connection displace a paying customer. who might have taken these custom- Doctor is teaching on-line for the When the customer arrives, the ers away. This very skilful man had Greater Southern Natural Therapies receptionist should be trained to fuss an income which exceeded the top Correspondence School this afternoon, over them — offer them cushions, medical specialists of the country, but he can fit you in at 5:30pm when special seating, allow them to lie on but he applied a very important the students have logged off. the floor or whatever. If the appoint- principle of healthmanship called That’s great. ment is 5:30pm have the patient roomsmanship. This is the matching ushered in at 5:45 and the conversa- of dress and office décor with the The cost will be $80 per half hour and tion should proceed as follows; we accept all credit cards except Ameri- expected clientele. I am sorry I have kept you waiting, one If you are to practise as our can Express. Please bring at least $160.00 if you do not have a credit card of the students had a bit of a problem biochemist friend did you must that I had to fix up for them. match your appearance and office in case Dr has to treat you for an hour. with your empathy. If you are Let us analyse this. (Turns to computer screen which is attracting people with poor science Always use the term Doctor. In logged to our pseudointeractive web education many will be in the Australia few medical practitioners page www.gtrsouthernhemi.org.au/ Congleton Social class 4 and 5 of our are doctors, and many doctors are professional/teaching/login) and types society. Your office should be a not medical practitioners. If you do a few characters to exit. This page is house, poorly maintained but clean not have a piece of paper attesting to provided as a service to all our gradu- — giving the appearance of you, or you being a doctor in your profession ates.) please contact us and we will pro- your spouse, having to maintain the Now I sense that you are in pain, what vide you with a certificate on gradu- place yourself. Medical records is the problem… should have the appearance of being ation from this course stating that professional — manila folders with you are a doctor and that you have In the next session when we will deal with the coloured tags are always a good completed this course. methods of cold reading and complementing them option. When your are starting out, Never offer the first appointment with special investigations. fill a large number of folders with available.

Page 46 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 Report The Amazing Meeting #5

Skepticism and the Media — have been a fan of James “The advantage of some slightly dis- IAmazing” Randi, ever since Don counted tickets to attend the Penn Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas, Lane’s dummy spit on the Don Lane and Teller show at the Rio. Penn 18— 21 January 2007. Show a number of years ago. Don and Teller are sceptical magicians wasn’t a happy camper when Randi (Penn is the tall one who does the questioned the credibility of Doris talking. Teller is the short silent Stokes, who was talking to dead one who reminds me of Harpo relatives when John Edward was Marx). The finale is a total show still in short pants. These days stopper. They fire guns at each James Randi is better known for his other and catch the bullets in their debunking of Uri Geller and his teeth. Perhaps I should clarify — ‘prove to me you have paranormal that is what appears to happen — powers and I will pay you one they are quite up front in admitting million dollars’ challenge. He still that it is a trick! has his money! He has set up the James Randi Education Foundation, First Day ‘an educational resource on the The conference kicked off in the paranormal, the pseudoscientific afternoon of Thursday with a couple and the supernatural’. As one of its of optional sessions. Since by profes- functions JREF runs the TAM sion I am a ‘liar to children’ (that is, conventions which are unashamedly a teacher) I signed up for Critical designed to raise money to support Thinking in the Classroom. Darwin the foundation’s work. was a bit disappointed. He wanted Taking a leaf out of the book of to go to Margaret Downey’s Grass- Skeptobear’s companions who had roots Media Training session. attended TAM 3, I made sure I took The first presenter was Diane a photogenic, cuddly companion with Swanson, educator, and author of me. Darwin K Bear has been around Nibbling on Einstein’s Brain. The in his short existence — made in points she made in her wrap up China and acquired by yours truly at contain some great advice for anyone a souvenir shop in the Brisbane in the business of education. Mall. The next indignity — being stuffed in a daypack for a plane trip • Even young children can think across the Pacific — was somewhat critically; lessened by his being able to share • Present things to them in a posi- in the business class upgrade tive manner; Margaret Kittson, a teacher and librarian living enjoyed by his fellow traveller. in Brisbane, has been a subscriber for more On the night prior to the confer- • Remember what Carl Sagan said than two decades. ence, a number of attendees took and balance scepticism with wonder;

the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 - Page 47 The Amazing Meeting

this year) — the process of non- • Keep it relevant; thinking, called faith — before he • And don’t forget the power of hu- went on to talk about the subject of mour! his new book, still a work in Bob Carrroll, the Skeptics Diction- progress, on evolutionary economics. ary compiler, was next. He argued Shermer is drawing from different that logic is a part of critical think- disciplines — history, economics, ing and that nobody’s world view evolutionary biology, sociology. He should be exempt from examination. comes to the conclusion, like It is job of the teacher to get stu- Dawkins, that with things economic dents to think so that when they (like money) that it is not wise to express opinions they know they make assumptions based on faith need have reasons behind them. alone. His recommendation is trust The final presenter was Ray Hall with verification — a good slogan for and his topic was Fooling students any skeptic. into not Fooling Themselves. He, too, Eugenie Scott NCSE (National quoted Carl Sagan (who was close to Council for Science Education) spoke being the most quoted dead person about the types of news stories that at the conference): James Randi meets Darwin always get a run in the media: it’s how much superstition is accepted re- is going pro-active. Challenges will going to kill you! (disease or calam- lates to how little science is understood. be issued to merchants of woo with a ity); it’s going to cure you!; the mad media profile. Each respondent will scientist; religion; abortion! He ran an exercise with the group There is a common misconception which illustrated very simply the be given six months to answer the challenge and a media profile will be which is reflected in the media — problem inherent in the human unsolved is not the same as tendency to seek confirmatory actively sought. Also being investi- gated is the possibility of instituting unsolvable. Scientists reject the evidence by demonstrating the value ‘theory’ of Intelligent Design because of falsification. This is a scientific class actions — civil and criminal — against some of these people. it is bad science. The Creation principle which is counter intuitive Science lobby is excellent at anec- and therefore has to be explicitly Michael Shermer, President of the Skeptics Society began his presenta- dote mongering. It fails to recognise taught. Ray showed a film clip from that anecdote is not evidence and The Wizard of Oz — the scene where tion with a reference to something outlined by Richard Dawkins (prob- should never be any more than the Dorothy (Judy Garland), still in starting point of a real investigation. Kansas, meets Professor Marvell. It ably the most quoted live person not present at the conference) in The Unfortunately the media treats both contains as brilliant a piece of hot the CS and ID lobbies much more and cold reading as you could ever Root of All Evil (this documentary might be shown on Australian TV kindly than it should, sometimes wish to see! Ray argued that it is through sheer ignorance. the role of the teacher to help However another driver is the students develop their own baloney need to tell a story and to be detection kit. ‘balanced’. This can be problem- The official reception to mark the atic when the story is opinion start of TAM5 was held that night dressed up as fact. The need for was at the ballroom at the top of the conflict can skew the balance. Riviera. It had a fabulous view over Settled issues aren’t newsworthy the Las Vegas strip, some reason- — there is no conflict, so there is a able finger food and a cash bar. need to manufacture it. Evolution Darwin was thrilled to get his photo is treated as an opinion issue and taken with one of his heroes. it isn’t. Refutation must happen. Second Day Evolution is sound science, evi- dence and religion are compatible On the Friday morning TAM 5 and it is not ‘fair’ to miseducate proper opened with an announce- out students. Eugenie finished her ment by James Randi about an presentation on the point was that impending change to the $1,000,000 we need to remain positive. challenge coming into effect, with Darwin was disappointed that deliberate irony, on April 1, 2007. he didn’t get his photo taken with Instead of waiting for the challeng- Eugenie, who had to leave the ers to come to the challenge, JREF Michael Shermer investigates conference to go to another event,

Page 48 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 but his disappointment was miti- that the contrast they provided with gated somewhat when he met the more content driven sessions Michael Shermer. Michael also had a was a good thing but I didn’t end up little bear called Darwin attached to finding much to write down at any of his backpack and was very pleased them. to meet my companion. Richard Wiseman (whom I, along Nick Gershenfeld from the MIT with many other people, mistook for centre for Bits and Atoms used an Bad Astronomer Phil Plait at least analogy from history to mount a until he spoke — the British accent compelling argument that, like is a bit of a giveaway), had the Martin Luther, science needs to presentation from hell. The perver- make it own reformation to make it sity of the inanimate was at its most accessible to ordinary people. As an active. He was unable to present expression of this principle in action most of the clips he had on his MIT has set up the FAB LAB pro- laptop, and we ended up only seeing gram, a technology outreach pro- a couple of things, including one gram designed to help people around piece which I had seen a the Skep- the world. Digital fabrication is tics World Convention in Sydney in being used to produce some amazing 2000. This was his investigation into things. the so-called psychic dog. The claim Jamy Ian Swiss, a fellow magi- was that the dog knew when its cian and mentalist, hosted a session owner was arriving home, and with James Randi entitled Randi in Lori Lipman Brown Wiseman’s video evidence proved the Media. Randi had been ap- that there was nothing to support proached by the producers of a kinds of media types, including this claim. I was left wanting to popular TV show in Korea. They those pushing the agendas of the know what all the other things on asked him to be a consultant and religious right. It was obvious from the laptop we didn’t get to see were advise them on what to look out for one clip she showed where she was about! in their investigations of people who interviewed by a TV shock jock The night time entertainment on claim they had psychic powers. whose name I can’t remember that both Thursday and Friday nights — Randi heaped praise on one man in she has done this successfully. Banacheck on the Thursday after particular (I think his name was Penn and Teller did a Q and A the reception, and the Friday night Lan) who was able to use what session which disappointed some sessions with Hal Bidlack as Alexan- Randi told him to capture some attendees. This also happened the der Hamilton followed by the team amazing footage exposing these next day with Adam Savage and the of comedian Julia Sweeney (Letting people as frauds. Unfortunately, on seriously cute Tory Belleci from The Go of God) and singer-songwriter the technology side, the poor presen- Mythbusters’ and South Park crea- Jill Sobule were worth the money I tation of the visual material meant tors Trey Parker and Matt Stone. I paid for them. Darwin was really that much of this session was quite enjoyed all these sessions, and felt keen to bat on at the skepchick’s frustrating for all who were pyjama party, and wasn’t there. very happy with me when I Former Congresswoman decided a reasonably early Lori Lipman Brown is cur- night was in order and took rently a lobbyist for the him back to my room. He Secular Coalition for complained that the heater America. She spoke about her in my room made so much experiences with the media, noise that he wasn’t getting and the media response any sleep anyway so he generally to a non-theistic might as well party on with lobby group. In America, you the girls and that I was a need to be a pretty coura- spoilsport. I ignored his geous individual to push this whinges. I hadn’t come all kind of bandwagon, but as that way and spent that Lori said to me later, her much money to be brain dead experiences in the world of from a lack of sleep and an politics gave her lots of overabundance of alcohol for practice in developing the Day 3 of TAM. tools needed to deal with all Richard Wiseman and Jamy Ian Swiss Continued next issue.

the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 - Page 49 Forum

n the last issue (26:4) we tion of knowledge. That people with delusion, but theism is not regarded published an article, a limited range of scientific knowl- as a mental illness because it is a I edge applied a certain word to the belief held by a large proportion of ‘The Mind and Mental Ill- constellation of symptoms, signs and the population. ness; A Tale of two myths’, behaviours does not mean that word I urge Prof Spillane to ignore the by Professor Robert is currently applied in the same way. spurious arguments of philosophy Spillane of the Macquarie Nor does the meaning of the word and misleading interpretation of University Graduate reflect what is happening in any words and look at the reality of particular individual but can only be people who suffer delusions, halluci- School of Management. an interpretation of the signs and nations, suicidal ideation, mania, This item has drawn an symptoms and behaviours by an drug dependency, and ask how are unprecedented amount of individual who is trained (with these people suffering and dis- comment from our readers, inevitably varying skill) in the tressed. They have been diagnosed much of which we have interpretation of those behaviours. with a mental illness; that we can (Note that where there are no now demonstrate organic lesions in published here. medically trained people to make a their brain with sophisticated diagnosis there is a statistical technology, does not mean their artefact of disease absence.) Disease disease is not a mental illness classification systems such as the because this classification is part of Medical reality DSM-IV and ICD-10CM attempt to a system that allows application of achieve standardisation, but because statistically evaluated treatments of varying fashions, beliefs and skills and investigations — not because this is an impossible goal. The someone developed a concept of David Brookman reason for such standardisation is so ‘mind’. Salamander Bay NSW we can actually prove therapies Were Prof Spillane able to observe work with some degree of scientific someone with psychotic depression, The argument that there is no accuracy — if we are not treating or flexibilitas cerea, or mania I am mental illness by Prof Spillane the same constellation of signs, sure he would withdraw the asser- suffers from the common errors of symptoms, behaviours and pathol- tion that mental illness is not those who believe that disease ogy, then this accuracy becomes associated with objective signs. classification is a manifestation of impossible. People may or may not be able to reality; he reifies, just as those who There is one thing we have to ‘catch’ mental illness — we do not as believe that IQ testing represents repeatedly drum in to medical yet have sufficient evidence to refute students; ‘when in doubt look at the reality and justifies destructive or accept such a hypothesis. patient’ and do not rely upon self action against those who do not It is also clear that Prof Spillane diagnosis, test results, philosophical measure up. His first argument, is not up to date with the most beliefs and other such information that the English interpretation or recent research on the that may be spurious and mislead- the Roman interpretation or the schizophrenias, and I would urge ing. The first test we apply is con- Greek original did not entail a him and his readers to examine this sistency of symptoms with before making bold assertions about concept of mind hence all deriva- established anatomy, physiology and this group of mental disorders. But tions such as ‘psychosomatic’ are normality. For behavioural problems then what can you expect from fallacious, is quaintly misleading — the only normality we have is what perhaps a current reference to an we see in the surrounding popula- someone who makes the statement agreed meaning of the word would tion — hence mental illness will that ‘The causes of mental illness be of more value (it does not actually always be culturally biased, as the are unclear’ and later that bereave- appear in the DSM-IV handbook) only yardstick is the clinicians’ ment, relationship breakdown, child and belongs to the judgemental era interpretation of the local population abuse are associated. of Freudian psychotherapy. behaviours as normal. Thus Richard For those who doubt the inherit- Classification of diseases varies Dawkins argues belief in something, ability of mental disorders, I recom- over time with increasing applica- for which there is no evidence, is a mend a browse through

Page 50 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/ or disprove the associations as illness, that there is an explanation OMIM, which will provide the best causation. The association of for antisocial behaviour should be summary of current evidence in this sociopathic behaviour with the irrelevant to sentencing decisions. area. The use of statistical associa- absence of bonding in childhood due That Martin Bryant suffered from tion for inheritability of any disorder to illness with separation from Asperger’s syndrome did not absolve is ultimately dependent on compari- family social education figures the court from protection of the son of monozygotic, and dizygotic (parents, grandparents etc) was greater society from repetition by twin populations. The ultimate is described 30 years ago and has led him, or emulation. The court role is the demonstration of the DNA defect to a change in policy where children not the exercise of revenge, despite and its biochemical consequences. are not separated from parents the assertion of ignorant radio Damning inheritability by using the when admitted to hospital. Has this propagandists, but providing rem- correlation inversely is a common been beneficial? We do not know, as edies. The court role is not to exer- trick used by those with a vested the criteria for classifying someone cise religious belief in good or evil — interest — the best current example as sociopathic has changed and we indeed, if they did, many cults would is gliomas and use of mobile phones. cannot definitely say there is a be suppressed for the evil they inflict The one valid argument raised is reduction in sociopathic personality through child abuse. the overuse of stimulants in chil- disorder as consequence of policy dren, with irritating behaviour change (look at the work of John classified as ADHD, ODD and ADD. Bowlby et al). The work of Prof Chris del Mar in Mental illnesses are a group of Queensland clearly demonstrated disorders for which we are only Strange bedfellows the lack of scientific objectivity in recently shedding our anti-science applying these diagnoses and belief systems in complex theories implementing treatment. It is very based on ‘expert’ opinion (Freud, Peter Bowditch clear that many people are profiting Jung, etc). Their manifestations are Northmead NSW considerably financially from this culturally varied, the tolerance of fashion, parents are able to absolve the aberrant behaviour by the At first sight and to someone who is themselves from blame. But there is society also varies. They are not a unfamiliar with those who oppose a group which can be demonstrated theoretical concept derived from a psychiatry in all its forms, Robert objectively to benefit from stimu- theory of mind, but a group of Spillane seems to be using a classi- lants — to deny the existence of the disorders defined by observing cal syllogism to make a point that disorder because of the remaining people who seek help because they might be surprising: 70% is a reflection of gross ignorance are distressed, or because their Mental illness requires a mind; (the method best used with poorly behaviour is a personal or public There is no such thing as a mind; defined classification systems is an risk. I have refrained from criticis- ‘N of 1 trial’, where active and ing the philosophical arguments Therefore there can be no such thing as inactive medication is randomly and because they are irrelevant — but mental illness. blindly switched and the diagnostic that Descartes is one of the gen- He took a similar approach in his criteria applied). iuses, or western culture did not speech at the Sydney Skeptics Prof Spillane’s conclusion that the provide a logical refutation of theism dinner as he did in his article in the myth of mind spawned the myth of in his writings, could have been due Skeptic, but the written article spent mental illness is based on ignorance, to the significant personal risk much more time on the arguments and the old philosophical tricks of (religious and legal persecution) he against the existence of the mind, shifting word meaning, and general- would have suffered. The treatment therefore apparently making a much ising an absolutist assertion from a of Copernicus and Voltaire are but stronger case for the non-existence limited specific. It is very similar to two examples which come to mind as of mental illness. The problem for arguments applied by the Scientol- examples of thinkers who did have me, however, is that I do know some ogy cult against mental illness. the courage to be persecuted. I note of the background and I am aware of The long lead time from childhood also that David Hume declined to the opposition to psychiatry coming trauma to adult pathological behav- publicise his atheism in his lifetime. from one source in particular. That iours has made linking these diffi- The final nauseating leap is from source is Scientology. What Profes- cult. There is some early work that a concept of mind through mental sor Spillane was offering as an has shown adults with borderline illness to public manifestation of argument was not a syllogism where personality disorders have a high morality in which the author decries the truth of the premises led inevita- proportion of childhood sexual the excuse of ‘immoral’ behaviours in bly to the truth of the conclusion. abuse, and that a structural defect is the courts through argument of What he was offering was an argu- demonstrable with PET scanning. It mental illness as a cause. This also ment of the form: will take at least 20 years to prove has nothing to do with mental Mental illness requires a mind;

the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 - Page 51 Forum

Mental illness doesn’t exist; I have also have some vicarious with some behavioural therapy and Therefore there is no mind. knowledge of the mental health a course of Prozac is an obvious system, so the red flags started threat to a cult which wants to This is a logical fallacy called popping up for me shortly after- brainwash people into paying Modus Tollens, specifically a subset wards. several hundred thousand dollars to of fallacies which come under the Some of these warning signs were cross a mythical bridge to personal heading ‘Denying the Antecedent’. If stories such as the one about the awareness. you start with an axiom that there is millions of children being prescribed CCHR would not be such a no such thing as mental illness, then Ritalin, but the turning point for me problem if the Scientology links were the non-existence of the mind was when Professor Spillane men- made obvious, because this might becomes a convenient piece of tioned that anti-psychiatrist Thomas make other people think twice about evidence supporting your position. In Szasz was one of his dearest friends. dealing with them. Certainly, another context this form of fallacy Szasz worked with the Scientologists Scientology is mentioned in their can be seen in arguments by crea- to create the Citizens Commission literature (I have a book called tionists: They say ‘Evolution implies on Human Rights, a blatant anti- “Documenting Psychiatry: Harming continuous and gradual change from psychiatry Scientology front organi- in the name of healthcare” which one species to another, there is no sation. He then went on with more mentions that the cult paid for the continuous fossil record, therefore CCHR nonsense such as the claim printing of the book, as if that were evolution is wrong’ when what they that ADHD was invented in 1987 the only involvement) but the true really mean is ‘Evolution is wrong, simply to create a need for Ritalin. horror is well hidden. On the other therefore’. (Methylphenidate was patented in hand, it might not worry some I am going to limit my comments 1954, so inquiring minds want to people who deal with them. Alterna- to what was said at the dinner, know why it was invented 33 years tive medicine supporters gleefully because that was essentially a before what it was supposed to treat. accept the CCHR’s attacks on drugs condensation of the article in the That is assuming that “inquiring such as Ritalin and Prozac because Skeptic. minds” exist, of course). We were this supports their shared ideology For the dinner, the speaker was eventually told that schizophrenia is that there is no such thing as mental advertised as coming to talk about just people hearing themselves think illness. (In one bizarre confluence of philosophy and the mind. I spent like everybody else does and that insanity, The National Vaccine some enjoyable times studying this anorexia nervosa is just girls having Information Center, one of the most sort of stuff at university, so I looked conscious hunger strikes to get their virulent anti-vaccination organisa- forward to an entertaining evening. own way and annoy their parents. tions in the world, issued a newslet- The presentation started out with By the end of the night we were ter promoting a CCHR seminar.) a mention of how Rene Descartes hearing scary stories about govern- I know people who have suffered had proposed the still-unsolved ment plans to drug all schoolchil- from depression and other mental problem of the interaction between a dren. At no stage was CCHR or illnesses. There are some people I material body and an immaterial Scientology mentioned. don’t know any more because they mind. So far, so good. Professor Part of the teachings of Scientol- committed suicide. I have friends Spillane then went on to solve the ogy founder L. Ron Hubbard is that whose son was crippled when his duality problem by simply declaring psychiatry is bad. His original schizophrenia led him to leap from a that there is no such thing as a feelings on this might have been window. I have seen the skeleton- mind. Again, an interesting, al- influenced by the fact that he was like frames of young girls with though apparently naive, philosophi- mad and he felt threatened by a feeding tubes up their noses and cal position. (He went into this in medical speciality which existed to twenty-four-hour supervision in a much more detail in the written treat that madness. Put another locked hospital ward who, according article. I will leave it up to the way, he felt that if there were no to the anti-psychiatrists, are just professional philosophers to assess psychiatry there would be no mad- killing themselves to make a point to the level of naivety in the expanded ness for it to treat and this would their parents. I have watched as form.) The next statement led into make him sane by definition. (This someone had charcoal forced into uncharted waters by declaring that is not meant to make sense. Remem- their stomach to soak up poison, and as there is no such thing as a mind ber that Hubbard was insane.) The I know several families who have there can be no such thing as mental real reason that Scientology opposes had to keep all knives and razor illness. Well, it was an uncharted psychiatry, however, is that Scien- blades locked away to prevent their area for anyone who hadn’t met tology’s target market is people who children cutting themselves. That Scientology before. are depressed, unhappy, susceptible anyone would deny that these are I may well have been the only to suggestion, and don’t feel that problems and campaign against person in the audience who had had they fit in to society. Anybody effective treatments for these anything to do with Scientology and offering to treat these conditions illnesses is almost beyond belief.

Page 52 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 Unfortunately (or fortunately, part of the article concerning psy- In 26:4, for instance, there is depending on your point of view), the chiatry in the Skeptic. some discussion of language and the dinner was not the sort of place In the absence of a review of concept of mind by Robert Spillane where I could hurl furniture and modern psychiatry, I would suggest (pp 46-50). Most linguists (and, I insults, and the question (and readers google terms such as ‘psy- think, most philosophers of lan- answer) at the end which opened the chiatry’ and ‘genetics’ or ‘magnetic guage) would disagree with what crack to allow me to introduce an resonance imaging’ to see the extent appears to be Spillane’s idea (p 48) exposure of the Scientology connec- of scientific progress in the 50 years that earlier popular usage (eg the tion was declared the last question since Szasz produced his theory. use of mind only as a verb) is neces- before everyone went home. I am Incidentally, Szasz is co-founder, sarily more revealing and helpful sure that most of the audience would with the church of Scientology, of the than later usage (though it may not have been aware of the back- international psychiatric group be). Nor would they all agree that ground to what they had been told, called Citizens Commission of the fluent and competent use of and I am equally sure that nobody Human Rights. This gives you a language is as central to the idea of openly declaring that they wanted to rough idea where he sits in relation ‘having a mind’’ as Spillane suggests. promote Scientology or its principles to mainstream psychiatry. I urge all readers to consult suit- would have ever been invited to If the definition of illness revolves ably qualified scholars or widely speak there. A real psychiatrist in around tests and autopsies, then I used textbooks when assessing the audience later told me that she accept that psychiatry (along with claims that fall outside their own could not remember the last time pain medicine and neurology) have competence. she heard so many specious claims more than their fair share of condi- in such a short time. tions failing to meet these criteria, So here are the questions I would but plenty exist through all fields of have liked to ask: medicine. If, as you claim, mental illness cannot Any reader with backache, Overstating the case be the result of incorrectly operating headache or irritable bowel should chemistry in the brain or misaligned now re-read much of page 49 and neuronal connections, how is it more they will find they no longer have a Michael Evans medical illness. Quite what they probable that mental illness is caused Beechworth Vic by memories of noises heard in the have now I’m not entirely sure and womb and by a collection of soul-like they may need to consult a philoso- adhesions derived from the time when pher. I enjoyed Professor Robert Spillane’s Xenu blew up all those billions of enti- provocative article, “The Mind and ties with hydrogen bombs 75 million Mental Illness: A Tale of Two Myths” years ago? in the Skeptic. Earlier this year, I was walking If you don’t think this fairy tale is likely Language along the sidewalk by New York’s how can you reconcile promoting the Central Park when I came upon an teachings of Scientology, unless you agitated man who was shouting at agree with Thomas Szasz that “the en- Mark Newbrook passers by “I am a real person. You emy of my enemy is my friend”? are not real. You are a robot.” Wirral, UK Professor Spillane’s article had much the same impact on me as did In the journal, there is often com- that man. As both the Buddha and ment on language matters by non- David Hume found, when we attend Mainstream psychiatry linguists. Such writers bring new closely to our consciousness, we find perspectives to the material and can nothing but fleeting mental states. make valid points; but (as in all We don’t have stable constantly Jon Clarke subjects) there is danger in stepping aware selves. But I think the Profes- outside one’s own areas of genuine sor and the man on the sidewalk Crafers SA expertise, especially without consult- both overstate their case and engage ing real experts. Naturally, experts in paradoxical behaviour. After all, Article written by author with no are not always right, even when why shout at robots and why write obvious qualification in the field? they nearly all agree on an for mindless entities? Limited references, dated and out of issue; but they are more likely to be Professor Spillane seems to want left field? Disregard for large bodies right than amateur outsiders, the “logically minded folk” he of scientific data? No, it wasn’t a however well qualified in other addresses to pay attention — with piece from the creationists, it was disciplines these latter may be. something to something. He wants

the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 - Page 53 Forum us to do some “minding” or some nothing but a mathematical meta- time, everyone knows what it is and “heeding” to the nature of “the Ghost phor, do we not speak almost en- no one is prepared to attempt to in the Machine” — to use Gilbert tirely in dead and living metaphors, define it. Whatever “Mind”, Ryle’s terms from his The Concept of and is not money a powerful meta- “Psukhe” or “Soul” may have meant Mind (1949), terms also used by phor that determines how we feed, to various individuals in the distant Professor Spillane. house, and clothe ourselves? past is largely irrelevant — or, at Initially, Professor Spillane’s Szasz has at times taken his line least, I would have thought so. purpose was unclear to me. Was he to extremes. According to Wikipedia, More relevant, for very many taking a hyper skeptical position on he remains associated with the people who are sufferers and many the mind — show me a mind then I Church of Scientology’s Citizen’s more who are affected indirectly, are will believe they exist? Did he really Commission on Human Rights, a attempts to understand the human believe mental illness could be body he helped found with the neural system and its phenomena. dispensed with as some kind of Scientologists in 1969 to oppose Prof Spillane would, I feel, have category mistake — that it just established psychiatry. done a useful service by providing referred to bad or unacceptable The mind, mental illness and the some definitions, however tentative, behaviour? He accepted that “de- border between the mad and the bad as a starting point rather than mented folk” and children could not are all fuzzy and contested concepts. further confusing the already respond to life as independent moral I think as skeptics that we should confused. I happen to agree that the entities but did not extend this avoid using logic chopping argument mind of common usage is an out- notion to the mad. to create false certainty where the dated, and hence useless, concept, A quick Google search revealed empirical picture is not clear. As philosophically as well as physiologi- that Professor Spillane was the Professor Spillane says in his article, cally and medically, so there are two recipient of the 2006 Thomas S Szasz “Valid logical arguments do not alternatives: the first is to define the Award for Outstanding Contributions entail empirical truth.” Skeptics concept much more precisely, which to the Cause of Civil Liberties. His respect facts and reason but there leaves us with the problem of re- use of Szasz in the article and his are times when we have to respect educating the world, and the second closing comments about the mystery as well. is to junk the whole thing, which medicalisation of moral behaviour and I may be taking Professor would mean inventing another word the undermining of notions of per- Spillane out of context. Google tells to describe certain phenomena. sonal responsibility became clearer to me he was listed to speak at a Whichever route we take, we have me. Perhaps the award should have conference on the mind last year. He to find a shorthand for “the sum of been mentioned to inform his readers may have intended this article as a the products of a neural system at a of his position on Szasz. provocation to that audience, not as given time”; being lazy and not good I then saw the article as an a statement of dogma. at inventing new words, I choose the argument for individual liberty and first alternative and use this as a responsibility, both causes to which tentative definition of “mind”. Thus Thomas Szasz has been dedicated. “mind” becomes the “neural process” Professor Spillane was arguing that and “mental illness” can be regarded we do not have stable ongoing minds Lack of definition as “malfunction in that process”. but we are responsible for our Unfortunately, at this point in time actions and intentions — an argu- we know practically nothing of the ment that has an odd resemblance to Keith Birney neural processes of the human, nor Buddhist teachings. any other, animal because they are Szasz has done great service in Ngunnawal ACT very complex. We do know some- challenging official psychiatry about thing about the neuro-electrical its abuses and faults. It has a shady Reading the Skeptic on Christmas functions, a little about some of the past and a questionable future. But Day, I thought I had got a special chemical signalling mechanisms and to say that is not to deny the reality Christmas present when I started to not much about the rest, including of mental illness. Those of us who read Robert Spillane’s piece on Mind the all important interactions and have encountered a person in the and Mental Illness. Unfortunately, it feedback loops. As an example, we midst of a psychotic episode have gradually deteriorated into a confu- do not know if the cerebral-spinal seen mental illness first hand, sion of “mental illness”, “moral fluid is a homogeneous mixture and however you define it. agents”, the medicalisation of if it is not — which seems likely — To say mental illness is nothing misbehaviours and an apparent what this chemical mix is and if or but a metaphor is a bit like the lament on “the undermining of the how it changes. The reason that we intelligent design people saying notions of personal responsibility”. know so little is that invasive evolution is nothing but a theory. The problem with “Mind” is that, experiments on living humans are After all, may not our reality be like many things passed on over generally frowned on and no one, as

Page 54 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 Forum far as I am aware at this time, has psychiatrist nor has anyone yet out of Down’s syndrome or from tall managed to work out another managed to have me certified but I to short at will. methodology. am exceedingly cunning. Is a person said to have mental We do not even have a clue as to illness better than one without that what a “normal” process is for any diagnosis? We cannot know whether given individual, let alone a said mental illness is a better or populations. Given all this, and lots worse state and therefore whether more, I would not have thought it Better (or not) treatment would be a benefit or an surprising that the attempts at impediment — as felt by clinical diagnosis and treatment of the recipient. “mental illness” (see definition Geoff Sherrington Poor Jack, farewell! I could have above) are at what may be described better spared a better man. (Henry — except by some of their practition- Donvale VIC IV, part 1). If you sum the popula- ers — at a primitive stage. This tion sectors who are drinkers, means that it is almost solely As Robert Owen noted in 1828, “All smokers, bipolar, attention deficit, involved with symptoms, or per- the world is queer save thee and me, autistic, acupuncturist, homeopath, ceived symptoms. and even thou art a little queer”. homosexual, religious believers, This, in turn, may lead, for good There are legally binding documents oddly behaved, perverted, violent, reasons as well as venal, to, among which use the expression “Act of obsessive/compulsive and so on, you other things, the “medicalisation of God”. There are people who do not could well have an earthly majority. misbehaviours” of which Prof believe there is a God, or that God The minority remainder might well Spillane complains; this may be its acts in the way the documents regard the above as mentally ill. own problem but this does not indicate. A lightning strike setting a What a strange outcome. preclude the possibility of certain home on fire is not an act of God. It Why do we struggle with the behaviours being the result of “the is a combination of known physical nomenclature and etymology of this malfunction of the neurological laws. There are computers that outcome? processes” of an individual. The fact people feel have a mind, because Answer One: Because we who that diagnosis may be primitive, that they can self-learn and improve assume superiority are driven to treatment may be less than ideally themselves. There are people who do make others conform to our ideals. informed and that certain unethical not believe that computers have Answer Two: Because it’s a great individuals may see a way of extract- minds. A computer running amok sport. Some of my most enjoyable ing cash out of the vulnerable — not does not have a mental illness. It moments have been spent teasing limited to those involved in “mental has a failure in electrical connec- psychiatrists. So, let’s keep the fun health” — do not, of themselves, tions, voltages or whatever. part of mind games, which requires mean that there is nothing going on There are people who use the acceptance of a mind, however ill- and that, as Prof Spillane appears to expression “mental illness”. There defined and weird. imply, mental illness (see definition are people who believe that there is When I was 17 I applied to join above) does not exist. no entity identifiable as the mind. A the RAAF Academy. The strange Thus, the problem ceases to be person who carries on in irregular psychiatrist who consumed a half one of the definition of mind but one manner does not have a problem day of the week of tests wanted to of present lack of knowledge and with a mind. That person has a sort us by sexual tendencies because therefore of adequate clinical diag- problem with partly-understood this was a boy’s own job. He took us nostic and treatment tools. I realise factors such as an excess/deficiency one by one into a room, where he that I have cheated here by redefin- of a brain chemical, or modification shouted part sentences at us. We ing “mind”, which seems to have of an electrical or biological pathway had to finish them without creative been set up as a “straw man”, but or maybe is just an opportunistic git. thinking time allowed. The part this was always an option for Prof People have long been unable to sentence came out “He dreams Spillane. By refusing that option he define “better”. Is 34 degrees better about????” Of course, the answer ends up in a quagmire of assertions than 35 degrees? Is a brunette better was “Once a year” and counter assertions, his own and than a blonde? Is tall better than other’s, which, ultimately lead short? Is a person with Down’s nowhere — as murder is a legal syndrome happier and better than a concept and as we make the laws, person without? There are many there is no essential reason why “a examples where person A cannot mind/brain cannot be held responsi- state that he/she is better than ble for murder” if we deem that to be person B, because the person is a possibility. By the way, I am not a unable to achieve both states for neuro-scientist, psychologist or comparison. One cannot flip in and

the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 - Page 55 Letters

Waiting for the evidence to them. If most of the test rats die, skeptical process is to collect the it’s unlikely that that therapy would evidence, establish reliable experts go on to a human test. Presuming in the field and then wait patiently Robert A. Backhouse the rat test shows little danger, then for time to properly resolve the a test on humans proceeds but often issue. The debate on climate change Brisbane QLD after a prolonged time, deleterious is a perfect example of the process affects may show up that did not we should be following. Mass medication is the supply by occur with rats. If the adverse Government Agency of a nostrum or events are limited to relatively small procedure that is expected to im- numbers of the population, these prove the health of the public. The dangerous consequences for the Evidence service provided can be optional as minority will be discounted in favour in immunization or be compulsory as of the benefits for the majority. This John Gibbs in the chlorination of urban water type of risk benefit is judged by supplies. In keeping with an anti- medical specialists and bureaucrats, Gold Coast QLD science philosophy, many citizens who are considered expert in the have strong objections to being area and have the public good in As a schoolboy in England in the forced to accept any universal mind, when granting approval. 1960s, I was taught in Geography medication, they reject immunisa- Acceptance of this procedure de- that the last Ice Age ended about tion schemes and avoid public water pends on public trust in those health 12,000 years ago and that the world supply by collecting rain water for authorities that make the decision, has been getting warmer, in its drinking. which is presumed to be free of usual zig-zag pattern, ever since. Statistical studies of medical commercial bias. Most of the public Indeed I went on a field trip to the intervention on large samples of cannot make an informed choice as Lake District to study the effects of humans typically show a large mid the evidence is too technical and the retreating glaciers on the sur- group that experience an improve- mathematical. rounding topography as the huge ment, but at one tail of the normal The failure of local area referen- polar ice caps that covered so much curve are cases that show no change, dums to support fluoridation shows of the world then, melted. and at the other tail are individuals that a significant number of the I have therefore viewed with total who suffer serious adverse reactions. populace can be convinced not to bafflement the claims that man is It is this latter group that is used as trust the authorities. Now in some responsible for global warming, via a reason by the anti mass medica- places in Australia fluoridation has the greenhouse effect. I have tion lobby for why they exclude been operating over a prolonged searched in vain for any actual themselves from the procedure or, if period so there will be irrefutable evidence of this phenomenon, but exclusion is difficult, arguing that evidence one way or the other of its this has not prevented the growth of society should not embrace the efficiency and hazards, in the same belief in it, which is taking on all the procedure. That the risk is low is way our society is conducting the features of a cult. ignored; just the fact there is some experiment on the potential dangers We now have the unedifying risk is sufficient for complete rejec- of mobile phone use — in fifty years, spectacle of our federal government tion. Their position is supported we will know if it is hazardous or caving into pressure from a gullible with other arguments that lack not. (and, dare one say, politically moti- proof, or else they resort to a philo- Sad to say many people first vated?) media throng on the matter. sophical position about an individu- decide their position on an issue, I have awaited eagerly the latest al’s right in a democracy to reject then cast around for arguments in report of the Intergovernmental medical treatment. support of that position, never Panel on Climate Change to see if Medical therapies are often tested realising that their thinking process this elusive evidence has been on rats before humans are exposed is flawed. I believe the correct unearthed. Puzzlingly, the Commit-

Page 56 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 tee still believes that man is respon- even with those reduced forecasts the teaching of literature to “Spot sible, but on the troublesome matter the IPCC seems to be expecting a the PC no-no de jour” in, say, of the facts is forced to admit in the sharp acceleration in current trends. Macbeth, Moby Dick, Morte D’Arthur conclusion to its summary: The National Tidal Centre, a part and Murder in the Cathedral. There is no evidence provided by the of the Bureau of Meteorology, has This is not to deny that there is IPCC in its fourth assessment report been measuring sea level changes no value in, say, Marxist or feminist that the uncertainty (surrounding cli- around Australia over the past 10 interpretations of works in the mate change) can be formally resolved years or so and estimate that local canon. It is: from first principles, statistical hypoth- increases range from 8 mm a year (i) to assert that they are only interpre- esis, testing or modelling exercises. Con- around the Northern Territory, down tations and have to be justified on a sequently there will remain an to 2 mm a year around Sydney, but range of criteria; unavoidable element of uncertainty as as the latest NTC report points out (ii) to ask why texts ought not be sub- to the extent that humans are contrib- 10 years is too short a time to come jected to, say, Christian, Islamic, social uting to future climate change, and in- to any reliable conclusion, particu- Darwinian or Nazi interpretations, and larly about any acceleration in sea deed whether such change is a good or (iii) to acknowledge that teaching the level increases. (Albeit it is expected bad thing. actual literary texts is the core business that the more data gathered, the Amazingly — although a cynic of teachers of English (if it is not, how more average increases will fall.) would say predictably — the media are pomo-pushing classrooms any differ- The results for the last year to has ignored this conclusion and ent from old style RC schools, Islamist June were much smaller but a year reported the Committee’s summa- madrassas, Nazi Strength-Through-Joy by itself does not mean much. After rised findings as further confirma- camps, or Komsomol gatherings in the looking at the available evidence tion of the greenhouse hypothesis. old CCCP?) I would start buying beach-front Now, as skeptics we must keep an property — that is, if I had any Sturgess-standard critical think- open mind on these matters — I money and was not too busy attend- ing needs to be applied to the notion have always said that my attitude to ing primary school. that effective teacher preparation religion will change immediately, the can be achieved without efficient day that someone hops into Lourdes and practical training in the craft on one leg and walks out on two — and skills of teaching, as much but in the meantime, to quote the Teaching English media reporting claims is the case in independent summary again — far too many faculties of education. There Is No Evidence...! More specifically, a critical investiga- Leonad Colquhoun tion of the assertion that reading Invermay TAS can be taught and learned without On the level the link between the alphabetic code and the sounds we hear and make Kylie Sturgess — would that there being presented, and how “We teach were more teachers, especially Mark Lawson children to think, not ram facts teachers of English — like her down their throats” is an example of Hornsby Heights NSW [Critical Thinking in the Classroom, False Dichotomy, or is it False Summer 2006, pp 12-13]. Plenty of Dilemma? (see Jef and Theo Clark’s Okay, so it’s back to school for me. teachers of English claim to be “The False Bits from Humbug” In the discussion of sea level in- teaching ‘critical thinking’ or, as the [Summer 2004, pp 22-27]). creases in my article on the difficul- jargon puts it, ‘critical literacy’, but As a teacher of English up to ties of foretelling the future (26:4), what they are really doing is propa- HSC2 level in three state systems, I I managed to confuse centimetres gandising for a particular sociopoliti- found that time-allotted rarely with millimetres. On present trends cal -ism, generally termed congrued with time-sufficient for full of perhaps 1 mm increase per year post-modernism, which is as anti- treatment of these aspects of literary in sea levels we can look for an scientific and anti-empirical think- texts — plots, characters, back- increase of 0.1 metres in a century, ing as the most rabid creationism. ground, setting and context, lan- or perhaps 0.15 metres if we allow Interesting, though, that there guage and themes. for some sort of acceleration. Not 1- seem to have been no media reports Stuffing in a mish-mash of PoMo 1.5 metres as I have it in the article. of the results of post-modernist for Dummies wasn’t a high priority; The Intergovernmental Panel on testing of the cultural relativity of getting my students to know, under- 2 Climate Change originally forecast G=32ft/sec by jumping out of a stand, appreciate and, above all, sea level increases of up to 1 metre tenth-storey window. Professional enjoy their novels, dramas and over a century (actually 0.1 to 1 associations such as the AATE and poetry was. In that I seemed to have 1 metre) but seems to have reduced the VATE push this line quite a different set of priorities to AATE this in the latest report. However, relentlessly, uncritically reducing and VATE, as I reckoned my stu-

the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 - Page 57 Letters dents would work out their politics are not sure but think it is possible issues, you would get somewhat for themselves in their own good that there is a “little old man up in similar responses. But that is time, without my force-feeding them the sky armed with thunderbolts”. because they share the same cul- like French geese getting fat for foie They are agnostic about a more ture. But ask a group of tribal gras. modern non-anthropomorphic idea Africans, Afghans, Serbs, Indians, 1. AATE and VATE: Australian/ of “God”. Thais, Sicilian Mafia Dons and Victorian Association for the Teach- The idea of what or who God Brazilians the same questions and ing of English. actually is has gone through many you would get vastly different 2. Or whatever the various state changes over the past few millennia. results. EdCentrals are calling their Year 12 Anyone interested in following the So our morality comes from our qualifications at the time of printing. detail should read The History of cultures, these differ greatly and God by Karin Armstrong. Her last they change over time. They can also few chapters also describe the be manipulated. I fear that those modern approaches that have been who rely on Kant’s moral imperative adopted seeking to define, under- within to keep us on the right track The God Delusion stand or describe God in ways which are going to be disappointed. Nor is the modern mind can understand religion necessarily the answer; the and accept. I would strongly com- Auschwitz guards celebrated Christ- David Goss mend her book to anyone who wants mas. Like liberty the only real Torrens ACT to see the many ways God has been defence is constant vigilance to react and can be understood. and stop immoral actions being There are a great many who accepted as normal. There is work Like Rob Hardy I read Richard share Dawkins’ definition of God; for us all to do on this in Australia Dawkins The God Delusion with they are the ones Rob Hardy notes today!! interest. Hardy’s review published in will not be reading Dawkins’ book. your last issue sets out a fair de- But let no one think that the sim- scription of the book as far as it goes. plistic idea of God which Dawkins Yet it is a less critical and and many fundamentalists share is unskeptical review than one would the only concept of God which is The worth of water in Sydney expect to find in the Skeptic, so let around. me make two additional observa- The second point is morality. tions on The God Delusion. Ian Ernst Dawkins says that morality does not First, the definition of God that Mosman NSW Dawkins accepts and attacks is one come from religion and attacks the he shares with the Christian funda- approach that if we were convinced mentalists namely of “a little old that there was no God there would It ranges from more than $5000 per man up in the sky visiting rewards be no reason to be moral. But he kilolitre to less than $1.85 per and punishment on those below”. It goes on to say that morality is kilolitre! For example Franklins® is an anthropomorphic, simplistic inherent in us all. While this may be Spring water was “on special” at view of God. Such a definition has partly true the actual situation is Woolworths in January for $1,522 been under critical examination and that our morality comes from our per Kilolitre ($5.48 for a 6 x 600ml revision within most Christian culture, of which for most religion is pack, ie, 3.6 L) and Nobel Water Churches for over a century. Funda- and has been a part. The concept of Pureau® sold at $1,340 per kilolitre mentalists may cling to it, as they do what is moral has changed over the ($2.68 for 2 Litres, ie, $1.34/L). to creationism and other beliefs. But centuries and religion has had a part Woolworth’s website quotes “Water- if you ask any thinking Christian in changing it. For example Hardy FIJI-1 litre” at $4,500 per Kilolitre about their idea of God it would fall notes that the Bible accepts slavery. ($4.50 for 1L) at postcode 2000, but outside Dawkins’ definition. Thus in But in the 18th Century many for postcode 2088 it is $5000 per Dawkins’ terms it would be rejecting Christians re-examined and reinter- Kilolitre ($2.50 for 500ml). Con- God and he would describe them as preted their Bibles and said that versely, until 2009, drinking water atheists. This is not new. slavery was wrong. It was Chris- from your tap will cost between The Christians over 1900 years tians in the UK and in the USA $1.20 and $1.85 per kilolitre depend- ago were described as atheists whose campaigns led to slavery ing on how much you use (that is as because they rejected the prevailing being abolished. little as $0.07 cents for 100 x 600ml). view of the Gods. The agnostics, of It is probably true that if you Is bottled water worth up to five whom Dawkins is so critical, are asked third generation Australian thousand times the cost of tap agnostic precisely because they do Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Mus- water? If you know people who buy not accept Dawkins’ premise of God. lims, Buddhists and Hindus what bottled spring/bore water, tell them They are not agnostic because they their views were on various moral about the price differential. Then

Page 58 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 Letters suggest they consider the environ- consider itself to be under attack has Evolution debate mental costs not included in the the right to positively encourage bottled-water price. For example, killing (by uniformed soldiers) in the risk to creeks, swamps and their defence of the state. Should capital Michael Moont dependent ecosystems imposed by punishment be reintroduced in Point Piper NSW commercial bottling of spring/bore South Africa, it will be a legitimate water, and the pollution and re- defence by the state of the fabric of I read with interest Why Creation- source consumption linked to the society against those who seek to ists Love Debating Atheists in your manufacture and disposal of plastic destroy it. Life imprisonment is summer edition. It would be nice not bottles. ineffective and far too expensive for to have to bother with such debates Unconvinced? Suggest that they the taxpayers to support. In this but considering the influence of do a blind taste test and see if they country, capital punishment is not a creationists on school curricula, we can distinguish between bottled question of academic debate, it is probably do need to keep having water and tap water. The bottled becoming a matter of life and death them. In that case, I do not agree water should be the one that leaves — the life and death of its citizens, altogether with the Recommenda- a sour taste in their mouths through not of its criminals. tions which seemed the main pur- a hole in the hip pocket! pose of the article. While I agree with most of the concepts I do not agree that “debates Capital punishment II that make evolution the battle- Capital punishment I ground should be avoided.” On the contrary, I think we should debate Mark Avery Leon Retief on this issue alone and persistently Forest Lodge NSW divorce it from many of the other Bellville South Africa issues raised. This is not at odds A hundred or so years ago the with the other recommendations but Jay Browning, as well as those who mentally ill were considered to be complements them, and is more in responded to his article on the death possessed by demons, and were line with the editor’s note. My point penalty, wrote from the perspective horribly killed. Not so long ago we is that as soon as you discuss evolu- of people living in a society where threw them into dungeon-like tion, creationists start discussing personal safety is more or less taken ‘hospitals’ to rot. Had we kept up creation and tie the two issues for granted. that practice the horror would still together. We may not yet have South Africa has a population of be continuing, and we’d know little enough evidence to discuss creation approximately 40 million people. about mental illness and how to so that it will be acceptable to non- During the preceding twelve treat it. But we kept trying. We kept scientists but we surely do have the months, 54 926 rapes were reported progressing. Although we have a evidence for evolution. to the police (and undoubtedly many long-way to go, things have im- Darwin’s Origin of Species was were not), 226 942 serious assaults proved, and the mentally ill are our not about the origin of life or the were reported (and again, probably researchers’ most valuable resource. universe, but only discussed the many were not) and 18 528 people Yet people want to kill our sadis- adaptation of species to their envi- were murdered. The police force is tic criminals. In Vol 26, No 4, ronment. In discussing evolution understaffed, poorly paid and Vivienne Miller says of them: “The then, we should confine our argu- trained, demoralized and often problem is the way their brains are ments to that and not get into spats corrupt. hard-wired. Nothing will change about where the first life came from. This situation can be likened to that.” On what does she base that? We should furthermore present an undeclared war waged by crimi- Vivienne and Gary: if we are to ever evolution as an accepted science and nals on society. Criminals know that have a society in which change can not as an unproven theory, which is they will not be executed and that be brought about, and in which how many people view it. And it can lenient courts will allow them their released criminals will not choose to be shown to be happening in front of freedom within a few years, no kill again, and if we are ever to have us, such as the evolution of antibi- matter how heinous their crime may a society in which we can predict otic resistance by bacteria exposed to have been. It is commonplace to read and prevent such violence in the an altered environment. of crimes (often murder) committed first place, it will be achieved by As an overall tactic, we should by freed convicts, convicts on parole treating our current sadists as a combat creationism by fighting the or by those awaiting trial but al- valuable resource, not as squashable battles we can win, topic by topic, to lowed to run free. cockroaches. gradually weaken their stance, Few people will deny that any rather than expecting to demolish government which reasonably them in one hit. Evolution is a battle

the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 - Page 59 Letters we should be able to win. Galileo effectiveness. Even the occasional the circumstances of the moment also fought on a single issue and the good documentary is continually The action would have been influ- Church must have been immeasur- spoiled by irritating and totally enced by past experiences of the ably weakened when it finally had to unnecessary sound effects. individual and, in effect, the behav- accept what had become the bleed- The present ongoing (otherwise iour would have been inevitable ing obvious. It is true that if you good) Compass series re the history through the action in the cells seem to be winning a debate, the of Christianity in Britain suffers moving along the line of least opposition will try to attack you from this particular defect. Regret- resistance. I would think that a case from a different direction by trying fully, Catalyst, whilst better than could be made for any event to have to change the subject, but this is nothing has a long way to go to gain been caused by the movement of where you need talented debaters to maximum credibility. objects along the line of least resist- keep the topic on line and drive ance. home an advantage. The theists’ belief is relatively primitive — from thousands of years Lines of least resistance ago. The Big Bang theory and other scientific knowledge which has Catalyst not so hot Len Bergin surfaced, surely indicates that their belief in a creator god is erroneous. Lower Templestowe Vic Peter Williams Mt Hutton NSW Kevin Rogers (Letters, Summer 2006) writes that “Theism is the Where’s the spark? I myself have blasted off three belief that God is immanent in the somewhat abusive e mails to ABC world, yet transcends it”. There is no John Grushka regarding that load of preposterous evidence, however, of the existence rubbish known as Psychic Investiga- of a God. I contend that it is more Bolwarra NSW tors with I might add, no noticeable likely that the way everything works effect. However, I would comment is through the movement of objects As a long-time member of our that the (fully justifiable) vitriolic along the line of least resistance, respected fraternity I am deeply attacks on the show emanating from that we are in a continuum which disappointed that no answer has various Skeptic forums have allowed had no beginning, which proceeded been forthcoming in your columns to a (to me) non sequitur to run ram- by the movement of objects along the the most crucial question surround- pant throughout the Skeptic out- line of least resistance with changes ing our belief system. It’s fine to go pourings, namely the scientific being wrought through friction and along with our stance on the par- credibility rating of Catalyst. the collision of objects — bringing anormal, evolution and the game of Of course, even Bananas in about a sort of evolution of objects cricket, but where is the answer to a Pyjamas would be better than PI — and the eventuation of the Big Bang. supposed “spark of energy”, shall we however in my view Catalyst has Obviously, objects would have been call it, that transformed a complex severe problems of its own. Sepul- more sparse the further back they protein molecule into a living organ- chral voice-overs, ghostly sirens, were in the progression. The sparse- ism in the primordial soup? Perhaps rattling tin cans, and superficial ness of the particles of atoms might one of our more learned contributors analysis of complex subjects are also be an indication of the sparseness of would care to enlighten us? Dare I well utilised by this show. I stopped the objects at some stage. drag the term Creation into such a watching Catalyst after the ‘Jack the Natural selection can be seen as discussion? Ripper’ reinvestigation, using DNA working per the movement of objects methods, was presented as a genu- along the line of least resistance, ine resolution of this no-doubt where creatures with poor camou- puzzling but no longer relevant lurid flage are more likely to be taken by series of murders. predators than those of their species The fact is that there is no genu- with good camouflage, leaving the ine TV show anywhere that I can latter to breed and produce progeny find that adequately presents with the good camouflage. This science to an intelligent and reason- would have been brought about ably informed audience. Some through the movement of objects valiant and worthwhile attempts are (the predators hunting) along the made on ABC radio, but the lack of line of least resistance. visual impact (not to mention Human behaviour is the conse- audience) substantially blunts their quence of the action in brain cells in

Page 60 - the Skeptic, Autumn 2007 Blatant Plugs

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