Special Issue

SI Art cover 2_SI JF 10 V1 7/31/12 10:30 AM Page 1

Skepticism in Art | Van Gogh’s ‘Murder’? | Top Ten Alien Mug Shots | Wiseman Wins CSI Balles Prize

the Magazine for Science and Reason Vol. 36 No. 5 | September/October 2012

INTRODUCTORY PRICE U.S. and Canada $4.95 SPECIAL ISSUE

Published by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry SepOctpagescut_SInewdesignmasters8/1/129:53AMPage2

at the Cen terfor In quIry –transnatIonal

Paul Kurtz, Founder Joe Nickell, Senior Research Fellow Ronald A. Lindsay, President and CEO Massimo Polidoro, Research Fellow Bar ry Karr, Ex ec u tive Di rect or Benjamin Radford, Research Fellow www.csicop.org Richard Wiseman, Research Fellow

James E. Al cock*, psy chol o gist, York Univ., Tor on to Thom as Gi lov ich, psy chol o gist, Cor nell Univ. Jay M. Pasachoff, Field Memorial Professor of Mar cia An gell, MD, former ed itor-in-chief, Wendy M. Grossman, writer; founder and first editor, Astronomy and director of the Hopkins New Eng land Jour nal of Med i cine The Skeptic magazine (UK) Observatory, Williams College Kimball Atwood IV, MD, physician; author; Sus an Haack, Coop er Sen ior Schol ar in Arts and John Pau los, math e ma ti cian, Tem ple Univ. Newton, MA Sci en ces, professor of phi los o phy and professor Massimo Pigliucci, professor of philosophy, of Law, Univ. of Mi ami Steph en Bar rett, MD, psy chi a trist; au thor; con sum er City Univ. of New York–Lehman College ad vo cate, Al len town, PA Harriet Hall, MD, family physician; investigator, Stev en Pink er, cog nitive sci en tist, Harvard Univ. Willem Betz,MD, professor of medicine, Univ. of Brussels Puyallup, WA Ir ving Bie der man, psychol o gist, Univ. of C.E.M. Han sel, psy chol o gist, Univ. of Wales Philip Plait, astronomer; lecturer; writer South ern CA David J. Helfand, professor of astronomy, Mas si mo Pol id oro, sci ence writer; au thor; ex ec u tive Sandra Blakeslee, science writer; author; New York Columbia Univ. di rect or of CI CAP, It a ly Times science correspondent Doug las R. Hofstad ter, pro fes sor of human Anthony R. Pratkanis, professor of psychology, Sus an Black more, vis it ing lec tur er, Univ. of the West un der stand ing and cog ni tive sci ence, In di ana Univ. Univ. of CA, Santa Cruz of Eng land, Bris tol Ger ald Hol ton, Mal linc krodt Profes sor of Phys ics and Benjamin Radford, investigator; research fellow, Mark Boslough, physicist, Sandia National Laborato- pro fes sor of his to ry of sci ence, Har vard Univ. Committee for Skeptical Inquiry ries, Albuquerque, NM Ray Hy man*, psy chol o gist, Univ. of Or e gon James “The Amazing” Randi, magician; CSICOP Hen ri Broch, phys i cist, Univ. of Nice, France Le on Jar off, sci en ces ed itor emer i tus, Time founding member; founder, James Randi Jan Har old Brun vand, folk lor ist; pro fes sor emer i tus Stuart D. Jordan, NASA astrophysicist emeritus; Educational Foundation of Eng lish, Univ. of Utah science advisor to Center for Inquiry Office of Mil ton Ro sen berg, psy chol o gist, Univ. of Chic a go Mar io Bunge, phi los o pher, McGill Univ., Montreal Public Policy, Washington, DC Wal la ce Sam pson, MD, clin i cal pro fes sor of med i cine, Robert T. Carroll, emeritus professor of philosophy, Ser gei Ka pit za, former ed i tor, Rus sian edi tion, Sacramento City College; writer Sci en tif ic Amer i can Stan ford Univ.; ed i tor, Sci en tif ic Re view of Sean B. Carroll, molecular geneticist; vice president Barry Karr, executive director, Committee for Al ter na tive Med i cine for science education, Howard Hughes Medical Skeptical Inquiry, Amherst, New York Am ar deo Sar ma*, chairman, GWUP, Ger ma ny Institute, Madison, WI Law rence M. Krauss, foundation professor, School Richard Saunders, vice president, Australian Thomas R. Casten, energy expert; founder and of Earth and Space Exploration and Physics Dept.; Skeptics; educator; investigator; podcaster; chairman, Recycled Energy Development, director, Origins Initiative, Arizona State Univ. Sydney, Australia Westmont, IL Harry Kroto, professor of chemistry and Eu ge nie C. Scott*, phys i cal an thro pol o gist; ex ec u tive John R. Cole, an thro pol o gist; ed i tor, Na tion al biochemistry, Florida State Univ.; Nobel laureate di rect or, Nation al Cen ter for Sci ence Ed u cation Cen ter for Sci ence Ed u ca tion Ed win C. Krupp, as tron o mer; di rect or, K.C. Cole, science writer; author; professor, Grif fith Ob ser va to ry, Los Angeles, CA Rob ert Sheaf fer, sci ence writer Univ. of Southern California’s Annenberg Paul Kurtz, professor emeritus of philosophy, El ie A. Shneour, bi o chem ist; au thor; president and School of Journalism SUNY at Buffalo research director, Bi os ys tems Re search In sti tute, Fred er ick Crews, lit er ary and cul tur al crit ic; pro fes sor Law rence Kusche, sci ence writer La Jol la, CA emer i tus of Eng lish, Univ. of CA, Berke ley Le on Le der man, emer i tus di rect or, Fer mi lab; Seth Shostak, senior astronomer, SETI Institute, Rich ard Dawk ins, zo ol o gist, Ox ford Univ. No bel lau re ate in phys ics Mountain View, CA Geof frey Dean, tech ni cal ed i tor, Perth, Aus tral ia Scott O. Lil i en feld*, psy chol o gist, Emory Univ., Simon Singh, science writer; broadcaster; UK Cor nel is de Ja ger, pro fes sor of as tro phys ics, Atlanta, GA Dick Smith,film pro duc er; pub lish er; Ter rey Hills, Univ. of Utrecht, the Neth er lands Lin Zix in, former ed i tor, Sci ence and N.S.W., Aus tral ia Dan i el C. Den nett, Aus tin B. Fletch er Pro fes sor Tech nol o gy Dai ly (Chi na) Keith E. Stanovich, cognitive psychologist; of Phi los o phy and di rect or of Cen ter for Cog ni tive Je re Lipps, Mu se um of Pa le on tol o gy, Univ. of CA, Stud ies, Tufts Uni v. Berke ley professor of human development and applied psychology, Uni v. of Toronto Ann Druyan, writer and producer; CEO, Eliz a beth Loft us*, pro fes sor of psy chol o gy, Cosmos Studios, Ithaca, NY Univ. of CA, Ir vine Rob ert Stein er, ma gi cian; au thor; El Cer ri to, CA Sanal Edamaruku, president, Indian Rationalist Da vid Marks, psy chol o gist, City Univ., Lon don Vic tor J. Sten ger, emer i tus pro fes sor of phys ics Association and Rationalist International Mar io Men dez-Acos ta, jour nal ist and sci ence writer, and as tron o my, Univ. of Ha waii; ad junct pro fes sor Edzard Ernst, professor, Complementary Medicine, Mex i co City of phi los o phy, Univ. of CO Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Exeter and Kenneth R. Miller, professor of biology, Karen Stollznow*, linguist; skeptical investigator; Plymouth, Exeter, UK Brown Univ. writer; podcaster Ken neth Fed er, pro fes sor of an thro pol o gy, Marv in Min sky, pro fes sor of me dia arts and sci en ces, Jill Cor nell Tar ter,as tron o mer, SE TI In sti tute, Cen tral Con nec ti cut State Univ. M.I.T. Barbara Forrest, professor of philosophy, Moun tain View, CA Da vid Mor ri son, space sci en tist, NA SA Ames Re search Car ol Tav ris,psy chol o gist and au thor, Los Ange les, CA SE Louisiana Univ. Cen ter An drew Fra knoi, as tron o mer, Foot hill Col lege, Rich ard A. Mul ler, pro fes sor of phys ics, Univ. of CA, Da vid E. Thom as*, phys i cist and math e ma ti cian, Los Al tos Hills, CA Berke ley Per al ta, NM Kend rick Fra zier*, sci ence writer; ed i tor, Joe Nick ell, sen ior re search fel low, CSI Neil de Grasse Ty son, as tro phys i cist and di rect or, SKEP TI CAL IN QUIR ER Jan Willem Nienhuys, mathematician, Waalre, Hay den Plan e tar i um, New York City Christopher C. French, professor, Department The Netherlands Ma ri lyn vos Sa vant, Pa rade mag a zine of Psychology, and head of the Anomalistic Lee Nis bet, phi los o pher, Medaille Col lege con trib ut ing ed i tor Psychology Research Unit, Goldsmiths College, Univ. of London Steven Novella, MD, assistant professor Stev en Wein berg, pro fes sor of phys ics and as tron o my, Yves Gal i fret, executive secretary, of neurology, Yale Univ. School of Medicine Univ. of Tex as at Austin; No bel lau re ate Bill Nye, sci ence ed u ca tor and tel e vi sion host, l’Union Rationaliste E.O. Wil son, Univ. pro fes sor emer i tus, organismic and Nye Labs Luigi Garlaschelli, chemist, Università di Pavia evolutionary biology, Har vard Univ. James E. Oberg, sci ence writer (Italy); research fellow of CICAP, Rich ard Wis e man, psy chol o gist, Univ. the Italian skeptics group Irm gard Oe pen, pro fes sor of med i cine (re tired), of Hert ford shire, England Maryanne Garry, professor, School of Psychology, Mar burg, Ger ma ny Victoria Univ. of Wellington, New Zealand Lor en Pan kratz, psy chol o gist, Or e gon Health Benjamin Wolozin*, professor, Department of Mur ray Gell-Mann, pro fes sor of phys ics, San ta Fe Sci en ces Univ. Pharmacology, Boston Univ. School of Medicine In sti tute; No bel lau re ate Robert L. Park,professor of physics, Univ. of Maryland Marv in Zel en, stat is ti cian, Har vard Univ.

* Mem ber, CSI Ex ec u tive Coun cil (Af fil i a tions giv en for iden ti fi ca tion only.) SepOctpagescut_SInewdesignmasters8/1/129:53AMPage3

Skep ti cal In quir er September/October 2012 | Vol. 36, No. 5

SPECIAL ISSUE COLUMNS Art and FROM THE GUEST EDITOR Skepticism Art and Skepticism ...... 4 NEWS AND COMMENT 28 CSI’s Balles Prize Goes to Richard Art and Skepticism Wiseman for Paranormality/Sixth World Introduction Skeptics Congress–Berlin 2012/Dear Dr. Phil/Victims in Psychic-Inspired BENJAMIN RADFORD Hoax Sue Police, Media/NRC Booklet Answers Common Questions about 30 Climate Change/Americans’ Anti-Evolu- Nighthawks State of Mind tion Beliefs Steady for Past Thirty Years/Psychic Medium Convicted of JEREMIAH MOSS Sexual Exploitation ...... 5

32 IN VES TI GA TIVE FILES Science and Art: The ‘Murder’ of Vincent van Gogh Complementary Disciplines JOE NICK ELL...... 14 JOE NICKELL THINKING ABOUT SCIENCE What’s So Bad about 34 Ad Hoc Hypotheses? Skepticism in the Video Box MAS SI MO PI GLI UC CI ...... 18 CHRISTIAN WALTERS NOTES ON A STRANGE WORLD Alien Mug Shots: The Ten Best 37 (or Worst) Photos of Aliens Confirmation Bias and Art MAS SI MO POLIDORO...... 19 SAMUEL MCNERNEY PSYCHIC VIBRATIONS ‘Top Ten’ UFO Case: Yukon, 40 Canada, 1996—Busted! ROBERT SHEAFFER ...... 22 A Warm Twist on a ‘Cold Reading’ SCIENCE WATCH A Conversation with Damon Martin Saving Us from Sweets: This Is Science and Government on Sugar MATTHEW A. KACAR JR. KENNETH W. KRAUSE...... 24 42 50 SKEPTICAL INQUIREE Art, Mysteries, and Context In the Key of Type Tracking the Chupachameleon: BENJAMIN RADFORD A Conversation with Marian Call Chupacabra Iconography BENJAMIN RADFORD...... 26 KYLIE STURGESS 44 NEW AND NOTABLE ...... 55 XKCD: A Perfect Marriage 52 LETTERS TO THE ED I TOR...... 60 of Snark and Skepticism Skewed Skepticism: Bizarro Piraro THE LAST LAUGH...... 66 46 A Conversation with Dan Piraro Surly-Ramic’s BENJAMIN RADFORD The Puzzle of the Implausible Amy Davis Roth RONALD L. NUMBERS...... 57 Power and Illusion: BOOK REVIEWS Religion and Human Need 48 by David W. Wilbur Skeptic Trumps: A Satirical Are Conservatives and Liberals Different People? Skeptic Card Game Enumerating the Problems with RONALD A. LINDSAY...... 54 Young-Earth Creationism TIM FARLEY e Republican Brain: e Science of PETER LAMAL...... 58 Why ey Deny Science—and Reality e ree Failures of Creationism: by Chris Mooney Logic, Rhetoric, and Science. by Walter M. Fitch SepOctpagescut_SInewdesignmasters8/1/129:54AMPage4

[ FROM THE GUEST EDITOR Skep ti cal In quir er™ themagazineforscienceandreason

ED I TOR Kend rick Fra zi er Art and Skepticism ED I TO RI AL BOARD James E. Al cock, Thom as Cas ten, Ray Hy man, Scott O. Lilienfeld, Joe Nick ell, Amar deo Sar ma, Eugenie C. Scott, “The end of art is to figure the hidden meaning of things and not their Karen Stollznow, David E. Thomas, Leonard Tramiel, appearance; for in this profound truth lies their true reality, which does not Benjamin Wolozin CON SULT ING ED I TORS Sus an J. Black more, appear in their external outlines.” Ken neth L. Fed er, Barry Karr, E.C. Krupp, Da vid F. Marks, Jay M. Pasachoff, Rich ard Wis e man —Aristotle CON TRIB UT ING ED I TORS Austin Dacey, D.J. Grothe, Harriet Hall, Kenneth W. Krause, Chris Moon ey, James E. Oberg, Rob ert Sheaf fer, Karen Stollznow elcome to our Art and Skepticism issue. We previously de- DEPUTY ED I TOR Ben ja min Rad ford voted a special issue of the SkeptiCAl inquirer to “Science MAN A GING ED I TOR Julia Lavarnway and Art,” which proved quite popular. So we decided to return ART DI RECT OR Chri sto pher Fix W PRO DUC TION Paul E. Loynes to the theme but narrow the focus a bit. While the intersection between ASSISTANT EDITOR Sean Lachut art and skepticism may not be apparent at first glance, they share many WEBMASTER Matthew Licata qualities. they both involve analysis, creativity, exploration, and inquis- PUBLISH ER’S REP RE SENT A TIVE Bar ry Karr COR PO RATE COUN SEL Steven Fox, itiveness. Both are vehicles for finding out about our world—both inner Brenton N. VerPloeg and outer. BUSI NESS MAN A GER Pa tri cia Beau champ FIS CAL OF FI CER Paul Pau lin We have assembled a spectacular lineup of materials and contributors DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Alan Kinniburgh representing a variety of approaches to science, skepticism, and art. SUBSCRIPTION DATA MANAGER Jacalyn Mohr STAFF Melissa Braun, Cheryl Catania, Christian Walters surveys skepticism in online videos, from comedy Roe Giambrone, An tho ny San ta Lu cia, shorts to richard Wiseman’s mind-bending experiments that educate John Sul li van, Diane Tobin, Vance Vi grass COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Paul Fidalgo as they entertain. IN QUIRY ME DIA PRO DUC TIONS Thom as Flynn We also have interesting historical mysteries, including Joe nickell’s DI RECT OR OF LI BRAR IES Tim o thy S. Binga

in-depth analysis of the curious circumstances surrounding the death The SKEP TI CAL IN QUIR ER is the of fi cial jour nal of the Com mit tee for Skeptical Inquiry, of Vincent van Gogh, Jeremiah Moss’s search for the real-life inspira- an in ter na tional organ i za tion. tion for edward Hopper’s famous Nighthawks painting, and Massimo The SKEP TI CALIN QUIR ER(ISSN 0194-6730) is pub lished bi month - ly by the Com mit tee for Skeptical Inquiry, 3965 Rensch Road, polidoro’s clever look at the top ten alien mug shots. Drawing from my Am herst, NY 14228. Print ed in U.S.A. Pe ri od icals post age paid at Buf fa lo, NY, and at ad di tion al mail ing of fi ces. Sub scrip tion own research i examine chupacabra iconography—how depictions of a pri ces: one year (six is sues), $35; two years, $60; three world-famous monster (and solved mystery) evolved over time. years, $84; sin gle is sue, $4.95. Ca na di an and for eign or ders: Pay ment in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank must ac com pa - Skeptical artists? We’ve got plenty, including profiles of musicians ny or ders; please add US$10 per year for ship ping. Ca na di an and for eign cus tom ers are en cour aged to use Vi sa or Mas ter - Damon Martin and Marian Call, artists Dan “Bizarro” piraro and Card. Canada Publications Mail Agreement No. 41153509. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: IMEX, P.O. Box Crispian “Skeptic trumps” Jago, and the online comic xkcd (which has 4332, Station Rd., Toronto , ON M5W 3J4. appeared on our “last laugh” page). And then—for something com- In quir ies from the me dia and the pub lic about the work of the Com mit tee should be made to Barry Karr, Executive Director, pletely different—artist Amy Davis roth shares her creative skeptical CSI, P.O. Box 703, Am herst, NY 14226-0703. Tel.: 716-636- 1425. Fax: 716-636-1733. Email: [email protected]. ceramics. Man u scripts, let ters, books for re view, and ed i to rial in quir ies should be sent to Kend rick Fra zi er, Ed i tor, SKEP TI CAL IN QUIR ER, On a more philosophical note, Samuel Mcnerney takes a skeptical 944 Deer Drive NE, Al bu querque, NM 87122. Fax: 505-828- look at confirmation bias in art (why do we like what we like?); Joe 2080. EMAIL: [email protected]. Be fore sub mit - ting any man u script, please con sult our updated and ex- nickell examines the ways in which science and art are complementary panded Guide for Au thors for styles, ref er en ce requirements, and submittal re quire ments. It is on our website in two for- disciplines, and finally i examine what art can tell us about the impor- mats at www.csi cop.org/pub lications/guide. Ar ti cles, re ports, re views, and let ters pub lished in the SKEP TI- tance of context in solving mysteries. CALIN QUIR ERrep re sent the views and work of in di vid u al au thors. And, of course, we also have our usual stable of fine columnists, re- Their pub li ca tion does not nec es sa ri ly con sti tute an en dorse - ment by CSI or its mem bers un less so stat ed. viewers, and contributors. We hope you enjoy this special issue; please Cop y right ©2012 by the Com mit tee for Skeptical Inquiry. All rights re served. The SKEP TI CALIN QUIR ERis availa ble on 16mm mi - let us know what you think. cro film, 35mm mi cro film, and 105mm mi cro fiche from Uni - ver si ty Micro films In ter na tion al and is indexed in the Read - —Benjamin radford ers’ Guide to Pe ri od i cal Lit er a ture. Sub scrip tions and chan ges of ad dress should be ad dressed Deputy editor, the SkeptiCAl inquirer to: SKEP TI CAL IN QUIR ER, P.O. Box 703, Am herst, NY 14226-0703. Or call toll-free 1-800-634-1610 (out side the U.S. call 716- 636-1425). Old ad dress as well as new are nec es sa ry for change of sub scrib er’s ad dress, with six weeks ad vance no - tice. SKEP TI CAL IN QUIR ER sub scrib ers may not speak on be half of CSI or the SKEP TI CAL IN QUIR ER. Committee for Skeptical Inquiry Post mas ter: Send chan ges of ad dress to SKEP TI CALIN QUIR ER, P.O. “... promotes scientific inquiry, critical investigation, and the use Box 703, Am herst, NY 14226-0703. of reason in examining controversial and extraordinary claims.” SepOctpagescut_SInewdesignmasters8/1/129:54AMPage5

[ NEWS AND COMMENT CSI’s Balles Prize Goes to Richard Wiseman for Paranormality

BARRY KARR

the Committee for Skeptical inquiry (CSi) will award its 2011 robert p. Balles Annual prize in Critical think - ing to psychologist richard Wiseman for his book Paranormality: Why We See What Isn’t There. Wiseman holds Britain’s only Chair in the public understanding of psy chology, at the university of Hertford shire (uk). He has written several best-selling books, including The Luck Factor, Quirkology, 59 Seconds, and Paranormal ity. More than two million people have taken part in his mass participation experiments, and his Youtube channel has received more than thirty million views. He is one of the most frequently quoted psychologists in the British media and was recently listed data or to explain apparently preternat- as one of the Inde pendent on Sunday’s top ural phenomena. 100 people who make Britain a better this is the seventh year the robert place to live. He is also a Committee for p. Balles prize has been presented. pre- Skep tical inquiry fellow and a Skepti- vious winners of this award are: CAl inquirer consulting editor. Paranormality is not like a good num- 2010: Steven novella for his tre - mendous body of work, including the ber of skeptical books looking at paranor- Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe, Science- mal claims. Wiseman is not simply inter- Based Medicine, Neurologica, Skepti- ested in looking at a claim, gathering the CAl inquirer column “the Science evidence, and debunking the claim. He of Medicine,” and his tireless travel goes a step further. He is interested in and lecture schedule on behalf of skepticism showing us how easy it is for us to be de- ceived and how easily we can be fooled 2009: Michael Specter, New Yorker staff writer and former foreign correspon- and fool others. He includes do-it-your- dent for the New York Times, for his self activities that allow you to learn some book Denialism: How Irra tional Think- of the basics and share in the experiences ing Hinders Scientific Pro gress, Harms the for yourself. Planet, and Threatens Our Lives As the book jacket says: “richard 2008: leonard Mlodinow, physicist, Wise man is clear about one thing: para - author, and professor at Caltech, for normal phenomena don’t exist. But in his book The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives the same way space travel yields technol- other publication that has the greatest ogy that transforms our everyday lives, so potential to create positive reader aware- 2007: natalie Angier, New York Times research into telepathy, fortune-telling, ness of important scientific issues. science writer and author of the book The Canon: A Whirligig Tour of the and out-of-body experiences produces the prize will be presented to Wise- Beautiful Basics of Science remarkable insights into our brains, be- man during CSiCon nashville, Octo- haviour and beliefs.” exactly. ber 25–28, 2012. 2006: Ben Goldacre for his weekly column, “Bad Science,” published in the robert p. Balles Annual prize in this prize has been established the Guardian newspaper (u.k.) Critical thinking is a $1,500 award given through the generosity of robert p. 2005: Shared by Andrew Skolnick, to the author of the published work that Balles, an associate member of CSi, and ray Hyman, and Joe nickell for their best exemplifies healthy skepticism, logi- the robert p. Balles endowed Memo- series of articles in the SkeptiCAl cal analysis, or empirical science. each rial Fund, a permanent endowment inquirer on “testing ‘the Girl with year, the Committee for Skeptical in- fund for the benefit of CSi. CSi’s estab- X-ray eyes’” quiry, publisher of the SkeptiCAl in- lished criteria for the prize include use Barry Karr is the executive director of the quirer, selects the paper, article, book, or of the most parsimonious theory to fit Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.

Skeptical Inquirer | September/October 2012 5 SepOctpagescut_SInewdesignmasters8/1/129:54AMPage6

Sixth World Skeptics Congress–Berlin 2012

KYLIE STURGESS

it’s rare for a gift of homeopathy to be between politics and creationism in italy, duced conflicted re sponses from students. welcomed by skeptics, but at the Sixth Serbia, Brazil, Great Britain, and russia. Gita Sahgal, director of the Cen tre World Skeptics Congress every presen- Scott’s message on how “science is not a for Secular Space, began the sessions on ter was given a sample of Murus Ber - democracy” was reiterated by Dittmar pseudoscience in education. Her lecture linensis, a homeopathic remedy made Graf of the insti tute of Biology and ed- unveiled the early history and myths of from the remains of the Berlin Wall. ucation at the uni versity of Dortmund, india and pakistan and the influence While sugar tablets can’t be guaranteed who outlined comparative studies on the they have had on nationalist movements to bring harmony and unity in every pill, acceptance of evolution in Germany and and education in the nineteenth and they certainly brought an ironic smile to turkey and the difficulties in achieving twentieth centuries. My presentation fol-

Photos by André Sebastiani

the sixth World skeptics Congress drew an impressive stable of speakers and attendees. from left: Kylie sturgess, eugenie C. scott, and Camp quest’s samantha stein.

the face of James randi. the conference, such acceptance. Johan Braeck man of lowed; in spired by a 2006 Austral ian held in Berlin from May 18–20, 2012, Ghent university and the Flemish skep- paper on autism, dyslexia, and attention- was a lively mixed gathering of people tical organization Skepp presented on deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), with a great number of countries repre- creationism in Belgium and the nether - it showed how the “unsinkable rubber sented both on the stage and in the au- lands, with an amusing tale about the ducks” like Dore, the “Mozart effect,” dience. potentially london-Olympic bound Brain Gym, and Facilitated Com muni- Despite the long weekend dedicated to “authentic” noah’s Ark built by Dutch cation persist even now—despite damn- the congress ahead, there were a num ber creationist Johan Huibers. ing research, court cases, and even com- of well-attended tours on Wednes day and the high level of acceptance of cre- pany bankruptcy. thursday before the event that allowed ationism in the islamic world was the Samantha Stein from Camp quest attendees to learn more about the history focus of research conducted by Mc Gill’s echoed my overall point on the need for of the underground bunkers and towers evolution education re search Center, all stakeholders to develop greater re- around the city. An open-day on thurs- presented by Anila Asghar. An extensive sponsibility when improving education. day featured magic shows, lectures, and a study involving more than one hundred Her dynamic presentation on “engag- German session of “Science Slam”—an Muslim scientists and teachers and five ing Children in Science” critically ex- event similar to the traditional “Café Sci- thousand student surveys across turkey, amined the state of u.k. science educa- entifique” but with a competitive edge. leba non, egypt, indonesia, and paki stan tion, the need for education reform, and eugenie C. Scott started off the main revealed that while the reconciliation of the promotion of science literacy be- event on Friday with a brisk but disturb- faith and evolution was possible for sci- yond the classroom. Her talk prompted ing look at creationism outside the entists, exposure to Amer ican creationist a passionate outburst during the ques- united States, involving the intersection materials and religious messages pro- tion-and-answer session by audience

6 Volume 36 Issue 5 | Skeptical Inquirer SepOctpagescut_SInewdesignmasters8/1/129:54AMPage7

[ NEWS AND COMMENT

member Simon Singh, who agreed with ular science writer for a number of skepti- member inquired about potential cheaper Stein’s observation about the sorry state cal publications including Skeptic and health insurance policies due to hypo- of science education. Stein is currently SkeptiCAl inquirer, discussed the bogus thetical companies not endorsing pseu- writing a book, Atheists, Tents, and Uni- and bizarre treatments that are touted as doscientific practices. corns: The Story of Camp Quest in the UK, so-called complementary/alternative med- the end-of-day sessions on “psy - on her experiences as the founder and icine (or “SCAM”). She presented on the chology and pseudoscience,” chaired by director of Camp quest uk. the day issues that arise from meta-analyses and James Alcock, brought us the very first concluded with awards for Simon Singh systematic reviews of pseudoscience in public demonstration of ray Hyman’s and edzard ernst, luigi Garlaschelli, medicine (drawing on a paper by ioanni- powerpoint skills for a lecture on the and Wim Betz, recognizing their ongo- dis). Hall is the creator of the “tooth fairy history of testing psychic claims, and he ing efforts to promote science and rea- science” analogy for the seductive appeal included some impressively deft rope son worldwide. of such claims, and she introduced us to tricks. Although Chris French’s original For the start of Saturday’s proceed- the German translation: Zahnfeewis- presentation was beset by technical dif- ings professor Jürgen Windeler deliv- senschaft! this was her first overseas pres- ficulties, his new lecture certainly cap-

Photos by André Sebastiani

simon singh Massimo Polidoro

ered a presentation on evaluating the entation at a skeptical convention, and tured the audience’s attention with a benefits of conventional and comple- considering the ex tremely positive re- tale of scientists attempting to replicate mentary medicine, looking specifically sponse to her work from the audience, it Daryl Bem’s precognition studies and at some misunderstandings of medical should certainly not be her last. the frustrating and sometimes bemus- evaluation—what is involved in ran- the sessions on alternative medicine ing lengths that must be taken to be domization and how simple blinding concluded with an in-depth and enter- published in peer-reviewed journals. methods are not always possible. He taining look at acupuncture by Benedikt polish skeptic tomasz Witkowski’s talk also presented a case for ignoring the Matenaer, who has a background in anes- on pseudoscience in psychology inves- claims of homeopathy rather than giv- thesiology and palliative care. He criti- tigated not only how dodgy claims in ing them any potential therapeutic cally analyzed the economic influences the field are detrimental for science in credibility. the topic of diagnostic and acupuncture has had on the German general but also how they mislead those therapeutic interventions was expanded health system and the reasons that public who hope to find help with health is- upon by Gerd Antes of the university health insurances and public health sys- sues such as brain damage and cancer. Medical Center in Frei burg, who inter- tems should be held accountable for pro- On Sunday, skepticism entered the rogated the systematic research into the moting acupuncture (particularly why political sphere when Chris Mooney deficiencies of the research and publi- practitioners are acquiring a “pseudo-ed- discussed his recent investigations into cation process and how this contributes ucation” to “put needles anywhere”). the cognitive differences between liberals to what would be otherwise avoidable assumptions made by acupuncturist “pro- and conservatives—which may help or diseases and deaths: “Don’t fight belief; fessionals” are “stupid” and “disgusting hinder the development of a civil soci- fight the justification of belief through lies”—and he proposed a hilarious quiz ety—as discussed in his new book, The the abuse of science and knowledge.” on chi for the next time skeptics en- Republican Brain. Simon perry’s talk on Harriet “Skep-Doc” Hall, MD, a pop- counter their claims. One canny audience the advent and application of fill-in-

Skeptical Inquirer | September/October 2012 7 SepOctpagescut_SInewdesignmasters8/1/129:54AMPage8

complaint-form website Fishbarrel (adapted by a handful of countries to resolution help target pseudoscientific products online) was well received by the Scientific Standards in Academia and Education mostly German audience; this may On the occasion of the Sixth World Skeptics Congress in Berlin, the Com- also be due to another innovative example of using similar methods of mittee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI), the European Council of Skeptical Organ- social media manipulation by Ger- izations (ECSO), and the German skeptical organization Gesellschaft zur wissen - many’s Piraten partei (pirate party), schaftlichen Untersuchung von Parawissenschaften (GWUP) adopted the which has influenced local political following resolution calling for high standards of scientific practice in scientific change. the last session featured a institutions and in science education. standing-room-only Houdini Séance with ray Hyman, James randi, and Scientists and skeptics from around resist the temptation to let Massimo polidoro delving into some the world are deeply concerned with unproven claims enter proof the lesser-known stories of the the growing tolerance, acceptance, and fessional education; such great magician. We were then treated even promotion of pseudoscientific and institutions are obliged to to a lengthy question-and-answer assist students to clearly session, ranging from the history occult ideas and practices within scientific, academic, and educational in- distinguish between sci- of the Million Dollar Chal lenge ence-based and unscien- (lauded by African skeptic leo igwe stitutions. Students worldwide are in tific methodologies within as invaluable to activist efforts world- danger of being instructed in the un- the context of science and wide) to the danger of lie detectors substantiated claims of ideologues and evidence-based medicine; to budget spending on paranormal purveyors of pseudoscience, rather and claims worldwide. than learning to base conclusions on Ensure that scientific stan- the event concluded with the dependable, scientific knowledge. Sci- dards of evidence-based Com mittee for Skeptical inquiry, entists and academics may be reluc- medicine are applied with- the euro pean Council of Skeptical tant or afraid to speak up, even when Or gani sa tions (eCSO), and the Ge - out compromise, resisting scientific principles and criteria are bla- sell schaft zur wissenschaftlichen Unter- attempts to grant exemp- tantly violated, fearful of antagonizing suchung von Para wissen schaften tions for ideological or (GWup) releasing a resolution calling colleagues or those on whom their own commercial reasons to for high standards of scientific practice careers may depend. some forms of therapy in scientific institutions and in science that potentially risk patient education—to focus on challenging At the occasion of the Sixth World welfare; and pseudoscience when it is being estab- Skeptics Congress in Berlin, CSI, ECSO, Ensure that schools base the lished within academic and instruc- and GWUP call for high standards of science curriculum on ac- tional institutions, particularly when scientific practice in scientific institu- cepted science, rejecting funded by tax-payers. (See box for tions and in science education. They call attempts to influence the text.) Considering the scope of the on scientists and academics worldwide curriculum on ideological, topics and presentations at the con- to raise their voices when pseudo- political, or religious gress, a call for international action science is being established within ac- grounds, such as has oc- was a fine way to finish a dynamic and curred with the teaching ademic and instructional institutions. stimulating weekend of skepticism. of evolution and climate When such institutions are publicly the next World Skeptics Con- change. gress will be held in Sweden in 2013. funded, it is additionally of crucial importance that taxes not be used to pro- We also call upon our sister skep- Kylie sturgess is the host of Token Skeptic, a mote pseudoscience or ideologies. tical organizations from around the podcast that garners around 15,000 listen- Specifically, we call on all those re- world in the spirit of consumer protec- ers per month (and growing) and is syndi- sponsible to: tion to commit themselves to ensuring cated to radio stations in the United States. She regularly writes for numerous publica- Ensure that universities, med- good science within academia and tions worldwide and authors CSI’s “Curiouser ical institutions, and col- schools, in addition to continuing their and Curiouser” online column. An award-win- leges teach depend able, efforts to promote science and critical ning philosophy and special needs teacher, scientific knowledge and thinking to the public. Kylie is a member of the James Randi Educa- tional Foundation Education Advisory Panel.

8 Volume 36 Issue 5 | Skeptical Inquirer SepOctpagescut_SInewdesignmasters8/1/129:54AMPage9

[ NEWS AND COMMENT

Dear Dr. Phil

Dear Dr. phil, wasn’t very convincing while the psychics your subjects (and perhaps not from your were. this is extremely unfair—especially audience). this would have made the ap- Your May 25, 2012, show about psy- considering that rebecca claimed to have parent hit more believable. Should you chics, “inside the Other Side” (http:// given thousands of readings. Had you not ever do another show on the subject— www.drphil.com/shows/show/1853), had her provide a reading to those same with rebecca as a guest once again—i’d did not demonstrate the “healthy degree subjects, under down would have clear ly be happy to supply the subjects and see if of skepticism” you claimed in the show’s convinced most that he had psychic abil- she is as apparently accurate with her opening. As a person who has taken ity. this was the most important thing readings as before. many critical thinking courses—such as that happened in the show, and you dis- As for one of your guests trying to val- research—as part of his phD, you would, credited underdown’s convincing per- idate remote viewing because of the u.S. i assume, understand how to draw logi- formance. He was actually magnificent, government’s research into the subject, i cal conclusions based on available scien- but you wouldn’t acknowledge it. want you to know that the government tific evidence. Here are a few examples eventually abandoned re mote viewing re- of why the show lacked a healthy degree search because it didn’t work. of skepticism along with some explana- With this kind of unskeptical stance tions for why the guests ap peared to be from the host, is it any wonder that 84 psychic. percent of your audience claimed belief When “color” psychic Dougall Fraser in psychic ability by the show’s end? told you he saw purple in your aura, You do some really good shows— therefore you’re a leader and like to be If you have a healthy and for the right reasons—but i get the in control, i don’t think that was a par- degree of skepticism, feeling you did this one primarily for ticularly risky prediction for someone ratings. if you do another show on the who hosts a major television show. why were there more subject, i hope it’s with a balanced panel With a healthy degree of skepticism, than four guests of guests. Since you seem so convinced you could have pointed this out—but i who were allegedly of the validity of the psychics’ readings, suspect your producers and sponsors would you suggest people with relation- preferred that you didn’t. psychic and only ship problems seek psychics rather than Your poll at the beginning of the one person who mental health professionals? if this is show indicated that 78 percent of the the case, consider doing the rest of your audience believed in psychic ability. Do was a skeptic? relationship shows with psychics— you suppose this could account for why you’ll get the ratings and the sponsors so many audience members assessed the will love it. Just curious—did your au- psychics as accurate? dience members fill out a card before if you have a healthy degree of skep- the show began commenting on con- ticism, why were there more than four cerns and issues in their lives? guests who were allegedly psychic and only one person who was a skeptic? Also, the seemingly amazing hit from re- All my best, why was the skeptic not on stage with becca rosen regarding her vision of a Dr. Bryan the psychics? hummingbird (and then discovering the (a person with a genuinely healthy that lone skeptic, as you know, was subject had a hummingbird tattoo) illus- degree of skepticism) James underdown, who pretended to be trates why testing needs to be conducted a psychic and convinced the subjects that under controlled, scientific conditions. As (See also “Dr. phil Gives psychics a pass,” he had supernatural abilities—so much a skilled researcher with a phD, why kendrick Frazier, “From the editor,” Si, so that he even brought three of them to didn’t you suggest tighter controls using July/August 2012.) tears. Because underdown had never impartial assistance (researchers not affil- given a reading before, it made perfect iated with your show) to monitor re- Bryan farha is professor of behavioral studies in sense when psychic rebecca rosen was becca’s reading and make certain the two education at Oklahoma City University. He is a CSI labeled as more accurate than him (after had never come in contact with each consultant and editor of Paranormal Claims: A giving the same subjects a reading). But other? Or, perhaps you could have al- Critical Analysis. His email address is your implication was that underdown lowed the impartial researchers to select [email protected].

Skeptical Inquirer | September/October 2012 9 SepOctpagescut_SInewdesignmasters8/1/129:54AMPage10

“It is error only, and not truth, that shrinks from inquiry.” – Thomas Paine You Are Invited to Join the Center for Inquiry to Act, Combat, and Promote…

Since 1976, three remarkable organizations have been at the forefront of efforts to promote and defend critical thinking and freedom of inquiry. The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (founded in 1976), the Council for Secular Humanism (1980), CSI Fellow and SkEPTICAl INquIrEr Editorial Board Member and the Center for Inquiry James Alcock leads a class at a Skeptics’ Toolbox event. The Toolbox (1991) have advocated, has been held every year, except once, since1992. championed, and, when necessary, defended the freedom to inquire—while Your Help Is a Necessity! ACT, COMBAT, and PROMOTE demonstrating how the fruits Each year, magazine of objective inquiry can be We are currently focused on three subscriptions fund a smaller used to understand reality, goals central to our core objectives: percentage of this work, even refute false beliefs, and achieve as the need for activism in- Act to end the stigma results that benefit humanity. attached to being creases and the population nonreligious. we serve grows. In many ways, our organizations have been ahead of their Combat religion’s More than ever, CFI and its time. Now, they are privileges and its influence affiliates depend on the on public policy. truly 3 For Tomorrow. generosity of our supporters Through education, advocacy, both to fund daily operations Promote science-based publishing, legal activism, skepticism and critical thinking. and to build capital and their network of regional for the future. branches, CFI and its affiliate Make your most generous gift

organizations continue to today, or request information on Your support today can provide support for everyone planned giving or a bequest. who seeks a better life—in protect tomorrow for us all. For more information, return the this life—for all. Your generous gift can perpetuate our work toward attached card or contact us at: Center for Inquiry the kind of world you—and Development Office your grandchildren—can feel P.O. Box 741 Amherst, NY 14226 proud to live in. 1-800-818-7071 [email protected] website: www.centerforinquiry.net SepOctpagescut_SInewdesignmasters8/1/129:54AMPage11

[ NEWS AND COMMENT

Victims in Psychic-Inspired Hoax Sue Police, Media NRC Booklet Answers Common Questions Benjamin Radford about Climate Change A texas couple that owns a ranch that was searched by police following false informa- The National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council on July 3 tion about a mass grave provided by a psy- issued a glossy, well-illustrated, forty-page booklet for the general public chic is suing the police and several major about climate change. It is based on a number of recent NRC reports pre- news organizations for defamation. pared at the request of Congress that examined and presented the peer- reviewed scientific evidence about climate change. The booklet, Climate Change: Evi dence, Impacts, and Choices, has easy- to-understand sections on the three aspects in the subtitle. Perhaps the most valuable section is the first, “Evidence for Human-Caused Climate Though the incident Change.” It gives short, clear discussions about questions still raised in public became a national forums: How do we know that the Earth has warmed? How do we know that embarrassment, greenhouse gases lead to warming? How do we know that humans are causing greenhouse gases to increase? How much are human activities heating the police re fused to Earth? How do we know the current warming trend isn’t caused by the sun apologize, saying that or by other natural processes? The booklet and its accompanying twenty-four-minute video are avail- procedures were able online from the National Academy of Sciences at http://americas- followed and that the climatechoices.org. severity of the claims warranted an in vestigation.

the case began June 6, 2011, when a psychic called police describing a horrific scene of mass murder: dozens of dismem- bered bodies near a ranch house about an hour outside of Houston, texas. there were rotting limbs and headless corpses; chill- ingly, many were children. Deputies from the liberty County Sheriff ’s office went to investigate but didn’t see anything amiss. After a second call the following day, dozens of officials from the texas Department of public Safety, the FBi, and the texas rangers were on the scene—not to mention cadaver dogs, news helicopters, and gawkers. it all turned out to be a false alarm. though the incident became a national embarrassment, the police re fused to apologize, saying that procedures were followed and that the severity of the claims warranted an in vestigation. Whether a tip comes from an ordinary citizen, an anonymous informant, or a self-proclaimed psychic, in formation about mass murders cannot be ignored.

Skeptical Inquirer | September/October 2012 11 SepOctpagescut_SInewdesignmasters8/1/129:54AMPage12

now the couple that owns the ranch of the accusations made against them.’” las, texas. nothing was found, but the is suing. According to a story in The Day- Bankson and Charlton accuse the delay caused by the psychic’s tip forced ton News, “Joe Bankson and Gena Charl- New York Times, Cnn, thompson reu - cancellation of the flight, and over one ton, through their attorney, Andrew B. ters, ABC news, and other news media hundred passengers were placed on later Sommerman, filed a lawsuit on June 5, of publishing false statements claiming flights, most de layed until the following 2012, in the 193rd Judicial District in that bodies had been found on their day. Whether Bankson and Charlton will Dallas claiming that the sheriff ’s office property. win their defamation lawsuit remains to and the media groups acted in reckless this was only one of many false psy- be seen, though if they do it may make disregard and caused damage to the cou- chic tips given to police. in March 2004, police more cautious about following up ple’s reputation and good name. Bankson a Florida psychic contacted the trans- on psychic information. and Charlton . . . are now unable to return portation Safety Ad ministration to in- to their rented home in Hardin because form them that a bomb was aboard an Benjamin radford is the deputy editor of the SKEP- ‘everyone looks at them askance because American Air lines flight headed for Dal- TICAL INQUIRER.

Americans’ Anti-Evolution Beliefs Steady for Past Thirty Years KENDRICK FRAZIER

the 2012 version of the Gallup poll’s lege degree and 25 percent for those with preponderance of the scientific literature.” biennial survey about u.S. beliefs on a high school degree or less). Still, all three questions ask about evolution vs. creationism presents few newport acknowledges that Amer - something that is essentially a scientific surprises—in fact it demonstrates a icans’ views are out of step with the sci- concept (evolution) in terms of God thirty-year picture of virtually stable be- entific evidence: “it would be hard to dis- and religion. it would be nice if a future lief. in this year’s poll (issued June 1) 46 pute that most scientists who study poll would add a question framed in percent of Americans believe in the cre- humans agree that the species evolved purely scientific terms without explicit ationist view that God created humans over millions of years, and that relatively reference to God or religious belief. Mentioning God and religion obviously in their present form. this is essentially few scientists believe that humans began reinforces the idea that the issue should unchanged from thirty years ago, when in their current form only 10,000 years Gallup first posed the question. About be interpreted only in terms of one’s re- ago without the benefit of evolution. a third of Americans be lieve that hu- ligious beliefs. thus, almost half of Americans today mans evolved, but with God’s guidance. hold a belief, at least as measured by this Fifteen percent say humans evolved but Kendrick frazier is the editor of the SKEPTICAL IN- question wording, that is at odds with the QUIRER. that God had no part in the process. the virtually flat trend of data since 1982 is shown at right. As Gallup’s Frank newport says, “All in all, there is no evidence in this trend of a substantial movement toward a secular viewpoint on human origins.” the poll also shows, again no surprise, that republicans tend to believe that God created humans in their present form in higher numbers (58 percent) than do independents (39 percent) or Democrats (41 percent). if there was any comfort at all for ed- ucated, science-minded observers it is that Americans with a postgraduate education are most likely to say humans evolved in their present form without divine guidance (42 percent, compared with 35 percent for those with only a col-

12 Volume 36 Issue 5 | Skeptical Inquirer SepOctpagescut_SInewdesignmasters8/1/129:54AMPage13

[ NEWS AND COMMENT

Psychic Medium Convicted of Sexual Exploitation Benjamin Radford

in June, a psychic went on trial in couraged her to undress and masturbate most gross advantage of the situation.” Britain, accused of tricking two women to improve her psychic powers. She said trickery and exploitation by alleged into stripping and performing sex acts in that she felt “brainwashed, manipulated psychics is nothing new. Harry Hou dini order to speak to their dead relatives. and groomed” by lang. “He was an crusaded against fraudulent mediums, According to an article in the Daily Tele- abuser taking advantage of the fact that his training and experience as a magi- graph, my dad died when i was young and i cian allowing him to effectively expose A young woman told a jury today how never had the chance to say goodbye,” many psychic mediums’ fake ghostly a psychic tricked her into performing she said. phenomena. Mediums were caught “like a porn star” in the hope of get- the women said that they were in - using everything from assistants cam- ting in touch with her dead grandfa- troduced to lang after being im pressed ouflaged in black to hidden wires and ther. Medium karl lang is ac cused of persuading the woman, twenty-six, to with a psychic reading he’d given at a strings in order to simulate supernatural strip naked during a séance because it friend’s party. On June 22, lang was con- events. By the 1920s an entire cottage increased her powers to contact the victed of twelve counts of causing women industry devoted to faking ghostly spirit world. the other victim, now to engage in sexual activity without con- communication was thriving on both twenty-seven, said: “the first time i stripped off my clothes he said ‘Well sent; Judge patrick Curran of the new- sides of the Atlantic. One big reason for done! You’ve gone up a level in the port Crown Court described lang’s ac- their success: emotionally manipulating spiritual world.’... He told me the tivity as “systematic conduct and a breach grieving people’s desire to believe. When more outrageous i behaved, the of trust involving two very vulnerable a person in authority is claiming to have higher level i would get.” young women ... vulnerable in the sense unproven, special powers that can send the second victim claims that lang that they were bereaved and sought the messages from the dead to vulnerable and convinced her that her dead father was defendant’s consultation in communicat- grieving people, it’s a recipe for emotional communicating with him, and he en- ing with those who died, and he took the manipulation and exploitation. n

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Skeptical Inquirer | September/October 2012 13 SepOctpagescut_SInewdesignmasters8/1/129:54AMPage14

[ INVESTIGATIVE FILES JOE NICKELL Joe Nickell, PhD, is CSI’s senior research fellow and author of numerous books, including: Crime Science: Methods of Forensic Detection.

The ‘Murder’ of Vincent van Gogh

id the great post-impressionist even later statement made by an eighty- famous “last” painting Wheat Field with painter Vincent van Gogh two-year-old man shortly after the re- Crows?1 i believe this new hypothesis is d (1853–1890) die—not by his lease of the movie Lust for Life in 1956. in keeping with van Gogh’s desire to own hand, as history has recorded, but Only sixteen at the time of van Gogh’s paint from life. everyone agrees the pis- instead by a pistol-wielding teenage death, rené Secrétan told how he and tol was the innkeeper’s, so statements rowdy, either as a murder or an accident his friends had enjoyed playing pranks from him, even via his daughter, should that was covered up? the latter view is on the eccentric painter. the authors be most credible. advanced in the troubled artist’s latest suggest that somehow this behavior led 2. How can one explain van Gogh’s biography, Van Gogh: The Life, written to the artist’s shooting. Although rené’s missing belongings—his easel, shoulder by Steven naifeh and Gregory White older brother was a friend of van Gogh, bag of brushes and paints, and canvas— Smith (2011). (See “Was Vincent van naifeh and Smith include him in their unless having shot the painter, rené Gogh Murdered?” 2011.) naifeh told scenario also. rené claimed that van and his brother “apparently had the Morley Safer of CBS’s 60 Minutes that Gogh had stolen the fatal gun from his time and presence of mind to collect in claiming he had shot himself, Van rucksack—or rather, must have done the pistol and all of Vincent’s belong- Gogh “was covering up his own mur- so—while rené fished because it was ings before hurrying off into the gath- der” (CBS news 2011). later missing (870–876). rené in turn ering dusk” (850, 873)? claimed to have bought or borrowed the But why would the Secrétan broth- Questioneddeath pistol from Gustave ravoux, keeper of ers take van Gogh’s possessions as part As related in various sources—in stan- the inn where van Gogh boarded (871). of “their hasty cover-up of the deed”? dard reference works as well as the best- Far from helping them conceal their selling fictionalized biography by irving alternativePossibility act, removal of the items would instead Stone, Lust for Life (1934), and the Although rené Secrétan said ab so lutely only suggest involvement by others movie of the same title starring kirk nothing about shooting van Gogh, the and—if they were actually seen with Douglas (1956)—van Gogh’s death re- authors are off and running with their such bulky painters’ items—would con- sulted from a self-inflicted gunshot suggestions of manslaughter or worse. firm their guilt. perhaps van Gogh had wound. He had gone into the fields to they raise a number of questions they discarded the items himself (even per- paint but instead, despairing of life, shot believe suggest something—anything— haps in the river) in one of his fits of himself just below the ribs with a re- other than suicide (869–85). Here i ad- rage, determined not to need them volver. dress each question and provide a more again. Or perhaps they were abandoned Surviving, he struggled over a mile likely answer. in a secluded place. back to his room in Auvers sur Oise (a 1. According to the innkeeper’s 3. if van Gogh had been in the dis- French town northeast of paris). there daughter, van Gogh had obtained the tant wheat fields to paint, how did he he told friends, his brother theo, doc- old revolver (which sometimes mal- manage, after shooting himself, to de- tors, and police that he was responsible: functioned) from her father directly “in scend a steep slope and walk over a mile “Do not accuse anyone. it is i who order to scare away crows.” naifeh and home—“virtually impossible in his wanted to kill myself.” He lingered for Smith suggest that the innkeeper de- condition”? some thirty hours before dying in vised this “cover story” so as “to conceal the issue does not argue against sui- theo’s arms (naifeh and Smith 2011, his own culpability.” they call it “a cide. Years later, two elderly residents 850–869). patent falsehood, since Vincent had no said that their ancestors, a father and naifeh and Smith (2011, 856) pres- fear of birds and thought of crows in grandfather respectively, had seen the ent a far different scenario based on a particular as good omens” (879). Are we painter in a different place, less than a rumor that surfaced in the 1930s, alleg- really to believe such a story? half mile from the inn, entering a small ing that some “young boys” had acciden- What if van Gogh had said it was to farmyard where he did the deed. Yet tally shot the painter. the authors at- scare up crows—so he could paint them both had seen the painter alone, and tempt to link that late rumor with the in flight, just as they are depicted in his neither mentioned his having painting

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equipment with him or being in the n. 87). (However, the authors, who are company of teenagers (872–73). advocating a contrary view, call this “a 4. Why did van Gogh, if he in tended red herring.”) suicide, fire the bullet at such an odd 6. When the police came to investi- trajectory—the gun being “held too low gate the morning after the shooting, and pointing downward” (854)—if he they inquired, “Did you want to commit had meant to kill himself, say with a suicide?” the wounded man replied, fatal wound to the heart? “it looked like “Yes, i believe so.” After they reminded the crazy angle of an accidental shoot- him that suicide was illegal—a crime ing,” say the authors, “not the studied against both the state and God—he in- straightness of a determined suicide” sisted that the deed was by his own (854). And why was the wound not a hand, urging, “Do not accuse anyone; it contact one but one “fired from farther is i who wanted to kill myself ” (851). out” (855)? Does not this equivocation suggest that Asking such questions implies that he was protecting the Secrétan brothers? the authors think all suicides are bold, But why? “the answer, we believe, is that coolly rational acts, carried out accord- Vincent welcomed death.” indeed, “Vin- ing to formula, whereas in fact they may cent must have seen no reason, no ben- be hesitant, erratic, and unusual. Van efit, in dragging the Secrétans—even the Gogh may have lacked decisiveness in mischievous, careless rené—into the committing the act, just as in an earlier glare of public inquiry and embarrass- self-wounding when he cut off only the ment simply for having done him this lower portion of his ear (704). thus the favor” (875). authors should beware of the false di- Actually, van Gogh’s reply, “Yes, i be - chotomy of suggesting that, if van lieve so,” obviously reflects his own un- Gogh did not shoot himself in the head certainty as to whether he meant only or heart, someone else probably fired to hurt himself once again or whether the shot. As to the trajectory, it could he indeed meant to end his life. His suggest that the painter held the small- equivocation confirms the indecisive- caliber revolver by the barrel in his left ness of the act itself, as mentioned ear- hand (with his palm on the underside lier. it most emphatically does not sug- rather than over the barrel) and, with gest he was unclear about who shot his arms extended, pushed up and away him! His subsequent insistence that he on the trigger with his right thumb. He alone was responsible was no doubt so might even have jerked at the trigger, that the police would understand what greatly altering the aim. happened and not go after some inno- 5. Why did van Gogh not shoot cent party. Besides, if the Secrétans again when his first shot failed? Why meant to kill Vincent, why did they not did he “choose instead to take the far shoot him again? And if the shooting more painful and embarrassing path were accidental, why did they not lend back to his attic room at the ravoux assistance? the other brother was a inn” (874)? good friend of the artist. According to innkeeper ravoux, as his daughter recalled: “Vincent shot Psychologicalautopsy himself and fainted. the coolness of the Having investigated a number of night revived him. On all fours he deaths—including homicide, suicide, looked for the gun to finish himself off, and accidental cases for police depart- but he could not find it. then Vincent ments and others (e.g., nickell 1992), got up and climbed down the hillside as well as enigmatic historical deaths to return to our house” (852). then (e.g., nickell 2005)—i can say that again, the adage “Once burned twice such a death is no place to start with a shy” may also have applied. Van Gogh supposed answer and work backward to did tell others—while he lay abed dur- the evidence. i believe naifeh and ing the hours before his death—that he Smith made just this mistake—an ex- had intended to die. Artist Émile ample of “confirmation bias.” Bernard claimed van Gogh had told in investigating a suspected or pos- others he would “do it over again” (883, sible suicide, says one expert, “it is im-

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portant to note that the deceased may begin to hate our own life because it is of van Gogh’s death). it does not seem have indicated an interest to commit sui- not as good as others” (letter of Decem- a final letter, and was probably written cide through activities and statements ber 9, 1877). He frequently ate only between July 23 and 27. Yet its last prior to death.” indeed, an in-depth psy- bread, avoided an overcoat in rain and paragraph reads in part, “Well my own chological autopsy may be conducted “to cold, suffered sleep deprivation, and slept work, i am risking my life for it and my determine the state of mind of a person sometimes on a hard floor or even the reason has half foundered because of prior to the fatal act” (Geberth 1993). cold ground. At other times he flagel- it. ...” the letter is unfinished and un- Van Gogh’s famous letters (van lated himself with his walking stick, signed. (See van Gogh-Bonger 1981, Gogh-Bonger 1981) and other biogra- among other abuses. Although self-mor- iii: 298.) Just a week before, theo had phical materials provide ample infor- tification is typically a different impulse written hauntingly, “As long as he’s not mation on his chronic depression— than suicide, van Gogh’s is not a typical melancholic and heading for another even periods of outright madness. As case. His self-harm was clearly escalating. crisis, it was all going so well.” Having early as 1877 in Amsterdam he had (See naifeh and Smith, 167, 883 n. 39.) talked with his brother, theo concluded mused on death as an escape, a chance Van Gogh had a number of break- after the shooting that Vincent had lost to get “far away from everything.” He downs. During an especially tortured “faith in life.” His repeated failures, un- spoke repeatedly of “emptiness,” “deep time, van Gogh lived disputatiously ending poverty, and deteriorating health melancholy,” and “unutterable misery,” with fellow painter paul Gaugin in were obvious chronic factors (naifeh and often mentioning suicide—although Arles; van Gogh was on the edge, Smith 2011, 843, 856, 858). usually rejecting it. At times, however, drinking absinthe and experiencing Van Gogh’s life reveals numerous he found the “horror” and “loathing of hallucinations. He wrote in his diary, “i warning signs frequently associated with life” so overwhelming that he would ask myself whether i am mad.” When suicide. the persistence of his situation appears to have resulted in what suicide expert irving Berent, MD, (1981) calls “chronic unrelenting stress syndrome”— the result of such an “onslaught” of Van Gogh was used to inflicting harm on himself, trauma as to cause “erosion of the spirit” being given to self-mortification. He held a and so lead potentially to suicide. doctrine of guilt and self-loathing, which he alibisandotherLooseends if naifeh and Smith think they have a attributed in part to his Christian background. smoking gun in the statement of rené Secrétan, they need to think again. it appears the Secrétan brothers had an alibi: they had left Auvers for normandy be- have em braced death gladly (naifeh Gaugin determined to leave, worrying fore van Gogh was fatally shot. and Smith 2011, 852–53). that there might come “a fatal and the very same account by eighty-two- He occasionally mentioned the pos- tragic attack” (naifeh and Smith 2011, year-old rené that naifeh and Smith in- sibility of suicide by drowning. Once he 701) that would threaten his own safety, troduce and use in an attempt to incrim- wrote, “i am trying to recover, like van Gogh’s madness spilled over. Just a inate him—even though he gave not the someone who has meant to commit day before Christ mas 1888, he cut off slightest indication that he or any other suicide, but then makes for the bank the lower part of his right ear with a boy had shot the painter—provides him because he finds the water too cold.” straight razor. During his convalescence with an alibi. the authors read one of (note again the theme of equivoca- he realized he indeed suffered from in- rené’s statements as implying “that Vin- tion.) On being spurned in love in sanity, and—for a year, from May 1889 cent had stolen the pistol from him on 1882, he contemplated “jumping into to May 1890—committed himself to the very day of the shooting,” but that is the water” out of despair (qtd. in naifeh the asylum at Saint-rémy where fits of not implied at all. What rené said was, and Smith 2011, 853). depression alternated with spells of ge- “We left [the erratically working gun] on Van Gogh was used to inflicting nius. At one point he wrote to theo, the spot with all our fishing stuff, haver- harm on himself, being given to self- “Oh, if i could have worked without sacks . . . and even our trousers. ... As fate mortification. He held a doctrine of this accursed disease—what things i would have it, the day Van Gogh used it, guilt and self-loathing, which he attrib- might have done” (naifeh and Smith it worked” (882, n. 69). He does not say it uted in part to his Christian back- 2011, 684–820). was taken on that day. ground, and stated, “When we look at His last letter was to theo (whose the issue is important because what others who have done more than we, handwritten notation it also bears: rené does clearly say is that he and his and are better than we, we very soon “letter found on him July 29”—the day older brother had left Auvers (where

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they spent summers at their wealthy fa- realm “continue to dress as they did at Authors naifeh and Smith would ther’s villa on the Oise river) sometime the time of the artists’ earthly existence.” have us assume that a late rumor about earlier that month. they had gone to an- Actually, people like Florencio An - van Gogh being shot by boys is true, that other family villa located in normandy. ton crop up from time to time. For ex- a particular teenager was the culprit, that While away from Auvers, the Secrétans ample, not only did a British woman the youth told the truth in several re - first learned of van Gogh’s death from a named rosemary Brown specialize in spects but lied outright in others, that he newspaper. rené also stated that he did playing newly composed music by such inexplicably removed the artist’s paint- not discover the gun was missing prior famous dead composers as Bach, Cho - ing apparatus from the scene, that van to leaving Auvers. pin, Mozart, and liszt, but she also took in any event, i think the aging rené’s dictation from playwright George Gogh falsely claimed he had shot him- account of the pistol is not trustworthy. Bernard Shaw and others and received self, that he was not actually likely to perhaps he had borrowed it from the drawings and paintings from various have attempted suicide, that the inn- innkeeper and—having forgotten over artists. She was followed by one Mat - keeper’s daughter repeated a false story the following sixty-six years—had re- thew Manning who also channeled texts from her father about the pistol, and so turned it. We certainly must wonder: if and artworks by famous artists (Guiley on and on. in contrast it is likely that van van Gogh had stolen the pistol from 2000, 26–27). Such phenomena are Gogh, despairing over his life, shot him- rené in order to shoot himself, how did called automisms and are due to the self with a pistol—ostensibly borrowed rené instead get it back so that he could ideomotor effect—that is, the uncon- to scare up the crows. n shoot van Gogh before he shot himself? scious muscular activity that is also re- And if rené was lying about the sup- sponsible for the movement of dowsing Note posed theft, why should we believe any- rods and Ouija board planchettes. Such 1. it was not his very last painting, having thing he says? Moreover, if rené had automists tend to be little more than been done about July 10, over two weeks before shot the artist, accidentally or otherwise, mimics. A channeled Abraham lincoln his suicide (naifeh and Smith 2011, 879). it seems unlikely he would even have text i once examined neither matched References brought up the subject of the painter and the assassinated president’s distinctive the pistol. Why not let sleeping dogs lie? handwriting nor passed a forensic-lin- Berent, irving. 1981. The Algebra of Suicide. new naifeh and Smith (2011, 876) think it York: Human Sciences press. guistics test (nickell 2007, 39–47). CBS news. 2011. the life and death of Vincent was “to ease his conscience at the end,” Automists tend to have fantasy- van Gogh. 60 Minutes (October 16). but then rené did not unburden himself prone personalities; that is, they are Geberth, Vernon J. 1993. Practical Homicide In- of the very act that would have needed sane and normal people who neverthe- vestigation: Tactics, Procedures, and Foren- confessing. less have a marked tendency to fanta- sic Techniques, 2nd ed. Boca raton, Florida: CrC press. size. Florencio Anton is such a person, channeledartist Guiley, rosemary ellen. 2000. The Encyclopedia exhibiting a number of traits associated of Ghosts and Spirits, 2nd ed. new York: putting aside for the moment whether with fantasy proneness, such as receiv- Checkmark Books. van Gogh’s death was an accident, mur- ing special messages from higher be- naifeh, Steven, and Gregory White Smith. 2011. der, or suicide, we pause to consider: is ings, experiencing trances, and having Van Gogh: The Life. new York: random he still alive as a spirit anyway? that is House. alternate identities (see nickell 2007, nickell, Joe. 1992. Mysterious Realms: Probing the claim of a Brazilian medium named 251–258). Paranormal, Historical, and Forensic Enig - Florencio Anton who purports to mas. lexington: university press of ken tucky, channel the famous Dutch painter, pro- theVerdict 107–29. duce modern artworks in (loosely) his Apparently neither Anton nor any other ———. 2005. Unsolved History: Investigating Mysteries of the Past. lexington: university style, and then sign them “Vincent.” He spiritualist has been able to communicate press of kentucky, 18–33. also allegedly channels renoir, picasso, with van Gogh successfully regarding the ———. 2007. Adventures in Paranormal Investi - Miro, and others. details of his fatal shot. until that hap- gation. lexington: university press of ken- Some readily accept the pseudo-cre- pens in a credible fashion (and i am not tucky. ations, while others question why the holding my breath), i will continue to Stemman, roy. 2010. A Vincent van Gogh now adorns my wall. Online at http://paranormal various artists still paint unmistakably conclude that he died by his own hand. review.com/articles/20100502; accessed Jan - earth-like scenes. Anton responds that that should be the verdict of history, uary 11, 2012. the pictures are not of this world but based on the best evidence—the rudi- Van Gogh-Bonger, Johanna. 1981. The Complete rather of a plane of existence in the sim- mentary forensic evidence and a psycho- Letters of Vincent van Gogh, in three volumes. ilar-appearing next world—al though logical autopsy—with an appeal to the Boston: new York Graphic Society. Was Vincent van Gogh murdered? 2011. Online curiously, comments roy Stem man principle of Occam’s razor: that the hy- at http://theweek.com/article/index/220446/ (2010) of the paranormal review web- pothesis that makes the fewest assump- was-vincent-van-gogh-murdered; accessed site, the discarnate folk in the other tions is most likely correct. December 7, 2011.

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[THINKING ABOUT SCIENCE MASSIMO PIGLIUCCI Massimo Pigliucci is professor of philosophy at the City university of new york–lehman College, a fellow of the american association for the advance ment of science, and author of Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk. his essays can be found at www.rationallyspeaking.org.

What’s So Bad about Ad Hoc Hypotheses?

d hoc hypotheses are a staple of should sound almost as preposterous as leplin’s analysis of the issue of ad skeptical criticism of pseudo- the idea that skeptics weaken paranor- hocness, coming to the somewhat star- a science. i once participated in an mal powers below detectability, but the tling conclusion that the history of sci- experiment (well, really, a demonstra- so-called FitzGerald-lorentz contrac- ence suggests two major generalizations tion) about dowsing, during which we tion was advanced by established scien- about ad hoc hypotheses: first, an indi- showed that the alleged dowsing pow- tists and was eventually incorporated into vidual scientist’s judgment of a given ers of our subject were not, in fact, ca- our understanding of special relativity hypothesis as ad hoc (or not) is largely pable of finding water in randomized (though still not as an explanation of the based on a subjective evaluation and in- covered buckets any better than was lack of evidence for ether). What gives? formed by aesthetic criteria; second, the predicted by chance. the funny (to us Hunt provides several other examples judgment of the scientific community of ad hoc hypotheses entertained by the skeptics) thing was that the dowser had at large about a given hypothesis often tested his “powers” that day by checking scientific community (my favorite being changes retroactively, depending on that his dowsing rod was in fact work- Dennis Sciama’s “continuous creation” whether that hypothesis has been of ac- ing—when he could see whether there hypothesis in support of the steady state tual value in the scientific process or was or wasn’t water in the buckets. model of the universe and against the Faced with his abysmal failure during rival Big Bang theory). Hunt uses these not—something that is often impossi- the actual test, the dowser in question examples to debunk the notion—popular ble to assess at the moment when the used an old trumping card of the pseu- among philosophers and skeptics alike— hypothesis is first proposed. doscientist: it was the presence of skep- that ad hoc hypotheses are invariably bad Hunt then goes a step further to tics that had interfered with his powers. and easy to spot as such, contra what karl suggest that the very concept of ad hoc- Since it is hard to imagine a credible popper (he of the idea of falsificationism, ness ought to be abandoned on the test of paranormality that doesn’t in- see this column’s “philosophy of Science ground that it doesn’t do any useful volve the presence of skeptics, the “hy- 101,” Si, May/June 2004) famously work, perhaps to be replaced by notions pothesis” is as ad hoc (literally, “to this maintained. such as “warranted” and “unwarranted.” [specific purpose]”) as they come. For instance, Hunt examines the i don’t think the latter solution is any But now consider this quite different popperian idea that one crucial way to better than the problem it is supposed example. in 1887, A.A. Michelson and distinguish good from ad hoc hypothe- to solve, and i also think Hunt goes too e.W. Morley carried out a famous ex- ses is that the latter, but not the former, far in attempting to throw the whole idea periment to test the idea of the existence make predictions about genuinely new of ad hocness out the window. Just be- of ether, a mysterious substance that was phenomena. But the evidence from the cause there is an element of subjectivity thought to pervade space and allow light history of science clearly shows that sci- in science (is anyone really surprised by to propagate in it. the experiment failed, entists actually give a lot of weight to that?)—and even a role played by non- paving the way for the rejection of the retrodictions, i.e., to novel explanations empirical standards like aesthetics (again, notion of ether in physics, and it was of already known phenomena, if they surprising?)—doesn’t mean that there are eventually reinterpreted as a major con- appear to be fruitful within the cur- no differences between my dowser’s re- firmation of ein stein’s theory of special rently accepted paradigm of a given sponse to the failure of our little experi- relativity. And yet, as Christopher Hunt field of research. ment and the FitzGerald-lorentz con- points out in his brilliant recent paper on Another giant of philosophy of sci- traction. the real lesson for scientists, ad hocness (Philosophy of Science, January ence, Carl Gustav Hempel, suggested 2012), “George FitzGerald (in 1889) that perhaps what distinguishes an ad philosophers, and skeptics alike is that and Hendrik lorentz (in 1895) inde- hoc hypothesis from a genuinely scien- scientific theorizing is a complex activity pendently suggested another explana- tific one is that the latter makes “inter- that is not just the result of the application [of the Michelson-Morley negative estingly different” predictions, as op posed tion of strictly epistemic rules. Subjectiv- re sult]: the length of the arm of the to trivial ones. But as Hunt immediately ity, extra-empirical criteria, and even his- equipment parallel to the ether wind points out, this makes the whole thing torically evolving standards are in volved. shrank, because of an electrical effect pretty darn subjective: one scientist’s “in- Science (and skepticism) is a human ac- caused by the ether, by exactly the right teresting” prediction is another scientist’s tivity, done in the usual human, messy, amount to produce a null result.” to the trivial one (or vice versa). not at all air-tightly logical way. But it ear of the contemporary scientist this What then? Hunt endorses Jarrett seems to work, most of the time. n

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[NOTES ON A STRANGE WORLD MASSIMO POLIDORO Massimo Polidoro is an investigator of the paranormal, lecturer, and cofounder and head of CICaP, the Italian skeptics group. his website is at www.massimopolidoro.com.

Alien Mug Shots The Ten Best (or Worst) Photos of Aliens

hotos of supposed uFOs abound. Most of the time they show dark stains or bright dots in the sky, of varying dimension and quality, which could be due to a lot of things: military aircrafts, weather balloons, birds, meteors, etc. PSometimes the uFO is well focused, but the flying saucer always looks suspiciously similar to a pan lid suspended from a thread or a lamp holder or a wheel cap thrown in the air. And of course today the possibilities for digitally re- touching an image are endless. What are lacking, however, are credible photos of the creatures that should be flying these uFOs—the actual aliens or extraterrestrials. it appears there are no more than fifty such photos shot in the past eighty years, but once you take out those plainly fake and the more suspicious looking ones all you are left with are about ten photos. these are, essentially, “mug shots” of wanted extraterrestrials. Here is my personal list of the best (or worst) photos of aliens.

High Bridge, New Jersey Lossiemouth, Scotland Carp, Ontario, Canada 10 (August 2, 1956) 9 (1954) 8 (August 15, 1991)

Howard Menger was a well- Cedric Allingham was an ama- the photo of this alien “entity” known American contactee who teur ornithologist who was was supposedly taken along claimed he had met extraterres- looking for birds in the north with the film of a uFO landing. trials throughout his whole life. of Scotland when he saw a fly- the fact that nobody knows He detailed in his books his ing saucer descend to the earth. who took the photo or the film, chats with friendly Adamski-like One of the occupants exited the both sent by an unknown per- Venusian “space brothers” who spaceship and walked up to son calling him or herself also gave him a wife and took him. the alien told him he was “Guardian” to tom theofanous, him on their bases on the Moon coming from Mars and, after a a Canadian uFOlo gist, does and on Venus. this is one of the little chat, left. precisely in that not help in taking the photo se- photos that he took of his et moment, Cedric took this pic- riously. Other messages sent by friends; interestingly, in his pho- ture. Well, yes, the beanpole “Guardian” describing a “con- tos the aliens are always dark here looks more like a janitor spiracy between the Chinese shapes illuminated from behind. or a plumber than an extrater- and Grey Aliens planning to they almost look like Menger’s restrial. However, it was later sus- take over the world” did little to mother or wife coming out in the pected that Cedric Allingham increase its credibility. porch at night with a flashlight never existed and that the photo in hand, calling for that weird was circulated by patrick Moore, Howard, always lost in his uFO an astronomer well known for dreams. his pranks.

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Alaska Falkville, Alabama Ilkley Moor, England 7 (1930s) 6 (October 17, 1973) 5 (December 1, 1987)

this seems to be the most an- that night, police chief Jeff taken by ex-policeman philip cient of the lot, even if it was seen Greenhaw received a phone call Spencer, the photo seems to for the first time in 2003. the from an excited lady who said show an alien examining the anonymous source claims that that she had witnessed a “space- bleak moor. too bad the picture his grandfather took the picture ship” land in an open field not is taken from so far away and is seventy years before in Alaska far from the town proper. the so out of focus it is devoid of any and gave it to him the day before sheriff took off with a camera discernible detail. But wait, he died. nothing is known about and found a “tinfoil alien” who Spencer also has a story that he the photographer, the location, or consented to be photographed was later able to remember the date of the photo. Some but then ran away. the ridicule (thanks to regressive hypnosis) thought that since the little man that the whole story brought on about him being abducted by seems to be leaning on one side the sheriff ’s office cost Green- the aliens, taken on a spaceship, it might actually be a dummy. haw his job as well as his wife. brought to space, shown a cou- What is more suspicious, how- Some think that he may have ple of movies about the destruc- ever, is the fact that with the encountered someone wearing a tion of earth, and then returned original source “conveniently” fireman’s asbestos suit; others, to the moor. unfortunately, no dead exactly one day after his however, think that the being in photos of the spaceship or close- revelation (isn’t that a little too the suit was a friend of Green- ups of the aliens were taken. trite?), all possibilities of verifying haw and that the whole thing the story are defunct. was an attempt to get famous that went terribly wrong.

1 Solway Firth, England (May 24, 1964)

This is probably the most in triguing photo of them all. Jim Temple ton, a re- tired fireman, was taking pictures of his daughter on the Solway Marshes in Cumbria, north of Eng land, but when he had them developed he found that behind the girl was a big, tall fellow in what looked like a white “spaceman” suit. He was quite sure that there was no one there when he took the photo. The case quickly became an international affair and so far no one has been able to explain the photo. Templeton, who later said he received a visit from two “men in black” who claimed to be from the government, was also known for his practical jokes. Could the photo be one of those jokes? Or maybe SepOctpagescut_SInewdesignmasters8/1/129:54AMPage21

Wiesbaden, Germany Cologne, Germany South of Laredo, TX 4 (April, 1950) 3 (April 1, 1950) 2 (July 7, 1948)

this picture, undoubtedly one this is even better, but the day this one, purportedly showing of the best, was found in 1977 on which it was taken clearly the remains of a large headed among the documents made gives away its true origin. pub- alien (known among uFO public by the FBi on request of lished by German photo maga- buffs as “tomato Man”), has the uFO information network. zine Neue Illustrierte, it was a often been shown as proof that the photo seems to show an crude photomontage part of a aliens actually crashed with alien, with an odd breathing tube page devoted to the Aztec their uFOs on earth. A more in its mouth, being escorted by Saucer Crash hoax of 1948, the careful examination, however, two uniformed agents. presum- same episode (ros well was still reveals that the picture displays ably the alien was captured alive not popular back then) that the remains of a human pilot after falling to the ground with inspired the Wiesbaden hoax. perished in a plane crash. the his spaceship. A great photo! too incredibly, some uninformed human nature of the body is bad that in 1981 German jour- uFOlogists still take both pic- clearly revealed by the frames of nalist klaus Webner discovered tures as real proof of aliens. a pair of eyeglasses near the that it was actually an April right shoulder, while the earthly Fool’s hoax made by photogra- origin of the vehicle is shown pher Hans Scheffler, who air- by a close scrutiny of the struc- brushed an image of his five- tural remains: conductor cables, year-old son peter holding a six-sided hex nut, tubular pip- hands with two real soldiers. the ing, angle iron, and many welded photo had been published in the areas all look man-made, and the German newspaper Wies badener welds conform to standard pro- Tagblatt on April 1, 1950, and cedures of the time. was later revealed to be a joke.

someone in the processing lab, knowing Jim’s penchant quickly got out of hand: think of the Fox sisters tricking for tricks, decided to tamper with the film and play one their parents with an apple bumped on the floor and in- on him? But then, perhaps because the image immedi- advertently starting Spiritualism, or the two little girls ately re ceived world-wide fame and Temple ton’s daughter in Cottingley who photographed “fairies” (that were was bullied and had to be taken out of school for a while, thought to be real by none other than Sir Arthur Conan it became embarrassing for Jim or anybody else to confess Doyle) and waited sixty years before confessing. Maybe the hoax? We don’t know and will never know now that things went the same way with the Solway Spaceman. It Jim Templeton is dead. There are many other instances, would have been typical. A typical case of UFOolery. n however, in which phenomena that started as jokes

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[ PSYCHIC VIBRATIONS ROBERT SHEAFFER sheaffer's “Psychic Vibrations” column has appeared in the sKePtICal InquIrer for more than thirty years; its high- lights have now been published as a book (Create space 2011). sheaffer blogs at www.Badufos.com, and his website is www.debunker.com.

‘Top Ten’ UFO Case: Yukon, Canada, 1996—Busted!

e are all greater artists than we WhatWasit? the same day” (1996-069B/24671, “ realize,” nietzsche fam ously On April 4, 2012, the British skeptic http://tinyurl.com/89omf8o). Should Wwrote concerning the way our ian ridpath sent an email to a number anyone doubt this, Molczan provides minds construct reality. the following of active uFO skeptics, asking if any of details of the mathematical calculations incident illustrates the “artistry” to them had information on this case. that support this conclusion. later, which nietzsche referred. James Oberg replied that he was unable satellite expert Harro Zimmer refined On the evening of December 11, to help because he was in Beijing, the details of the reentry decay of the 1996, more than thirty people in several China, headed for north korea; he was russian Cosmos 2335 rocket booster different locations in Canada’s sparsely traveling with the nBC news team to (http://satobs.org/seesat/May-2012/ populated Yukon territory reported witness north korea’s new missile be- 0022.html), giving even greater preci- seeing a huge uFO “mothership” with fore its (unsuccessful) launch. (His re- sion to the object’s position and velocity rows of lights flying by in what would porting on this unprecedented trip can during reentry. it fully confirms Mol- be classified as a “close encounter of the be found on his website at www.jame- czan’s identification. the world’s ex- first kind” (http://tinyurl.com/79nkhcm). soberg.com/.) perts on satellite orbits and reentries are the documentary film Best Evi - When he returned, Oberg contacted in full agreement: the 1996 Yukon dence: Top 10 UFO Sightings lists this Canadian satellite expert ted Molczan uFO coincides exactly with the break- “multiple witness sighting in the with the details of the case. Molczan is up of the rocket booster of Cosmos Yukon” as number eight of the top ten probably the world’s top civilian expert 2335. uFO cases of all time (http://tinyurl. on observing earth satellites and calcu- Oberg placed a comment on the lating satellite orbits. Molczan looked com/6sn9wln). in that film the cele- Above top Secret forum discussing this into the matter carefully and came up brated “flying saucer physicist” Stanton case (http://tinyurl.com/7oaebjp)—to with an exact match: “the observed Friedman says: which many objections were made, of phenomena were due to the reentry of course. But this is not the first time a the Yukon case is emblematic of the second stage of the rocket that satellite reentry has given rise to wide- what a good case should be. i mean, placed Cosmos 2335 into orbit earlier spread uFO reports. there was the fa- sure, we’d like to have a piece of the craft, we’d like to have the crewmem- ber introduced for dinner. But multiple independent witnesses lasting a long time, describing something that’s way outside the norm—there’s no way you can make it into [i.e., interpret it as] a 747 [airplane], for example [chuckle]. And big, but this was much, much bigger than a 747. longtime uFOlogist Michael Swords of the Center for uFO Studies says: not knowing [investigator] Martin Jasek i can’t “stand up in court” on this one, but everything that i’ve heard says that this is not only a “good” but possibly one of the best cases ever…. i look forward to any of the gang clearing my misconceptions up on this case, because right now it might be one i’d “take into war” with me. (http://www.nicap.org/961211 yukondir.htm) one observer drew the path of the ufo, left to right, below the Big Dipper.

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mous Zond 4 reentry uFO in 1968 fication: Ce1 (Close en counter of that the analysis “ignores 90% of witness (http://www.isaackoi.com/ufo/1968030 the First kind).” testimony then discounts the rest.” But 3-zond-4-re-entry.html), as well as reality: the distance to the reenter- this places the poster in the position of reentries seen widely in europe in 1990 ing booster was approximately 233 km (145 miles), so this was not a claiming that the alien spaceship was and 1994 (http://www.zipworld.com. “close encounter.” At no time did the flying at exactly the same location and au/~psmith/pilot-ufos.html). rocket booster stop or hover. direction and time where the rocket stimulus/response rePort: “the uFO was approxi- booster was burning up. Molczan closed mately 500–750 meters (up to 1/2 his analysis by saying that A case of this type affords us an excel- mile) in length.” experienced sky watchers on See lent opportunity to judge the credibility reality: it is impossible to estimate of eyewitness testimony. Given a the size of an unknown object unless Sat-l may find it difficult to believe known stimulus in, what is the ob- its distance is known. Since the dis- that anyone could misidentify a reentry as a spaceship, but human per- server’s response out? in other words, integrating booster was about 145 ception is notoriously fallible, and no how accurately did the ob servers’ de- miles distant, its debris train must have been spread over many miles. one is immune. Much depends on scriptions match the known stimulus? the circumstances and personal expe- rePort: Overall, not well at all! “the interior lights in her rience. Driving through the wilder- car started to go dim and the music ness under a pitch black sky, and sud- rePort: “Many rows of lights.” from her tape deck slowed down.” denly faced with a slowly moving reality: the booster disintegrated reality: this effect was entirely in the formation of brilliant lights can be into an irregular train of debris that observer’s imagination. the rocket awe-inspiring and even terrifying. was perceived as an orderly pattern of booster did not affect her car’s elec- the human mind races to make “lights” on a huge solid object. tronics. sense of the unfamiliar, drawing on rePort: “As he was walking his flash- rePort: “Stars blocked out by huge experience that may be inadequate. light happened to point in the direc- uFO.” Depth perception can play tricks, tion of the uFO. As if reacting to his reality: the observers were viewing such that something 200 km away, flashlight, the uFO started speeding a long train of debris from the disin- 100 km long, and moving at 7 km/s, rapidly toward him.” tegrating rocket booster. it was not a seems to be just 200 m away, 100 m solid object, and thus could not have reality: the uFO reacting to him long, and moving 7 km/h—the an- “blocked out” stars. However, the was entirely in his imagination. the gular velocity is roughly the same. light from the reentry may have rocket booster did not react to his taking these considerations into ac- flashlight. made nearby stars difficult to see. Many uFO proponents criticize the count, the eyewitnesses did a pretty rePort: “the uFO was hovering ap- good job, and need not be embar- proximately three hundred yards in above analysis as absurd. One anony- rassed for having perceived more front of the observer. Hynek Classi- mous poster on Above top Secret said than was there. He left out the part where the observers reported the object hovering, the electrical interference, etc. not “a pretty good job” of observing in my book. Here we have yet another clear-cut example of extraordinary reports (“giant uFO Mothership!”) arising from a perfectly ordinary, if rare, phenomenon. Therefore, the existence of extraordinary reports does not suggest the existence of extraordinary objects. it is perfectly possible to get extraordinary reports from ordinary objects. this gives us more evidence of the wisdom of the royal Society of lon - don, the world’s first scientific body (founded in 1660), which takes as its motto Nullius in Verba: take no body’s word for it! n

observers reported a close encounter of the ﬁrst kind with a giant ufo. What they saw was actually the reentry decay of the russian Cosmos 2335 rocket booster.

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[ SCIENCE WATCH KENNETH W. KRAUSE Kenneth W. Krause is a contributing editor and “science Watch” columnist for the sKePtICal InquIrer. he may be contacted at [email protected].

Saving Us from Sweets: This Is Science and Government on Sugar

’ve carried an intense personal grudge tervals. last month, i took up mountain of alcohol (lustig et al. 2012). When against “sugar” for decades. no, not biking (the initial wounds should heal consumed to excess, they ob serve, both ithe mostly benign, unrefined types well before publication) because road cy- substances cause a host of dreadful mal- packed into blueberries, green beans, and cling just wasn’t exciting enough any- adies, including hypertension, myocardial pumpernickels, for example. And no, not more. infarction, dyslipidemia, pancreatitis, only the sickly sweet stuff shamelessly i’m not bragging. truth be told, i’m obesity, malnutrition, hepatic dysfunc- dumped into sodas, pastries, and swirling not particularly good at any of it. the tion, and habitu ation (if not addiction).1 coffee froths either. i truly despise every point, rather, is that i love it all, and that Far from mere “empty calories,” they pale-ish, pure and innocent looking slice i should have enjoyed an even richer add, sugar is potentially “toxic.” it alters of bread, wedge of potato, and grain of physical life as a kid. in some tragic metabolism, raises blood pressure, causes rice, and, i promise you, no pasta noodle, measure, i squandered the most dynamic hormonal chaos, and damages our livers. cracker, or corn flake will ever again bam- years of my life guzzling and gobbling like both tobacco and alcohol (a distil- boozle its way into my ever-shriveling the same general strain of refuse that lation of sugar), it affects our brains, en- food pantry. farmers use every day to fatten their cat- couraging us to increase consumption. At emotionally critical moments, my tle for slaughter. Yes, i’m a little bitter indeed, they say, worldwide sugar con- well-intentioned mother told me i was about sugar. sumption has tripled in the last fifty “husky” or “big-boned,” which, by the And i’m clearly not alone. “Clean- years. way, is never true if it needs to be said. i eating” advocates now dominate the nu- thus, lustig et al. infer that sugar is at least partly responsible for thirty-five million deaths every year from chronic, non-communicable diseases, which according to the united nations now pose a greater health risk worldwide than their infectious counterparts. the authors also A recent issue of Nature compared the “deadly point out that Americans waste $65 bil- effect” of added sugars to that of alcohol. lion in lost productivity and $150 billion on health-care related resources annually vis-à-vis illnesses linked to sugar-induced metabolic syndrome. At the risk of piling on, i should em- phasize that 17 percent of u.S. children was just plain F-A-t—obese, actually, trition world, and most of us agree gen- are now obese too, and that the average just like more than a third of Americans erally with food guru Michael pollan that American consumes more than forty today—until my junior year of high we should eat less and that our diets pounds of high-fructose corn syrup per school. At that fateful point, i got fed up should consist of mostly plants. never- year. recent investigations suggest that and decided to take matters into my own theless, others in our ranks have lately sugar might also impair our cognition. ignorant yet determined hands. thanks embraced a more militant and less scien- For example, in a new study from the to vigorous exercise and a dramatically tifically defensible approach to the prob- university of Cali fornia, los Angeles, reformed diet, i dropped seventy pounds lem. physiologist Fer nando Gomez-pinilla in about three months. From then on, my take, for example, robert lustig, concludes that diets consistently high in world just got bigger and brighter. laura Schmidt, and Claire Brindis, three fructose can slow brain functions and even now, at age forty-seven, i can public health experts from the uni versity weaken memory and learning in rats relish every exhilaration my aging body of California, San Fran cisco. in a recent (Agrawal and Gomez-pinilla 2012). will tolerate. in fact, i’ve recently given up issue of Nature, they compared the All of this reinforces my already firm weight lifting and jogging for power lift- “deadly effect” of added sugars (high- personal resolve. But apparently many ing, plyometrics, and high-intensity in- fructose corn syrup and sucrose) to that accomplished scientists lack not only

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confidence in our abilities as individuals sumption’s contribution to any non-den- ture article, however, sends a frustratingly to educate or control ourselves, but also tal disease. On the other hand, he chided, abstruse and well-mixed message. On respect for our rights to disagree or to “Overconsumption of anything is harm- the one hand, he recognizes that “regu- make informed but less than perfectly ra- ful, including water and air.” lating nutrients, per se, is a slippery slope” tional decisions re garding our private ron Boswell, a senator from queens - (katz 2012). Good intentions, he wisely consumption habits. As such, lustig et land, Australia, noted that while the if somewhat vaguely counsels, “could bog al. urge Amer icans especially to support overweight population in his country has us down in conflict that forestalls all restrictions on their own liberty in the doubled and the incidence of diabetes progress, distort the relative importance form of government-imposed regulation has tripled since 1980, sugar consump- of just one nutrient relative to overall nu- of sugar. tion has actually dropped 23 percent dur- trition,” and lead us to “unintended con- to support their cause, lustig et al. ing the same period (Boswell 2012). to sequences.” rely on four criteria, “now largely ac- describe sugar as “toxic,” he continued, “is On the other hand, katz expressly de- cepted by the public health community,” extreme, as is its ludicrous comparison fends some of lustig et al.’s proposed originally offered by social psychologist with alcohol.” the senator then scolded governmental intrusions. Most reason- thomas Babor in 2003 to justify the reg- lustig et al. for risking “damage to the ably, he favors restrictions on the sale of ulation of alcohol. the target substance livelihoods of thousands of people work- sugary products to kids where their at- must be toxic and unavoidable (or perva- ing in the sugar industry worldwide.” tendance is officially compelled. “there sive), and it must have a negative impact Other writers were no less re proach - is no reason,” he argues, “why schools on society and a potential for abuse. ful. Christiani Jeyakumar Henry, a nutri- should be propagating the consumption Sugar satisfies each requirement, they tion researcher in Singa pore, criticized of solid or liquid candy by students.” contend, and is thus analogous to alcohol the Nature piece for its exclusive empha- Many locales have already seen fit to in- in terms of demanding bureaucratic im- sis on sugar (Henry 2012). Several foods stall such policies. position. with high glycemic in dices, he noted, in- Far less noble, however, is the good in a letter to me, Gomez-pinilla cluding wheat, rice, and potatoes, also doctor’s support for punitive taxes on echoed their concerns. Diabetes and obe- contribute to both obesity and diabetes. sugary drinks. “there is no inalienable sity, he specified, come with greatly in- Finally, writing from the university of right to afford soda in the Constitu tion,” creased risks of several neurological and Vermont, Bur lington, Saleem Ali criti- he observes.2 those of lesser means, katz psychiatric disorders. in light of both the cized the San Franciscans’ “misleading” resolves, “should perhaps consider that human and economic costs, he opined comparison of sugar to alcohol and to- they can’t afford to squander such limited broadly, “it is in the general public con- bacco, the former of which causes neither funds on the empty calories of soda.” in- cern to regulate high-sugar products as behavioral intoxication nor second-hand deed they should, but katz never explains well as other unhealthy aspects of diet contamination (Ali 2012). how people can make decisions already and lifestyle.” But David katz, MD, renowned nu- made on their behalf. unsurprisingly, the Nature paper in- tritionist and founding director of the But—in the name of science, most re- spired a flurry of defiant correspon- Yale university prevention re search grettably—lustig et al. advocate consid- dences. Observers close to the sugar Center, has long contested lustig’s erably more intrusive schemes decorously industry quickly took issue with both the claims. last spring, for example, katz styled “gentle, supply-side” controls. un- researchers’ facts and their logic. richard characterized the researcher’s dualistic, satisfied with a soda tax, they favor a sim- Cottrell from the World Sugar research good vs. evil attacks on sugar as fanatical ilar penalty on “processed foods that con- Organisation in london first disputed “humbug” (katz 2011). “it is the overall tain any form of added sugars.” that the San Franciscans’ calculation of quality and quantity of our diet that mat- means ketchup, salsa, jam, deli meat, world wide sugar consumption (Cottrell ters,” he reasoned, “not just one villainous frozen fruit, many breads, and chocolate 2012). Because global population has or virtuous nutrient du jour.” milk (now highly rated as a recovery more than doubled since 1960, he cor- refreshingly, katz reassessed the sub- drink following intense exercise). ideally, rected, intake has increased only by 60 ject from a broader, more reliable per- the trio adds, such tariffs would be ac- percent, not 300 percent. Moreover, he spective based on evolutionary science. companied by an outright “ban” on tele- added, consumption in the united States, “We like sweet,” he appreciated, “because vision advertisements. the united king dom, and Canada has mammals who like sweet are more apt to the San Franciscans would like to risen only marginally as a proportion of survive than mammals who don’t. pe- “limit availability” as well, by “reducing total food-energy intake. riod.” Why should it shock and abhor so the hours that retailers are open, control- Judging metabolic syndrome a “con- many of us that sugar is addictive? the ling the location and density of retail troversial concept” in itself, Cottrell then real surprise, katz answered, is not that markets and limiting who can legally cited analyses from the united nations, high-energy food is habit-forming, “but purchase the products.” Allud ing to a the united States, and europe that rather that anything else is.” found no evidence of typical sugar con- katz’s subsequent response to the Na- (Continued on page 59)

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[SKEPTICAL INQUIREE BENJAMIN RADFORD Benjamin radford is a research fellow at the Committee for skeptical Inquiry and author or coauthor of six books, including Tracking the Chupacabra: The Vampire Beast in Fact, Fiction, and Folklore.

Tracking the Chupachameleon: Chupacabra Iconography

It seems that early alien-like chupacabras look nothing like the monsters that people see today, which are mostly dogs. How has the chupacabra changed over the years? Q: —D. Ayers

One folkloric approach to investigating paranormal phenomena involves ex - : amining their changing cultural depictions. Soci - a ety’s conceptions of ghosts, for example, have changed significantly over the decades and centuries (see Fin- ucane 1996)—as have descriptions and depictions of aliens (nickell 2001), the loch ness monster (loxton 2004), the Ogo pogo lake monster (radford and nic kell 2006), and many other cultural phenomena. the chupacabra monster has also evolved. As i discuss in my book Tracking the Chupacabra: The Vampire Beast in Fact, Fiction, and Folklore, the chupacabra ap- This chupacabra, which seems to have first been produced around 2002, features most of the classic characteristics of the monster, taken directly from an account by Puerto Rican eyewitness Madelyne Tolentino in 1995. It has four fingers pears in several different forms. the on each hand, three toes on each foot, dark red eyes, greenish-yellow skin with some hair along its back, thin arms and original chupacabra was first sighted in legs, and the series of spikes or spines going down the back. The sculptor added a snaking tongue as well. 1995 puerto rico: a strange, alien-like thus, for example, a chupacabra figure that cir- bipedal monster with red eyes, long of popular chupacabra images reveals much about how the public envisioned culated in 2001 likely reflects a popular concep- thin arms and legs, and a row of spikes tion from 2000. down its back. this was the dominant this vampire beast across different times version for about five years until a and cultures. in my ongoing study of References nicaraguan rancher discovered a canine chupacabra iconography, i have collected Finucane, r.C. 1996. Ghosts: Appearances of the Dead & Cultural Transformation. Amherst, carcass and claimed it was a chupacabra; over a dozen three-dimensional depictions of the vampire beast dating back to new York: prometheus Books. after that most alleged chupacabra car- loxton, Daniel. 2004. the loch ness monster. casses assumed canine form—though 1996. Here are seven different pop cul- Junior Skeptic 11(1). nickell, Joe. 2001. the original, monster-like goatsucker ture versions of the chupacabra, as de- Real-Life X-Flies: Investi gating picted in toys, models, and figurines.1 n the Paranormal. lexington, kentucky: uni- remained popular in artistic depictions versity press of kentucky. (for the obvious reason that images of radford, Benjamin. 2011. Tracking the Chupa - Note cabra: The Vampire Beast in Fact, Fiction, and mangy coyotes are not terribly interest- 1. When dating and tracking cultural influ- Folklore. Albuquerque, new Mexico: uni - ing or compelling). ences it’s important to keep in mind the time lag versity of new Mexico press. the reasons for this transformation between an artist’s conception and the time a toy radford, Benjamin, and Joe nickell. 2006. Lake or model of that conception is produced and Monster Mysteries: Investigating the World’s are complex (for a detailed discussion made commercially available, which tends to Most Elusive Creatures. lexington, kentucky: see radford 2011), but a close analysis range from about nine months to a year or more. university press of kentucky.

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This limited edition figure was designed by Sara An- This small (2.5 inch) figurine issued by the Max Fac- This highly detailed solid resin bust, sold as a kit by toinette Martin for the designer toy company Kidrobot tory company has the familiar red-eyed, spiky-backed, Disturbed Earth Productions circa 2008, is approxi- in 2008. With a felt-covered body, the figure stands three-fingered and three-toed chupacabra standing mately seven inches tall and has many typical mon- eight inches tall and comes with three accessories: a over a dead goat on a grassy area. It also has one un- ster features including pointed ears, prominent teeth goat skull, a small bird, and a wine glass of goat blood. usual feature in chupacabra morphology: partial web- and tongue, and large creepy eyes—as well as the According to the accompanying literature, El Chupacabra bing under its arms, possibly suggesting wings. signature spine spikes. Model painting and assembly is “mild mannered with a cheery disposition,” though by Ray Ayles. “he is deeply ashamed of his vampiric ways and avoids human contact for fear of persecution.”

figures a, B, C: these three chupacabras were sold as a set and created by a company called Galva, Inc. they were released in 1996, making them some of the earliest commercially produced chupacabra figures in the world. the variety allows us to trace different characteristics to various geographical and cultural regions of latin america. all are bipedal, stand about seven inches tall, and are made of hollow soft plastic.

A. This gray Mexican chupacabra features an oversized B. This barefoot green Puerto Rican chupacabra sports a C. This demonic, muscled chupacabra is far more real- cartoonish head, red eyes, and four-fingered hands. Don- T-shirt with the word “Boricua” (a term used by Puerto Ri- istic and menacing than the two other versions in the ning a T-shirt that says “Mexico,” green shorts, and ten- cans to identify themselves) and shorts. He has captured set. Its human-like torso and bulky arms exude power. nis shoes, this fellow has a dead goat between his legs. food in both hands: a choking white chicken in his left and Though its head and back lack spikes, it has Satanic He has several stubby points on his head, suggesting a goat in his right; both are alive but clearly in distress. horns and its red eyes are much more sharply arched spikes, and overall resembles the Tasmanian Devil from Several of the chupacabra’s distinctive spikes run down than those of the others. It’s holding a dead goat under Warner Bros. cartoons. The X (or crossed bandages) the back of his head, and his unusually long red tongue one arm and seems ready to challenge any onlookers. across his navel is a common stylistic flourish in Latin snakes out of his mouth down to his waist. Though far It’s not clear what region this version represents, but American cartoons. from menacing, the Boricua goatsucker is significantly it’s likely a composite imagined by the rest of the world less cartoony than the Mexican chupacabra. (i.e., non-Latin Americans), including the United States, Europe, and elsewhere. As I discuss in Tracking the Chu- pacabra, paradoxically the monster was often taken more seriously (and envisioned to be more menacing) outside of regions where it was reported and sighted. All photographs by Benjamin Radford.

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Lampposts flicker to life as dusk Myth and error stain the street; We push aside discouraging descends on Skepticism Street. we know they can be removed with thoughts and look up, up beyond Electric bulbs—created by the cleansing power of science. our pale blue dot to the wondrous scientists not content to merely But we also know that they will starry night sky. Music and laughter curse the darkness—light the way soon return: old wine in new and color and beauty beckon us. forward. We pass small stores bottles, myths discredited by our Our pace quickens as we approach offering stories, claims, and truths forefathers recycled for new our destination: Art Avenue. about politics, society, and every- generations. Skepticism is a long Art renews us, nourishes our thing else under the sun. march in a seemingly unwinnable “souls.” A long journey lies ahead, Some we’ve managed to close war, and our determined faces belie and there is much work to be done. while others defiantly remain open the fear that we are outmatched. But just for a while we can pause for business. Here, soothsayers spin to savor the intersection of art their ancient stories for teary and skepticism... masses; there, the sick line up for bottled water they call miracle medicine. Beneath the fine respectable veneers we (seemingly alone at times) recognize the rot of pseudoscience and superstition. SepOctpagescut_SInewdesignmasters8/1/129:54AMPage29

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Nighthawks StateofMind JErEMiAH MOSS

1941, edward Hopper began what would become his most recognizable work, one that IN has become an emblem of new York City. “Nighthawks,” Hop per said in an interview later, “was suggested by a restaurant on Green wich Av- enue where two streets meet.” the location was pin- pointed by a Hopper expert, Gail levin, as the “empty triangular lot” where Green wich meets 11th Street and Seventh Avenue, otherwise known as Mulry Square. this has become accepted city folklore. Greenwich Vil lage tour guides point to the lot, now owned by the Metro politan transpor ta tion Author ity, and tell visi- tors that Hopper’s diner stood there. But did it? not long ago, one of the readers of my blog, Van- ishing New York, sent in an old photo of the lot. there was no diner, only an esso gas station and a White tower burger joint that looked nothing like the moody, curved, wedge-shaped lunch counter in Night - hawks. An urban mystery had just revealed itself: if the diner wasn’t in the empty lot, then where was it? Being an obsessive type, prone to delve, i began searching for Hopper’s diner with the help of two of my readers. Multiple streets converge at Mulry Square, creating a shattered-glass array of triangular corners. the buildings wedge themselves into these tight an- gles, bricks tapering to near points, each structure bear- ing a Hopperesque resemblance. i snapped photos of every possibility and checked them against their ancestral images in the new York public library’s Digital Gallery. i made a trip to the city’s Municipal Archives, where i scanned the 1930s atlases of Man hattan known as “land books,” matched block and lot numbers to scratchy rolls of microfilm, After hours of hunting the archives, i was about to give up when i and scrolled through muddy 1940s tax photos. Slowly, found a new clue in a 1950s land book. there in the map of Mulry i began ruling out suspects. Square, not in the empty northern lot but on the southwest side, where the empty lot at Mulry Square held a gas station perry Street slants, the mapmaker has written in all caps a single rev- from at least the 1930s through the 1970s, not a diner. elatory word: DINER. i had to rule out the buildings on nearby corners of i went into a state of panicky thrill. Sometime between the late the square as well: West Village Florist was a news- 1930s and the early 1950s, a new diner appeared near Mulry Square. stand. Fan tasy World was a liquor store. two Boots this was it. i could smell the coffee brewing. After decoding the block pizza, with its lovely prow wrapped in rounded glass and lot number, written in script so small it required a Sherlockian and chrome, was the Hanscom Bake Shop. And the magnifying glass, after retrieving the microfilm spool and scrolling to pie-slice of a luncheonette that stood behind the lost the specified location, i discovered ... nothing. loew’s Sheridan cinema was too blocky, too bricky to the tax photo showed only that old esso station. i scrolled back be the elegant diner in the painting. and forth to be sure but found no photo of the southwest corner, no So i expanded my search, looking at nearly every photo of the diner in question. Did the tax photographers forget to curvilinear corner where “two streets meet” off Green- take its picture? Did they mislabel the lot? it’s possible that i started wich Avenue. With each rejected candidate, my hopes muttering out loud to myself in the quiet of the Municipal Archives, of finding the Nighthawks diner fell. because people began to stare.

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Back home, i dug through my book shelves and unearthed curved window and the liquor store’s ghostly wedge, in the dark Gail levin’s Edward Hopper: An Intimate Biography. the book bricks that loom in the background of every Village street. is autographed by the author—i had gone to hear Ms. levin Over the past years, i’ve watched bakeries, luncheonettes, read in a bookshop that is now gone—and dated from a time cobbler shops, and much more come tumbling down at an when i was still new to the city and knew it largely, romanti- alarming rate, making space for condos and office towers. now cally, as a sprawling Hopper painting filled with golden, the discovery that the Nighthawks diner never existed, except as melancholy light. in the book, Ms. levin reported that an in- a collage inside Hop per’s imagination, feels like yet another ter- terviewer wrote that the diner was “based partly on an all- rible demolition, though no bricks have fallen. night coffee stand Hopper saw on Greenwich Avenue . . . ‘only it seems the longer you live in new York, the more you love more so,’” and that Hop per himself said: “i simplified the a city that has vanished. For those of us well versed in the art of scene a great deal and made the restaurant bigger. un con - loving what is lost, it’s an easy leap to missing something that sciously, probably, i was painting the loneliness of a large city.” was never really there. n partly. More so. Simplified. the hidden truth became clearer. the diner began to fade. And then i saw it—on every Jeremiah Moss is the author of the blog Vanishing New York (vanish- triangular corner, in the candy shop’s cornice and the news- ingnewyork.blogspot.com). A version of this article appeared in print on stand’s advertisement for five-cent cigars, in the bakery’s July 5, 2010, on page A17 of the New York Times.

Skeptical Inquirer | September/October 2012 31 SepOctpagescut_SInewdesignmasters8/1/129:54AMPage32

ScienceandArt: Complementary Disciplines JOE NickELL

As leonardo da Vinci so effectively showed us, science and art are not at war with each other; indeed, they can be quite complementary. Since child- hood, when i dusted our house with fin- gerprint powder and incessantly drew and painted pictures, both disciplines have been part of my life, and today i frequently combine them in my work as a science-based investigator of strange mysteries—whether questioned writings or homicides, historical riddles, “paranormal” curiosities, or other enigmas. Here are a few examples. the first is a watercolor sketch of a “haunted” lighthouse (Figure 1). next is my recreation of one of the giant nazca geoglyphs in peru (Figure 2). A forensic illustration helps explain a case of alleged spontaneous human combustion (Figure 3), followed by a pen-and-ink rendering of another “haunted” site (Figure 4), and then my replication of the artistically “impossible” negative image on the Shroud of turin (Figure 5). Finally, a poem—written in a free-verse style i call “improvisational rhyming”—addresses a paranormal topic. Figure 1. The author and his wife (Diana Harris) picnic at “haunted” Seul Choix Point Lighthouse We humans are both thinking and on Lake Michigan. (Watercolor sketch by Joe Nickell) feeling creatures, but we must avoid the misuse of those attributes—for example, by thinking with our emotions. Surely we are at our best when head and heart work effectively to gether in our lives— though that is more easily espoused than accomplished.

Joe nickell is CSI’s senior research fellow. His doctorial dissertation (1987) was titled “Literary Investigation.” His website is www.joenickell.com

Figure 2. The author—“spider man”—stands inside the giant geoglyph he made for National Ge- ographic Television, recreating (on a California ranch) one of the ancient ground drawings on the plain of Nazca in Peru using only sticks and string. (Photo by Joe Nickell)

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Bigfoot

Man-beast, creature from the past, lost monster, you wander in and out Figure 3. Forensic illustration reconstructing the 1980 death of an Englishwoman that some attribute of sight, to “spontaneous human combustion” but that was clearly caused by a fall in which her head struck the fireplace grate and caused embers to shower upon the body. (Drawing by Joe Nickell) of night, of doubt, yet we wonder at your great foot- prints, here, & here, & there one more, where the trail ends— but for strands Figure 4. This shop built in 1809 stands at the restored Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, which some say is a haunted place, although investigation suggests otherwise. (Drawing by Joe Nickell) of polyester hair, perhaps a picture’s blur, or other traces, Figure 5. As with the notorious you just Turin shroud, this replication of the image’s touted gone, “photonegativity” is best appreciated in the photo- back reversed “positive” image. where you lurk, Actually the shroud image is only a quasi-negative, in the mind’s effectively produced here by making a rubbing from a most three-dimensional relief. dark, (Image by Joe Nickell from a relief by Glenn Taylor) wilderness places.

—Joe Nickell 2006

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SkepticismintheVideoBox cHriStiAN WALtErS Skepticism is not just books and talks anymore. With the popularity of social media services, skeptical discussion and inquiry have moved beyond the written word and the podium. If you like your critical thinking in the form of a quick demonstration that can be as short as a music video, YouTube has you covered. We’re going to look at a handful of popular skeptical YouTubers who have embraced the medium and the bandwidth with creativity, insight, and humor.

CaptainDisillusion RichardWiseman One of the most popular and recognizable skepti- Richard Wiseman is a ground as a magician and focuses primarily cal faces on YouTube, Cap tain Dillusion (CD) was professor of psychol- on mind games and optical illusions. His un- created by inde pendent filmmaker Alan Melik - ogy at the University derstanding of misdirection and how the djanian. He’s been producing YouTube videos since of Hertfordshire in the human brain receives and processes informa- 2008, featuring his bright yellow track suit and United Kingdom and tion provides sharp insight into how easy we striking silver face paint. a former magician. can be to trick. Wiseman’s ready sense of Captain Disillusion focuses on investigating He’s also the author humor makes his videos enjoyable and engag- paranormal videos by ex plaining how such effects of eleven books investigating subjects such ing even to people outside the skeptic com- can be achieved. To prove his point, Captain Dis - as paranormal abilities, self-help books, and munity. The videos range from thirty seconds illusion recreates the paranormal event with com- the peculiarities of human behavior. He also in length to about three minutes, so new mon film editing techniques and tools. has a popular YouTube channel (youtube.com viewers don’t have to invest much be fore they Melikdjanian’s lighthearted but thorough ap- /user/Quirkology) boasting 58,000+ sub- get hooked. More information about Richard proach has gained him more than 23,000 sub- scribers and thirty million views. Wiseman is available on his website (www. scribers to his YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/ In his videos, Wiseman draws on his back- richardwiseman.wordpress.com/). user/CaptainDisillusion) and 3.2 million views. As of late 2011, you can subscribe to his videos via iTunes as well (http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/captain-disillusion/id461797766). Cap tain Disillusion videos post only every few months due TimMinchin to his high production standards, but Melikdjanian Tim Minchin is an animated video of his ten-minute beat poem has re cently started a series of “Quick D” videos for award-winning Brit - “Storm” describing a meal shared with a New quick hit debunks, which post more frequently. ish-Australian musi- Age alt-med practitioner. The video for CD has taken on some of the most popular im- cian and comedian “Storm” is available at www.youtube.com/ ages in popular culture, in cluding the face on Mars who is gradually de- user/stormmovie. and the “ghost” in the Three Men and a Baby movie. veloping a fan base YouTube is filled with unofficial videos and He’s also tackled persistent viral videos, such as the in the United States bootleg recordings, but Minchin’s official penguin slapping the other penguin into the water— after having devel- channel is available at www.youtube.com/user yes, it’s cute, but it’s an obvious fake (penguin wings oped a following in the United Kingdom and /timminchin/videos. Many of his videos don’t move like that anyway). Australia over the last ten years. He is an ac- (along with his tour dates and store) are also “Love with your heart. Use your head for every- complished composer and pianist, and he is available on his website (www.timminchin.com thing else.”—Captain Disillusion’s sign-off best known for his comedic songs dealing /media/), including his popular song about with skepticism (“If You Open Your Mind Too the child molestation cover-up in the Catholic Much Your Brain Will Fall Out”) and atheism church. (Warning: Tim does not pull any SkepticallyPwnd (“The Good Book”). In 2011, he released an punches with the language.) If you need to let off some steam, Skeptically Pwned might be where you want to be. There are plenty of ScamSchool groups providing sober, reasoned inquiry into paranormal claims. You can listen to academic and in- Scam School is the eating, putting nails through his nose or hands, tellectual discussions on a wide variety of topics. Or brainchild of Ameri- and mind-reading. His website with details you can go to Skeptically Pwned’s YouTube channel can magician Brian about upcoming shows and his books is at (youtube.com/user/skepticallypwnd/videos) and Brushwood and Inter- http://shwood.com. The Scam School video watch the Ghost Hunters get kicked in the crotch. net television network channel is at www.youtube.com/user/scam Skeptically Pwned is the creation of three Revi sion3. In each school. Scam School has been producing skeptical comedians: John Rael, Matt David, and episode, Brush wood episodes weekly since 2008, and there are Jen Brown. In addition to some judicious kicking, demonstrates and exposes street scams, bar more than two hundred on YouTube now. The they also created the “Shit Skeptics Say” series— tricks, and other types of close magic. The videos are roughly ten to fifteen minutes in a trilogy of embarrassingly familiar high-speed show’s advertising promises that you’ll never length and include a demonstration and break- catch-phrases skeptics swap among each other have to pay for a drink again, but it also teaches down of classic bar tricks and other stunts. regularly. The Skeptically Pwned videos probably you what to watch for to avoid being pranked. Brushwood is also host of the Weird Things won’t convince any non-skeptics to change their Brushwood is an award-winning touring ma- podcast, which discusses supernatural and views, but they might help skeptics decompress gician known for his bizarre tricks, including fire- other strange news items. after a day in the trenches.

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DeathByPuppets Death by Puppets holds to the philosophy that ed their first video on April 1, 2012, and have Thisarticletouchedonjustafew most of life’s problems are easier solved with been releasing videos every few weeks. Maria popularYouTubechannels.There puppets. They produce short videos with a Walters founded Death by Puppets by bringing areplentyofotherswithmore skeptical flavor, with a generous helping of sar- together the talents of artists in the skeptical beingaddedallthetime: casm and parody. And, of course, puppets. community. Charles Pillsbury, puppet builder Subjects so far have ranged from a support and lead puppeteer, builds puppets as needed MediaSkeptic group for the reality-challenged and a restau- (www.youtube.com/user/mediaskeptic): based on scripts by Steve DeGroof of the Tree rant specializing in quackery to a mockumercial This new channel takes a critical look at featuring an enigmatic chupacabra. They post - Lob sters webcomic. the t ricks and techniques used by the news media and by politicians to sway public opinion. Only a few videos so far TheSkeptics’GuidetotheUniverse but worth keeping an eye on. The Skeptics’ Guide to best known for a two-part parody of Ghost the Universe (SGU) is Hunters, highlighting their paranormal skills in GeologicRecords (www.youtube.com/user/geologic one of the most pop- drain cleaning and sump pump installation. records): Geologic Records is the home ular skeptical pod- The other videos satirize targets such as alien casts. The five mem- of noted skeptic and musician George videos, ghost photos, and psychics who talk bers of the Rogue’s Hrab. You will find music videos and to the dead. The videos range from five to ten Gallery have taught a performances of his skepticism-tinged lot of people about skeptical and scientific is- minutes each, and they are based on topics songs and interviews. pulled from podcast episodes—not exactly a sues. One of them, filmmaker Jay Novella, has Healthyaddict also begun producing comedic videos. limiting format, as the Skep tic’s Guide pod- (www.youtube.com/user/healthy SGU Video Productions (www.youtube cast is thorough and operates in a target-rich addict): Healthyaddict is the online .com/user/TheSkepticsGuide/videos) is pro b ably environment. handle for Ashley Paramore, development director for the Secular Student QualiaSoup Alliance (SSA). Her videos cover her Some of the debates tail and accessibility. He creates animated current work with the SSA and her in which skeptics find breakdowns of common topics brought up with previous work as chair for Students themselves can be non-skeptics and theists—for example, being for Freethought at The Ohio State dry or esoteric. Those good without God, irreducible complexity, and University. discussions can be a the burden of proof. SickScience little inaccessible for The videos average about ten minutes (www.youtube.com/user/Steve people new to skepti- each and are narrated in a clear and engag- SpanglerScience): Steve Spangler is cism—not to mention non-skeptics unaccus- ing manner. Those who have been involved in a science writer and educator who has tomed to hearing scientific data at all. skepticism for a while will be familiar with created short videos illustrating A secular humanist and artist in the United most of the subject matter, but they are good do-it-yourself science projects, including Kingdom who goes by the name Qualia Soup primers for new skeptics and handy to show making drag-racing cups and light has taken steps to bridge the gap between de- to non-skeptics. bulbs. Mr.Deity SymphonyofScience (www.youtube.com/user/melodysheep): Mr. Deity is a long-running series of comedic opening theme song. He decided to create a John Boswell takes talks from noted and satirical short films examining different series of short films to express his views scientists and skeptics, adds a sound- aspects of religion. It stars Mr. Deity (the uni- about God and religion. The series was a suc- track, and auto-tunes them together verse’s creator, who has little understanding cess, leading to a deal with Sony Pictures into music videos. of human existence); his assistant, Larry; his Enter tainment to bring Mr. Deity to HBO. The son, Jesus; and Lucifer (“Lucy” for short), Mr. deal eventually fell through, but Mr. Deity has Skepchick Deity’s ex-girlfriend. continued on YouTube into its fifth season. (www.youtube.com/user/rkwatson): The Mr. Deity videos (www.youtube.com/ Seasons three and four are available on DVD Rebecca Watson is the founder of the user/misterdeity/videos) are seven to nine at http://mrdeity.com, as is a soundtrack CD. Skepchick website and cohost of the minutes long each and cover insoluble religious Mr. Deity is an engaging, humorous series popular Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe topics, such as the amount of evil allowed in for anyone comfortable with questioning reli- podcast. Her videos have discussed the world, the meaning of prayer, and free will. gious issues. The more devout may struggle topics such as homeopathy, then-presi- Mr. Deity is the creation of Brian Keith with the issues raised or find the whole series dential candidate Michele Bachmann’s Dalton, who also stars, directs, and wrote the blasphemous. comments about the human papillo- mavirus vaccines, and so-called Christian Walters is a technical writer in Atlanta. He’s been involved in skepticism for about eight “chemtrails.” years, and he currently leads the Atlanta Skeptics group. He’s a contributor to the award-dodging podcasts Ask a Canadian and The Death Panel. He’s a graduate of Auburn Uni versity and is eager to talk to you about college football. Walters’s blog, which often includes topics about skeptical outreach, is at http://facetheperil.com. Skeptical Inquirer | September/October 2012 35 SepOctpagescut_SInewdesignmasters8/1/129:54AMPage36

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ConfirmationBiasandArt

SAMuEL McNErNEy

now, our overwhelming tendency plains our aesthetic judgments. that is, to look for what confirms our be- just as we only look for what confirms our BY liefs and ignore what contradicts scientific hypotheses and personal deci- our beliefs is well documented. sions, we likewise only listen to music and psychologists refer to this as confirmation observe art that confirms our preconceived bias, and its ubiquity is observed in both notions of good and bad aesthetics. put academia and in our everyday lives: re- differently, confirmation bias influences publicans watch Fox while Democrats our aesthetic judgments just as it does any watch MSnBC; creationists see fossils as other judgment. evidence of God, evolutionary biologists let’s observe music, a popular topic in see fossils as evidence of evolution; doom- the psychology world. One of the com- sayers see signs of the end of the world, mon themes to emerge from the literature and the rest of us see just another day. Sim- is the importance of patterns, expecta- ply put, our ideologies and personal dog- tions, and resolutions. Many authors mas dictate our realities. argue that enjoyable music establishes a For the most part, confirmation bias known pattern, creates expectations, and has been studied by psychologists and resolves the expectations in a predictable discussed by science journalists in the way. As neuroscientist Daniel levitin, au- context of decision-making or reasoning. thor of This Is Your Brain on Music, ex-

Ouraudioandvisualsystemsareprogrammed tolookforartthatwelike andtoignoreartthatwedon’tlike.

examples of this include Jonah lehrer’s plains, “as music unfolds, the brain con- How We Decide, Carol tavris and elliot stantly updates its estimates of when new Aronson’s Mistakes Were Made (But Not beats will occur, and takes satisfaction in By Me), and the recent Hugo Mercier and matching a mental beat with a real-in- Dan Sperber (2011) article that has gar- the-world one.” this is one reason we re- nered so much popularity. As more is peatedly listen to the same songs and written about confirmation bias and its bands; we know exactly what we are effects, it is becoming clear that it is de- going to get and love it when they fulfill scribing something much more than a our preconceived expectations. mechanism that influences our everyday in this light, the relationship be tween choices and rationality. confirmation bias and music is clear. in if we are defining confirmation bias as the same way that we decide to watch Fox a tendency to favor information that con- or MSnBC, we decide to listen to lady firms our previously held beliefs, it strikes Gaga or the Beatles. in either case, our me as ironic to think that it is almost ex- brains are latching onto patterns and get- clusively discussed as a hindrance to knowl- ting pleasure from accurately predicting edge and better decision-making, or as an what comes next. Here is the key: your aid to argumentation and persuasion as re- brain doesn’t “know” the difference be- inforced by Mercier and Sperber. With tween Glenn Beck and paul McCartney, such a broad definition, i think it also ex - but it does know, and it does care, about

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Picasso’snon-femininedepictionofwomen, Manet’ssharpdepictionofthecourtesanwoman, andWarhol’scommercialtreatmentofartstood instarkcontrasttothen-contemporarynorms thatdictatedthequalificationsofgoodart.

confirming each in the context of their to then-contemporary norms that dic- work. McCartney sings the chorus to tated the qualifications of good art. “She loves You,” while Beck reams But whereas the critics argued that Obama’s latest political move. in other these paintings were violating some in- words, its predictions don’t discriminate trinsic art rule, psychologists tell us that between different mediums; it just wants the only thing objective about this art its expectations to be fulfilled. So ask was that it made people’s confirmation yourself this: is there really any differ- bias go haywire. Art doesn’t have pla- ence between a Beatles concert and a tonic standards; good art is form-break- Glenn Beck rally? Are people not just ing, and this is a big reason why all of going to these events to have their opin- the mentioned works went on to be ions confirmed? classics. One way to answer this question is Stravinsky would be credited with to see what happens when people don’t ushering new musical styles and tech- hear what they expect. History has niques into the twentieth century; shown that this can get ugly. Some picasso was praised for developing Cu- music performances defied expectations bism; and Manet perpetuated the im- so dramatically that the audience pressionist movement. this is not to say resorted to rioting. Famous examples in- that good art has to break rules—there clude performances of Béla Bartók’s the are plenty of conventionalists who made Miraculous Mandarin, Steve reich’s Four great art by reinforcing preconcep- Organs, and igor Stra vinsky’s rite of tions—but it is to say that good art can Spring. in each of these cases, the com- break rules. posers forced the audience to listen to unfortunately, our audio and visual exactly what they didn’t want to hear. it systems are programmed to look for art would be like if a Democrat was forced that we like and to ignore art that we to watch Fox or a republican went to a don’t like. And this is what makes artistic Glenn Beck rally and heard him praise innovation so difficult. But when we Obama. i am sure that both of these sce- turn off our confirmation bias, we realize narios would provoke reactions similar to that watching or listening to something the ones that Stravinsky experienced. that doesn’t fulfill our expectations can music: “Brains take delight when a skill- the same is true with visual art. Con - be ultimately rewarding. All ground- ful musician violates [an] expectation in sider picasso’s les Demoiselles d’Avig non breaking artists are in on this well-kept an interesting way—a sort of musical (The Young Ladies of Avig non), Manet’s secret: they know that in the end, it is joke that we’re all in on. Music breathes, Olympia, or Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup just as enjoyable to experience some- speeds up, and slows down just as the Cans. each of these works was highly thing that violates an expectation, which real world does, and our cerebellum controversial. in the cases of picasso’s is why they replaced the ex pected with finds pleasure in adjusting itself to stay non-feminine depiction of women, the unexpected. in other words, they are synchronized.” Manet’s sharp depiction of the courtesan the ones who saw through their confir- psychologists have nicely described woman, and Warhol’s commercial treat- mation bias. the detriments of confirmation bias in ment of art, each stood in stark contrast levitin explains this in regard to the last few decades. its power and in-

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fluence is very clear now. But instead of that confirmation bias appears in art just Samuel McNerney graduated from Hamil- as it does in everyday decision-making. thinking about it in regard to decision- ton College with a bachelor’s degree in making, let’s remember that it equally if we continue to think that confir- philosophy. Now, however, he is exploring influences our aesthetic judgments. As mation bias only applies to the everyday, a career as a science journalist who writes we may be shutting out the next i said, the great artists were well aware about philosophy, psychology, and neu- Stravinsky. n roscience. His blog, http://whywereason of their audience’s expectations; picasso .com, tries to figure out how humans un- said that “every act of creation is first of Reference derstand the world. This blog post was all an act of destruction.” But instead of Mercier, Hugo, and Dan Sperber. 2011. Why do first published by Scientific American on reading quotes like these as idealistic humans reason? Argu ments for an argumen- July 17, 2011. tative theory. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 34: aphorisms, let us take them as warnings 57–111.

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AWarmTwistona‘ColdReading’ A conversation with Damon Martin

Mediums have been around for millennia. I can’t think of another profession where research on the subject yields results like “See also: confidence trick.” For as long as there have been people claiming to be mediums, there have been people like composer Damon Martin to call them out. His latest Traumatosis album, Cold Reading, takes the listener on a journey that details the deceptive techniques used by people who claim an ability to talk with the dead. This subject offends Martin on many levels, and he took a very thoughtful approach to getting his message across. The listener knows that this is not an ordinary concept album from the very first track, “Secrets of the Spirit Cabinet.” Themes from that introduction can be found throughout the album. Whispers, various sound effects, and multi-layered instrumentation set the stage for what is to come. The album, dark and moody, spills forth songs of loss, hope, and Whereareyoufrom,andhowdidyou betrayal at the hands of someone claiming to be something he’s not. gettowhereyouarenow? The eventual outcome seen in track nine has the subject of the album expecting his payment for sharing his God-given gifts with the unwitting customer who i’m from Scotland, north of Scotland, Aberdeenshire. i’ve always been into only wanted a bridge to lost family members. The final song, “Six People,” music. i was given a keyboard when brings it home with an acoustic guitar and rousing vocals. Martin’s hard rock i was about four years old by my past is evident in many of the songs, but he takes that foundation to a whole mother. i used to sing for just hours new level. Cold Reading is a concept album intended to be heard in a single and hours. i was just playing around sitting, not piecemeal during a commute. Each song builds upon the last, and with my sound and teaching myself multiple listenings reveal new layers of sound and music. Skeptic and musician chords and just doing it my own way. Matthew A. kacar Jr. interviewed Martin about his new project. i had about three of these keyboards. they were just little cheap things that The full interview is available at my mom bought me because i kept http://artistconnectionpodcast.libsyn.com/webpage/episode-086-damon-martin. clogging up the speakers with pan- cakes. i was a bit of a chubby child, i think. i have no idea what i was doing. i was just going by feel which is kind of what i still do. My studio isn’t great. it’s kind of all about just how it sounds and how it makes you feel.

ThinkingaboutCold Reading, was thereapivotalmomentinyourlife whereyoustartedtoquestionthings? Areyouskepticalbynatureabout certainthings?Doyouliketoknow howthingswork? Yeah. i think really analytically, especially about myself. And so, i’m a very self-reflective type but yeah, i want to know the truth all the time. except for the weather—i like to be surprised with the weather; everything else i want to know. i’m an atheist. i think that i’ve always been atheist. Obvi- ously in Britain, a Christian country, we have to have prayers in our schools. Sometimes i would go home and believe in God and sometimes i would go home and i wouldn’t. there’s a lot

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to find out about all this stuff. the Yes, that’s it. Yeah, that’s exactly it. i I’msure.Sowhat’snextforyou? more i knew, the more angry i would decided to write that track because it there was a lot leading up to this per- get when people would abuse others starts off with kind of this arrogant, “i formance we just did and so kind of with supernatural acquaintances and don’t see the world the way you do.” taking it easy. i’ve got a lot of projects. mediums. that sickens me, absolutely there’s kind of a superiority complex i’m composing a piano concerto just just turns me off completely. i think which is, i think, why most of them now which is using the same kind of it’s the most corrupt, most hideous con get into it. it gets them a position of artistic approach that i use with all my that anybody can do. it’s bad enough power and a position of that charisma stuff. i’m trying to put as much mean- to be conning people in any way, but and, you know, glory. i mean they get ing into things as i really possibly can you have people who have just lost to be a rock star. We’ve only done one and give it my all, but the concerto i’m their children, and then you have performance of this album and it was a writing is also about a novel that i’m mediums pretending to be their chil- local one. it was mainly friends and simultaneously writing. So, i’m busy dren and pretending to talk to their family and stuff and it was a tremen- with that. it’s about shell shock during children—that absolutely makes me dous one. the war. there’s a soldier who’s recov- want to vomit. ering from shell shock and he interacts YouplayeditattheTunnels with the other people that are affected Howdotheystayinbusiness? (amusicvenueinAberdeen). by it worse than he is. i’m really quite Howisthatstillallowed? Itsoundsliketheperfectplaceto drawn to people that have mental ill- perform Cold Reading. A lot of these tV psychics are really ness. it’s always comforting being litigious and take anybody to court Yeah, it was good fun. i don’t like to be around people like that i think. i don’t who criticizes them. that’s why i’ve limited and i really like to mess with know why. it makes me feel more never named a name because it’s so the audience as well. it’s a horrifying comfortable. i think i’ve always kind dangerous. i don’t want to get my life show sometimes. i did a magic routine. of seen myself as being a bit eccentric ruined by litigation. if you said so and i thought that would be quite appro- and a bit out there, so maybe it’s kind so is not psychic, they can take you to priate where i stick this big nine-inch of comforting being around people court and often successfully sue you. needle in my arm and that went down with that kind of sense. really well. it was really uncomfortable. Itfeelslikeitishardertobeaskeptic i made the audience as uncomfortable You can learn more about Damon becauseit’saloteasiertojustsay as i possibly could, for them, not for Martin at www.traumatosis.com. “Ihavefaith.”Attheendoftheday, me. it was great. Yeah, i think i themoreyouquestioneither stopped in silence for a whole minute Matthew a. Kacar Jr. is the producer and psychicsormediumsorevenapriest, before i even began and people just host of the Artist Connection Podcast. He it’sbackonyou.Onyourtrack watched me and i didn’t say a word. conducts long-form audio interviews with “AstheMeterTicks,”that’swhat But at the end, it was amazing. then, artists from all walks of life. He can be found ishappening,“I’mavessel.Don’t it was amazing praise. it was just at www.artistconnectionpodcast.com. questionme.”Whatdoyousayatone heartwarming. it kind of made every- point?“Don’tinterrupt;Imaynever thing feel so worthwhile and then fun, getthisvisionback.” praise that i don’t deserve. it was a wonderful evening.

“It’sbadenoughtobeconningpeopleinanyway,butyouhave peoplewhohavejustlosttheirchildren,andthenyouhave mediumspretendingtobetheirchildrenandpretendingtotalk totheirchildren—thatabsolutelymakesmewanttovomit.”

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Art,Mysteries,andContext

BENJAMiN rADfOrD

tion of artworks—startlingly realistic, often playful, and sometimes surreal— based on commonplace ob jects and sit- uations.” the show featured ninety works from fifty artists, including Alex Hay’s Paper Bag (1968), an exact replica of an ordinary paper bag (except that it’s six feet tall and made of fiberglass); Vija Celmins’s Freeway (1966), a photoreal- istic oil painting one would swear is a photograph at first glance; Daniel Douke’s Ace (1979), a seemingly ordinary mailing box complete with packaging tape and scuffs yet mounted chest-high on a wall and made of acrylic and Masonite; and ron Mueck’s Crouching Boy in Mirror (1999–2000), a stunningly realistic life-size sculpture of a boy looking at himself in a mirror. in this world, scale and apparent utility cannot be trusted: pocket combs are as large as filing cabinets and working el- evators are scaled down to the size of a deck of cards. this is a fertile playground for artists, illusionists, and skeptics: things that seem real often are not, and things that don’t seem real sometimes are. everything must be questioned: every basic assumption and premise, even the ordinary—especially the ordinary. the same is true for investigations and skepticism in general. One of the most interesting pieces at Lifelike was also the most mundane my books and workshops on sci- entifically plausible context in which the (and for the same reason). it was Swiss entific paranormal investigation, mysterious phenomenon makes sense. artist ugo rondinone’s still.life (card- IN i discuss how best to conceptu- Often a mystery is created when the facts board leaning on the wall) (2009). the alize a mystery: basically, an are merely lacking a context, but a mys- piece, about four feet square, is a slightly event out of context. A live dolphin lying tery can also be created when the facts are banged-up piece of cardboard, with all on a Manhattan sidewalk is a mystery; put into the wrong context.1 thus, one of the familiar patterns and creases we’d that same dolphin in a tank at an aquar- the chief duties in examining “unex- expect to find on any ordinary piece of ium is not. ten thousand gallons of boil- plained” claims is under standing the (en- cardboard sitting next to a city dump- ing caramel inside a Boeing 747 airplane vironmental, social, cultural, psychologi- ster. it is, in fact, an incredibly detailed is a mystery; that same caramel in a cal, etc.) context of miracle reports, uFO bronze sculpture (see Figure 1). candy factory is not. every mystery or photographs, and so on. Which brings me back to the issue of strange event has some surrounding cir- i was reminded of this during a re- context. A photograph (indeed, even a cumstance or context that will render it cent visit to the Walker Art Center in close visual inspection) of the piece does non-mysterious. Minneapolis, Minnesota. One featured not betray its true nature. Without touch- the investigator’s job is to find a sci- exhibit, Lifelike, “invites close examina- ing or weighing it, we have no way of de-

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Figure 1. This seemingly ordinary piece of cardboard is actually a bronze sculpture.

ducing anything about it. the same is that the photo was taken at a famous art her friend who then suddenly calls, that context might make them think they share a psychic link, often true for photographs of Bigfoot, museum, that changes everything, pro- whereas the correct—and less mysterious—con- uFOs, ghosts, etc. this is where context viding both a reason to doubt its appar- text is that the incident was likely an illusion cre- informs the investigation: if i photo - ent nature and context for solving the ated by confirmation bias. 2. note that this is not a fallacy but instead a graphed still.life in an alleyway, there mystery. the information doesn’t com- completely reasonable and logical assumption; in would be no reason to think or assume it pletely explain it—after all, it could sim- fact, since the piece is unique in the world—there was anything other than what it seems ply be a piece of discarded cardboard are no other bronze sculptures that size that look 2 exactly like an ordinary creased cardboard to be. rondinone’s sculpture, seen or leaning against a wall in the receiving panel—one would be completely justified using photographed, does exactly what it is in - dock because it’s too big to fit in the Occam’s razor in assuming it is precisely what it tended to do: fool the viewer. (even trash. But it provides a clue, an important appears to be. when photographed against a gallery first step in solving mysteries. wall, the context doesn’t give the viewer Art means many things to many much of a clue to its true nature.) Benjamin radford is deputy editor of the SKEP- people—and it can even include lessons TICAL INQUIRER, a CSI research fellow, and author But what if there was an additional in skepticism from a piece of cardboard or coauthor of seven books, including Scientific piece of important information that gave that’s not really a piece of cardboard. n Paranormal Investigation: How to Solve Unex- the mystery (or, rather, apparent non- plained Mysteries. His favorite artists include mystery) context? if i showed someone Notes Ron Mueck, Rene Magritte, Henry Fuseli, James a photograph of still.life and mentioned 1. For example, if a woman is thinking about Tissot, Art Suydam, and Michael Parkes.

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XKCD: APerfectMarriageofSnarkandSkepticism

Randall Munroe is a twenty-seven-year-old former NASA roboticist, but he is better known to his many fans around the web as the creator of the wonderfully snarky and often overtly skeptical webcomic xkcd—named after Mon- roe’s old Internet handle and purposely meant to have no meaning or pro- nunciation as a word in and of itself. Munroe has subtitled xkcd “a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language,” and he often uses that sarcasm to skewer some of skepticism’s favorite targets, such as homeopathy, psychics, alternative medicine, pseudoskepticism, and the 2012 doomsday prophecy in his chosen medium of stick figures. XKCD has been lauded by prominent skeptics such as Phil Plait, who often posts links to skeptical xkcd comics on his blog, Bad Astronomy. If you aren’t already an xkcd fan, chances are you’ll become one fast after reading some of our favorites among the comic’s more skeptical entries. XKCD is updated every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at xkcd.com. n

“Silent Hammer”

“revolutionary”

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“Beliefs” “Dilution”

“the Economic Argument”

“Alternative Literature”

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Surly-Ramic’sAmyDavisRoth

Amy Davis Roth (a.k.a. Surly Amy) is a fourth-generation visual artist who re sides in the heart of Hollywood, Cali fornia. She runs a handmade art business called Surly-Ramics where she creates hand-formed and hand-painted ceramic jewelry. Her “Smart Jewelry” line is inspired by science and skepticism. She often uses her jewelry to raise money for charities and to raise awareness of skeptic, atheist, and feminist issues. Amy is a longtime contributor to the widely popular blog Skep chick where she writes, among other things, a skeptical advice column called “Ask Surly Amy.” She is managing editor for Skepchick’s sister site that deals with the intersec- tions among art, science, and skepticism called Mad Art Lab.com. In Amy’s words: I first began working in clay by helping doubt influenced my artwork today. my mother, Charlene. At the time, my As a young woman I opened an art mother had a small home business that gallery in North Hollywood, Cali fornia. made porcelain awards for horse shows. During the time I had the gallery I began I was very influenced by her work even making and selling small ceramic neck- though I probably didn’t know it early on. laces. Unfortu nately, I had no idea how Her highly detailed work has without a to run an art gallery and after a short

Duringthis educational periodinmy lifeIwasable tofind somethingthat myartworkhad beenlacking: apurpose andamessage.

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stint and an unfortunate series of events, I ended up literally bankrupt. I had no car and no place to live. I had failed. I got very depressed and I stopped making art. A year or so passed by. Then, I got a job as a waitress to try to start saving money to start my life over. I remembered how much I en joyed making the ceramic jewelry in my mother’s studio, so I started making necklaces and wearing them at work. I had moved into a tiny one-room apartment, and I didn’t have any space to create. The necklaces were small and I could make them in my mother’s backyard ceramic studio. It was perfect. It was during the same time period that I started learning about science, and a few months later I found out about the skeptical community. During this educational period in my life I was able to find something that my artwork had been lacking: a purpose and a message. People fell in love with the jewelry. I had people buy them right off my neck! I literally couldn’t make them fast enough. Surly-Ramics was born! Within a few months I had started a new business, one that championed skepticism and critical thinking, and I no longer needed to wait tables. I now work as an artist full time. I design jewelry that advocates education and science and that celebrates the brave, emerging society of freethinkers that I find myself a part of. It’s nice to be able to carry around a small piece of art that represents skepticism and the rational ideals that are helping to make this world a better place. I try to give back as much as I can to the community that has given me wisdom and so much inspiration, so I use my art to fundraise for many secular organizations and various grant programs. You can see more of my ceramic jewelry designs at surlyramics.com. Email me at [email protected]. Follow @SurlyAmy on twitter. n

All photographs by Amy Roth.

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SkepticTrumps:ASatiricalSkepticCardGame

tiM fArLEy

The skeptical community’s growth has led After this also proved very popular, “I Top Trumps is a popular series of card to many unanticipated creative projects, looked around for more iconic images that games for children in the United Kingdom particularly online. One such project is I could bastardize into my own agenda.” that began in the 1970s. Each deck has a Skeptic Top Trumps, a virtual deck of play- Jago found that amusing images theme, such as World Records, Aircraft, or ing cards featuring caricatures of popular consistently reached wide audiences. He Military Vehicles. Each card represents one skeptics. calls them “a useful weapon in the skep- person or item in the category and contains It is the creation of Crispian Jago, a com- tic’s arsenal.” Info-graphics and other vi- a list of numerical statistics on that subject. puter industry consultant in Read ing, Eng- sual parodies have become staples of Game play is akin to the card game War, land. Jago started a blog in 2008, on which his blog; one popular post is a catalog comparing one of the statistics chosen by he began writing his “serious thoughts” about of pseudosciences and mystical beliefs the player. The game ends when one player skepticism. “Unsurprisingly, nobody really called the Periodic Table of Irrational has collected all the cards. ever read my blog,” he recalls. When writer Nonsense. Another depicts the history of In response to that newspaper headline Simon Singh was sued for libel by the British science as a subway map. Martin wrote a set of humorous “God Chiropractic Association, Jago decided to re- Jago’s foray into card decks was in- Trumps” featuring the gods of various reli- spond with satire. He wrote a “bogus tran- spired by the previous efforts of others. gions with illustrations by Martin Rowson. script” of one of the court hearings mirroring In 2008 stand-up comedian Chris tina They were published in New Humanist the witch trial scene in the film Monty Python Martin saw a newspaper headline “Gay starting in the fall of 2008 and quickly be- and the Holy Grail. It quickly became one of Rights Don’t Trump Christian Rights.” She came the most-read article in the history the most popular posts on his blog. recounted her reaction in a later article: of the magazine’s website. As a result he thought that “perhaps “How stupid, I thought; as if people’s satirical skepticism might be an idea worth rights and beliefs can be reduced to a exploring.” Comments on a line in another game of Top Trumps.” Python-inspired post (“and your Dawkins smells of reason”) in spired Jago to create an image of packaging for a fictional fra- grance called Reason by Richard Dawkins.

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Jago noticed their success and soon cre- The 52 Simpsons cards were very Skeptic Trumps was re-launched in April ated his own card decks including Skeptic popular. Several skeptics adopted their 2010. The first card, fittingly enough, was Tarot Cards and Celebrity Quack Trumps—the cards as their online avatars. Jago received Simon Singh. The new deck was just as pop- latter featuring celebrities along with their fa- requests to produce the cards as a phys- ular as the previous one, with skeptics taking vorite pseudoscience. After it appeared, ical deck, but he was wary that Fox Broad- it as an honor to be depicted, “even though British skeptic David Allen Green suggested casting, protective of their trademarks, I insult them,” Jago notes. The popularity was a deck of skeptic trumps to Jago. would take a dim view of such an en- such that other skeptics went to consider- Although proficient with tools like Photo- deavor. Taking the cards further would re- able effort to create a card for Jago himself. shop, Jago is not an artist and didn’t want quire entirely new artwork. They secretly commissioned the artwork and to use ordinary photos for the cards. So he After Jago used the Pope in a parody surprised him with the card at The Amazing turned to automatic avatar creator tools, of The Cat in the Hat, he heard from Meeting in London in 2010. choosing one in the style of the animated TV artist Neil Davies, who offered his assis- The deck has been updated several program The Simpsons. The result was a set tance on future projects. Seeing Davies’s times, and currently numbers seventy-eight of cartoon characters he called Simpsons work online, Jago knew his caricatures skeptics. When asked about his choice of Top Trumps: Skeptic Edition. would be perfect for Skeptic Trumps. subjects, Jago admitted that there are still Consistent with the satirical nature of Davies agreed to do the artwork for free a few he would like to do if Davies has time: his blog, the cards include cutting remarks in exchange for promotion of his work. “We haven’t done Joe Nickell yet, which is and humor. “As I am in awe of many of the Since then, Davies’s art has been fea- totally outrageous.” All are available free on- subjects, I didn’t want the cards to be too tured on the cover of the U.K. magazine line, but they are still not available as phys- sycophantic,” he said, adding that “as The Skeptic. ical cards. n skeptics we too are not immune [to] critical analysis and ridicule.”

tim farley is creator of whatstheharm.net and a research fellow for the James Randi Educa tional Foundation.

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ntheKeyofType A conversation with MarianCall

Singer-songwriter Marian call lives in Anchorage, Alaska, but has a huge following around the world. Her complex harmonies and witty lyrics include references to science fiction shows like Firefly and Battlestar Galactica and to being a geek (even if it’s not always going to be chic). Her latest work is Something Fierce— a fan-funded double album. Volume I is called “Good Luck With That” and volume II is “From Alaska.” Art and skepticism do complement each other wonderfully in her work, but Call has slightly a different perspective: “In the end, I feel I’m firmly on the skeptic side, I believe. But I don’t see picking a side as my role as an artist. I see communication as my role.” kylie Sturgess interviewed Call about her music and where skepticism harmonizes with art.

ThefirstsongthatIeverheardfrom logue very well, are compelled to like it does. the albums are quite different youwasaliveperformance.Iwasat the same thing and be forced to talk and the way that you came to the Dragon*Conandsuddenlytherewas cordially to one another in real space. music is pretty common. A lot of peo- thispersoninthemiddleofthe i think that that is a vanishing ex- ple came to it that way. First they ParsecAwardsperformingona perience, now, where it’s much, much found Got to Fly, usually through some typewriter.Thesongwas“I’llStillBe easier to select our company so that we sort of geek or skeptic connection, or a aGeekAfterNoOneThinksIt’sChic,” only hang out with people who agree fandom connection. then found the a.k.a.“TheNerdAnthem.”Inoticed with us. other music, Vanilla and Songs of the youwerehangingoutwithPhilPlait, As far as my personal views, i Month, and then came to, hopefully, whomanyskepticalpeopleknow—so would definitely fall on the skeptic Something Fierce, the new one. obviously,geekcrediswelland side. But i try not to align myself with Got to Fly was a special piece, be- trulyestablished.Areyouaskeptic any groups, because that makes it eas- cause it was a commission to be about aswell? ier for me to reach people who object Firefly and Battlestar Galactica. A com- not enough of one, i think, to align to one another, you know what i pany that liked my geek-themed music myself too firmly? there are a couple mean? i see myself as a peacemaker in that i’d already published came to me of points on which i don’t feel that i this universe, and as a dialogue creator. and said, “What would happen if you fully belong, but i also tend not to if i were ever to try and do something were licensed to release singing about align myself to groups in general. i good for humanity, it would probably these things, and you wrote a whole would rather be very open to interpre- have to do with getting people who album for us?” i said, “Oh. Ok, well tation, and i’d rather keep my lines of don’t like each other to talk together in here goes!” communication open with all sorts of a cordial fashion and to understand Afterwards, a lot of people became people, including groups who can’t tol- one another. fans because of the fandom, little bits erate each other. and pieces. i’m hopeful that a lot of That’soneofthethingsIenjoy it’s kind of funny that i love phil them have stayed fans through the findingoutaboutskeptics,that dearly, and i love the skeptics’ organi- other music, which is less. ... it’s all there’satremendousscope,and zation. And i’ve played a lot of shows geeky, is the thing. it’s all nerdy stuff, thereneedstobeatremendous with and for skeptics, and i identify because i am a nerd and that shows scope:differentexperiences,and pretty strongly with them. But when it through no matter what’s happening, differentinteractions.That’swhat comes to being a card-carrying mem- and the language, and definitely a lot makesitsofascinating. ber? i also have a very large group of of music nerd stuff in there. Songs very conservative, say, young-earth Absolutely. it’s a continuum, rather about unexpected topics, i think, that Christians, who also come to my than an “in or out” situation. At least, geeks tend to prefer. Others are about, shows and pagans, and Buddhists, and i should hope! like “Dear Mr. Darcy,” a type of love people from all different sorts of reli- and a type of relationships that is very Howwouldyoudescribethe gious and political backgrounds. i ac- peculiar to overthinking, shy, nerdy differencesbetweenyouralbums? tually really like that, and i would like people, of which i am one. Someofthemhaveakindofatheme, to encourage more of it. i see my space andthenitsortofevolvesfromthere, as an artist, as creating a space where doesn’tit? these people who generally don’t dia-

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I’venoticedquiteafewliterary referencesthroughout:Shakespeare, Neruda,T.S.Eliot,OgdenNash—were youalwaysinterestedinliterature whenyouwerestartingasa musician?Hasthisbeenapassionof yoursaswellasthekindofnerdy technologicalsideandthescience fictionside? Oh, yes. i would say the literature comes long before. When i was a little kid, i always had a book under the desk. it was usually a classic. i had this love affair all through school with Dickens and Hugo, neruda. i read a lot of neruda translation; “the love Song of J. Alfred prufrock” by t.S. elliot is one of my favorite pieces of work ever, ever, ever. lots of Shake- speare. i remember getting into trouble in sixth grade—i was reading Shakespeare under the desk during our spelling tests. i remember feeling a vague sense of injustice about that! Marian Call photo by Brian Adams. www.baphotos.com photo by Marian Call Sohowmayinstrumentsdoyouplay? Iwaslookingatthelinernotesand noticingquiteafew.Iwaslike, Peoplewholookforyouonlineare forty-nine states with me now and up “Oh!Shedoesthisaswell.Wow.” mostlikelygoingtoseeyouposed and down the coast a couple of times. withatypewriter—what’sthatall All winter she sits in my car and she Oh, no. Absolutely none. about? gets frozen and unfrozen. i have to re- i play no instruments! Oh, absolutely. Well, i love the sound member to take her into the gigs long No? of it. i really love the sound and i enough before the show that she’ll un- freeze! i absolutely love that type- i play the typewriter, and the rain wanted the sound on my very first writer. ... nothing else sounds quite stick, and the kazoo in my show! But album. i love how evocative it is. You like it and i really, really enjoy just as for other things, i know how music instantly think of something and what having it embedded in there. works. i know music theory very well. you think of is literary and kind of if feels both symbolic and evocative. these days i’m probably a terrible nerdy, antique, old-fashioned, probably And i don’t know, it just feels right. it reader, but i used to be a very good feminine historically and analog. i just feels like me. sight-reader. But i am not a very good love that suggestion that the typewriter brings to it and i wanted it in reader anymore and i don’t really play Marian Call is currently touring Cali- the music from the very beginning. i any instruments, at all. So i will cover fornia and hopes to hit europe next. never thought of playing it live in my up for a missing instrument. like if Her website can be found at Marian- show until after i had done a lot of there’s something that’s got this Call.com. n gigantic hole and i feel like it needs shows and people started asking, Kylie sturgess is the host of Token Skeptic, a to be filled, sometimes i’ll lay down a “Where’s the typewriter?” podcast that garners around 15,000 listeners synth patch, or some keyboards, or i said, “Oh, i guess. Why would i play a typewriter at my show? Who per month (and growing) and is syndicated to some bass. i’m capable of playing some radio stations in the United States. She regu- does that?” And of course, that was ex- of these instruments, but that doesn’t larly writes for numerous publications world- mean that i’m by any means qualified actly why i should play a typewriter in wide and authors CSI’s “Curiouser and Curi- or should be allowed to. i did a lot my show! ouser” online column. An award-winning of the percussion myself. that was So i started playing it. And actually, philosophy and special needs teacher, Kylie is all right. i bought one that i’ve become dearly a member of the James Randi Educational attached to because she’s been to Foundation Education Advisory Panel.

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SkewedSkepticism:BizarroPiraro A conversation with DanPiraro

Award-winning cartoonist, fine artist, and stand-up comedian Dan Piraro is best known for his daily syndicated newspaper cartoon Bizarro. Appearing in over three hundred newspapers on six continents, Bizarro has won an unprecedented three consecutive “Best Cartoon Panel” awards from the National Cartoonists Society, and in 2011 Piraro won its highest honor, “Cartoonist of the Year.” Over his twenty-seven-year career, Piraro has published sixteen books of his cartoons as well as three books of prose. Piraro has appeared on NPR, CNN, and HBO and is currently negotiating a half-hour, animated comedy show for television. The Onion referred to him as “one of the best cartoonists that has ever played the game.” Piraro’s cartoons have appeared on the SkEPTICAL INquIRER’s “Last Laugh” humor page for several years, and an issue about where skepticism meets art wouldn’t be complete without him. Piraro was kind enough to answer a few questions from SI Deputy Editor Benjamin radford.

Yousometimeshave Assomeonewitharefined “mysterious”or“paranor- senseoftheabsurd,do mal”subjectslikeBigfoot, yousimplyfindthetopics UFOs,Egypt’spyramids, arejustirresistiblyripe andpsychicsasthemesin forlampooning? yourcartoons—oftenwith that too. i know that be- acleverangledeflating lief in “the unseen” is an themysteryorpreten- evolutionary quirk and not sion.Areyouaskepticat directly tied to intelligence, heart,questioningevery- but i can’t help but feel thing? that the sorts of wacky Yes, always have been. i stuff people believe in are loathe superstition and am just ridiculous. So i lam- horrified by the amount of poon them. God included. suffering and death that has been caused through- Hypocrisyisacommon out history because of themeinyourwork,which mythology. though we like useshumortohighlight to think those days are thedisparitybetween gone, it still goes on daily. whatpeoplesayandwhat the fact that same-sex theydo(orbetweenobvi- marriage is not uniformly ousrealityandwhatpeo- legal throughout the world plethink).Whyisthat is a perfect example of su- sucharichveinforyou? perstition over reason.

“Ithinkthereisnobetterwaytogetpeopletothinkaboutissues likecriticalthinkingandreasonthanhumor.”

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i’m not sure, really. i’ve al- i think there is no better ways been an observer, both way to get people to think visually and behaviorally, so i about issues like critical see a lot of hypocrisy every- thinking and reason than where, of course. Combine humor. traditionally, a good that with my affinity for cartoon can have more polit- using logic and reason to ical impact than a thirty- make sense of things, [and] minute stump speech. i these kinds of things just think that is often true in pop out. areas other than politics, too. there is no better way to Anothersourceofyour disarm and diffuse than with humorhasbeenpuns— humor. When you start sometimestrulyawful making fun of a principle, ones.Arethereanyespe- person, or behavioral trait, it ciallyatrociouspunsthat immediately makes it less haveearnedyouthreatsof powerful. i used to disarm bodilyharm,oronesyoure- bullies in this way in school. gretandwouldliketopub- i was not big enough to beat liclyapologizefor? them physically, but i real- i’ve always been a fan of ized if i could get other kids puns, but for years i tried to laugh at them, they were not to use them in cartoons no longer intimidated by because i thought they were them. too easy. But over the years i’ve learned that readers re- Oneofthemanysmallhid- ally love puns, too. even the den(andnot-so-hidden) groaners. So i started using iconsyousometimesusein the puns submitted to me by yourcartoons(alongwitha readers in a feature called sliceofpieandalitfire- “Sunday punnies,” and it’s cracker)isalittlealienina been extremely popular. My UFO,a“FlyingSaucerof guideline regarding puns is Possibility.”Also,according this: if it makes me smile, i tosomethingIeithermade use it. i don’t care if anyone upor readontheInternet, thinks it is “bad”; i just do it. itrepresentsaUFOyousaw no threats yet, fingers asayoungchildfromthe crossed.... porchofyourfilthymobile homeatthebottomofa Obviouslythemaingoalof strip-miningpitindown- yourworkisentertaining townTokyo.Trueorfalse? people,butmanyofyour if philosophy teaches us cartoonsindirectlyencour- anything (and it doesn’t) it’s agecriticalthinkingbyof- that all things are both true feringaskepticalperspec- and false. if i say i lived in a tive. Whatdoyouthink filthy mobile home at the abouttheroleofartand bottom of a strip-mining pit satiricalhumorasvehicles in downtown tokyo, i prob- forexposingtruthand ably did. n hypocrisy?

Benjamin radford is deputy editor of the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER.

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[BOOK REVIEWS

Are Conservatives and Liberals Different People?

RONALD A. LINDSAY

hris Mooney’s The Republican Brain is an important and pro - vocative book. it advances a thesis The Republican Brain: The Science of Why They Deny c Science—and Reality. that, if true, has significant implications for psychology, politics, and public pol- By Chris Mooney. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., icy. essentially, Mooney claims that lib- Hoboken, New Jersey, 2012. erals and conservatives have contrasting ISBN: 978-1-118-09451-8. 327 pp. Hardcover, $25.95. psychologies that dramatically influence how they perceive the world. to quote Mooney, liberals and conservatives “are different people” (62). Specifically, liberals tend to exhibit a trait many psychologists refer to as citizen. Mooney suggests that for many pelling evidence that conservatives en- “Openness to experience” significantly people producing hard evidence, such gage in motivated reasoning more often more often than conservatives. in turn, as Obama’s birth certificate, in an effort than liberals. this trait allegedly explains why liberals to resolve a controversy is pointless. in- So what is the evidence that conser- are more likely to change their beliefs deed, for die-hard birthers this has vatives are more closed-minded and based on factual evidence. Conserva tives, proven to be the case. (As i write this that this deep-seated personality trait on the other hand, have a need for cog- review, Donald trump has once again results in a tendency to deny science nitive closure. Once their minds are voiced doubts about Obama’s citizen- and well-established facts? made up, they may refuse to consider ship.) new evidence that undercuts their be- But is Mooney’s explanation for the theevidence liefs. this psychological tendency of phenomenon of people denying reality in interviews and in blog posts since conservatives means they are more likely and clinging to cherished beliefs the the publication of his book, Mooney to reject science or facts that contradict correct one? Anyone with sufficient life has asserted that there is a “mountain” their prejudices. Hence the “republican experience has encountered individuals of evidence that supports his thesis. it Brain”—a brain predisposed to believe who adamantly reject certain facts be- is true that he has assembled an im - more false things than is a liberal brain. cause they do not fit in with strongly pressive body of scholarship, from well- (Mooney equates conservatives in the held convictions. (Have you ever tried respected psychologists and political united States with republicans—argu- to reason with someone in love?) in scientists, such as John Jost, robert ably an acceptable generalization in other words, many people at one time Alte meyer, and Alan Gerber; moreover, today’s political climate.) or another allow emotions and com- Mooney, for the most part, accurately Mooney argues that the existence of mitments to guide their reasoning. represents the results of these studies. these contrasting personality types ex- they will rationalize away any facts in- However, are the studies themselves re- plains various phenomena, such as lib- consistent with their convictions, a phe- liable? erals’ willingness to rely on fact-rich ar- nomenon often referred to as “moti- Mooney’s book is so thoroughly re- guments to refute conservatives—and vated reasoning.” Someone skeptical of searched it would take a month to look the frustration liberals experience when Mooney’s thesis might argue that mo- at all the articles and books he cites, but conservatives cling to beliefs that have tivated reasoning is sufficient to explain a quick review of a couple of key studies been indisputably refuted time and the denial of hard facts and rejection of indicates the studies may be flawed in again, such as the belief in creationism science that sometimes occurs, and, certain important respects. or the belief that Obama is not a u.S. most importantly, that there is no com- in using Jost’s work to support his

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[NEW AND NOTABLE Listing does not preclude future review.

thePseUdoscienceWars:immanuelVelikovskyandtheBirth ofthemodernfringe. Michael D. Gordon. A professor of history at thesis, Mooney relies principally on Jost’s Princeton University provides a penetrating and fascinating ex- groundbreaking 2003 meta-analysis of amination of what he calls the “pseudoscience wars”—a series of studies on conservatism and its psycho- contentious debates from 1950 to the late 1970s about what logical correlates (“political Conservatism counted as real science—with specific intense focus on one epic as Motivated Social Cognition”). As a controversy and polarizing author, Immanuel Velikovsky, and his best-selling book Worlds in Collision. Gordon explores how the book meta-analysis, Jost’s analysis is a study of gained such a prominent position in the public imagination, why other studies that tried to determine if Velikovsky was the target of so much ire from the scientific com- there was a correlation between “conser- munity, and what the story tells us about science in American cul- vatism” and certain psychological traits. if ture at the height of the Cold War. University of Chicago Press, the underlying studies were flawed, then 2012, 312 pp., $29. the Jost meta-analysis will be flawed. And some of the underlying studies rorschachaUdio:art&illusionforsound.Joe Banks. The most ambitious of a series of publications that began as an attempt to were flawed. Obviously, if one is going to analyze claims made by self-styled electronic voice phenomena investigate links between conservatism (EVP) researchers about the allegedly supernatural origin of cer- and certain traits, one must first distin- tain voice recordings. The project’s central metaphor draws an guish conservatives from liberals. it turns analogy between interpretation of ambiguous voice recordings out that many of the studies Jost summa- and illusory interpretations of the famous Rorschach ink-blot rizes relied on something known as the tests. This book deals with psychoacoustics and technology; the social history of EVP; the relationships among illusions, mishear- Wilson-patterson Scale. in 1968, Glenn ing, and creativity; and relationships between auditory and visual Wilson and John pat terson developed a illusions. Strange Attractor Press, London, 2012, 191 pp., UK £10. scale for measuring “conservatism” by using a list of characteristics that they triBaLscience:Brains,Beliefs,andBadideas. Mike McRae. An claimed should be expected in the ex- Australian science writer’s book about ideas and how they develop treme conservative. these included “in- collectively, and also about how science operates as a social phe- tolerance of minority groups,” “insistence nomenon. Chapters deal with such questions as: Why do we see faces in clouds? Where did science come from? Why are we so un- on strict rules and punishments,” and “su- reasonable? What is this thing called “evidence”? Why do we hold perstitious resistance to science.” it doesn’t onto bad ideas? And who is in control of what we know? take a phD to recognize that if a conser- Prometheus Books, Amherst, New York, 2012, 250 pp., $17. vative by definition is someone who is in- * * * tolerant, insistent on punishment, and re- sistant to science, conservatism will theBigBookofreincarnation:examiningtheevidencethat WehaveallLivedBefore. Roy Stemman. Touted as “thorough, well correlate with authoritarianism and resist- re searched, and comprehensive,” this is a credulous, uneven ance to science. overview of reincarnation; tellingly, the author devotes an entire in response to some critics (including chapter to “Celebrity Believers” (appeal to misleading authority me), Mooney has pointed out that an- fallacy, anyone?), and two of the shortest chapters are “Alterna- other study on which he relies—the 2010 tive Explana tions” and “Satisfying the Skeptics” (in which he study by Yale scholar Alan Gerber—used writes, “I do not intend examining the skeptics’ argument in any self-identification and responses to ques- depth...”). Heirophant Publishing, 2012, 302 pp., $18.95. tions on social and economic issues as a thePyramidsandthePentagon:thegovernment’stopsecret means of differentiating between conser- Pursuitofmysticalrelics,ancientastronauts,andLostciviliza- vatives and liberals. Although not an in- tions. Nick Redfern. Covering superficial discussions on a wide fallible methodology, this is admittedly an range of topics, from crop circles and the Face on Mars to Nazis improvement over the Wilson-patter son and UFOs, Redfern—in true Fortean fashion—seems generally un- Scale. Moreover, the Gerber study found concerned with distinguishing plausible from implausible as long as it makes a good story. The book offers little in the way of orig- there was a correlation between the trait inal research, instead often relying on the tried-and-often-untrue of openness and liberal political positions method of rehashing others’ work without a whit of skepticism. and between the trait of conscientiousness For example, Redfern asserts that the U.S. military is involved in and conservative political positions, for a long-term, covert mission in Saudi Arabia to capture genies; his both social and economic issues—but source, predictably, is another author who heard it from an anony- only for some Americans. interestingly, the mous official. Yep. New Page Books, 2012, 288 pp., $15.99. Gerber study indicates that the relation- —Kendrick Frazier and Benjamin Radford ship between personality traits and ideo-

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logical preferences is markedly different politicians were factually incorrect in no particular grievance against evolu- for whites than it is for African Amer- their statements far more often than tion embraced various myths dear to icans. For African Americans, the rela- Democratic politicians. dogmatic religionists. Since then, i tionship between key traits and prefer- One problem, as Mooney acknowl- think it’s fair to say that more republi- ences is either statistically in significant edges, is that statements by republican cans are anti-science than Democrats. or much attenuated. Ac cord ing to politicians were examined more often (Admittedly, this is something of a Mooney, conservatives and liberals are than statements by Demo cratic politi- hunch, as i don’t have the hard numbers “different people,” but how can that cians in both surveys. Still, Mooney be- to support this.) But we don’t need a claim be accepted if this sharp division lieves the gap between false statements psychological theory about personality is not valid across racial lines? by republicans and Demo crats was wide types to explain this; we don’t need to enough to be statistically significant. claim liberals and conservatives “are dif- But here is the key problem: these ferent people.” We just need to under- studies do not measure what Mooney stand politics. Henry iV, formerly a needs to measure. they do not measure champion of the protestant cause, fa- the inaccuracy of what conservatives or mously remarked “paris is worth a Color me a cynic, but liberals believe—rather they measure mass,” by way of explaining his conver- sometimes politicians don’t the inaccuracy of what republican or sion to Catholi cism that allowed him believe everything they say. Democratic politicians say. to assume the French throne in 1593. Color me a cynic, but sometimes likewise, i think many republican They will spin, dissemble, politicians don’t believe everything they politicians think the White House is or equivocate to score some say. they will spin, dissemble, or equiv- worth throwing a bone to the anti-evo- ocate to score some rhetorical point. in rhetorical point. lution crowd and anti-choice crowd— fact, here’s the irony: if politicians ac- it doesn’t make any personal difference cept Mooney’s thesis, they will dissem- to them. ble even more. Mooney argues that Dogmatism blinds people to reality. facts don’t persuade, so why should politicians be factual any more than is Dogmatists will dismiss inconvenient necessary to maintain credibility? facts that threaten their deeply held be- measuringLiberalvs. liefs. this is true for fascists and com- conservativeerrors exactlyWhatdoesmooney’s munists; it’s true for extreme liberals and liberals also reject science sometimes, theoryexplain? extreme conservatives; and it is true for as well as established facts. What’s the One mark of a sound scientific theory is the devoutly religious—a group that un- response to this objection to Mooney’s that it explains phenomena better than fortunately is currently holding the re- thesis? Mooney admits that this hap- rival theories. i’m not sure Mooney’s the- publican party in thrall. i am not sure an pens, but according to him, it happens ory does much work or helps us under- additional explanation is necessary. it’s less often. stand why people sometimes reject sci- the Dogmatic Brain we need to worry How do we know? Can we know? ence or established facts, and why the about, not the liberal, conservative, Dem- this is a critical point, as Mooney rec- denial of reality may happen so fre- ocratic, or repub lican Brain. ognizes, because his theory would be quently among today’s re pub licans. wholly speculative absent evidence that Mooney himself recognizes that re- conclusion conservatives get it wrong significantly publicans have not always been so anti- The Republican Brain is a meaty and re- more often. the problem is: “there is science. indeed, this is a relatively recent warding book. there is much more to it no precise way to quantify how wrong phenomenon. eisenhower and other than i can summarize even in this the right is today. there’s no standard “moderate” republicans of his time lengthy review. the fact that i have not measurement, no meter or angstrom or were very much pro-science. (yet) been persuaded to accept its central hectopascal for error or delusion” (172). the big change in the republican thesis does not imply it should not be Mooney tries various measuring party came when it allied itself with the taken seriously. to the contrary, i have sticks, but at the end of the day, i do not religious right—a marriage consum- spent some time questioning and prob- believe they are very reliable. For exam- mated by reagan—in an effort to build ing some of its arguments precisely be- ple, he references two “fact-checking” a successful political coalition between cause it merits serious consideration. n services, politifact and the “Fact- fiscal conservatives and social conserva- Checker” column in the Wash ing ton tives. the party that had once been sup- ronald a. lindsay is the president and CEO of the Post. Based on his review, republican portive of planned parent hood and had Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.

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The Puzzle of the Implausible RONALD L. NUMBERS

ome of the most insightful skeptics have come from the ranks of reli- Power and Illusion: Religion and Human Need. sgious fundamentalism. the late By David W. Wilbur. Lulu.com, Raleigh, North Carolina, Martin Gardner, for example, spent his 2010. ISBN: 0557669502. 216 pp. Softcover, $18.50. youth as a Seventh-day Adventist, expecting the imminent end of the world and embracing the flood geology of George McCready price. Michael Sher- mer left born-again Christianity to become one of today’s most influential skeptics. Both benefited immensely from their firsthand acquaintance with the mindset of devout believers. the author of this privately published As a former believer, Wilbur fully ap- book, David W. Wilbur, spent his form- preciates the role of religion as a servant ative years and much of his adult life im- of human needs that “can be plausibly mersed in Seventh-day Adventism, a re- explained—both in its origins and its ligion whose adherents worship on the spread and wide acceptance—by its im- Seventh-day Sabbath, follow the vision- Wilbur’s careful evaluation mense power in creating and organizing based “testimonies” of ellen G. White our civilizations” (9). religion, in short, in theological and scientific matters, of religion in Power and was “created by humans to serve human and advocate young-earth creationism Illusion should appeal needs” (12). the primary justifications (which can be traced directly back to especially to readers who for religious belief, he argues, are al- White’s visions). After graduating from themselves are already legedly supernatural historical docu- an Adventist college, Wilbur earned a ments (e.g., for many Christians and doctorate in biophysics from the uni - beginning to question the Muslims) and personal experiences (e.g., versity of Cali fornia, Berkeley, and later truth-claims of religion. for pentecostals). Many believers are an MD from the Adventist loma linda drawn by assurances of life after death. university School of Medicine. He sub- unfortunately, religions have proven to sequently specialized in clinical oncology be especially prone to “corruption and and spent his career on the loma linda abuse” (53). faculty. in the Adventist scientific firma- Given his decades of practicing on- ment, he was for decades one of the cology in the only fundamentalist Chris- brightest stars. now in his early seventies pathic—book, he describes his growing tian medical school in the country, he lives by the maxim, “the best source conviction that religion is all about Wilbur is most authoritative in dis- of happiness is to make another being power, illusion, and human need. Al - cussing the connection between religion happy” (197). though he cites an impressive range of and health, especially as revealed in the While teaching at loma linda scholarship, his views do not reflect a much celebrated (if methodologically uni versity, an ostensibly fundamentalist particular authority—not even Sig mund flawed) studies of the relationship be- institution, Wilbur gradually lost his Freud, who likewise came to view reli- tween intercessory prayer and healing faith not only in Adventism but in all gion as an illusion. Wilbur’s careful eval- (Chapter 9). Confounding such studies varieties of theism. He continued, how- uation of religion in Power and Illusion is the fact, as he reports, that “many in- ever, to puzzle over the immense appeal should appeal especially to readers who fectious diseases that can be fatal are self- of implausible religious claims. in this themselves are already beginning to limiting in some patients, and recovery thoughtful—one might even say em - question the truth-claims of religion. starts in days to weeks” (112). At times

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his accounts become deeply personal, as in contrast to the “illusions” of reli- ation-evolution controversies, regard as when he relates his experiences with his gion, science, writes Wilbur, “is the most an overly optimistic assessment, Wilbur own dying cancer patients. He notes that successful endeavor our species has ever claims that because of the stunning suc- researchers going back to Francis Galton undertaken” (129). However, in trading cess of science, “in the long run, religion have failed to detect a positive effect of religion for science, one must abandon must live with science if it wants to intercessory prayer on life expectancy or certainty, “the one great enemy of the thrive”; it will have to abandon such be- infant mortality. Wil bur’s sound judg- open and pluralistic society” that so liefs as an immaterial soul and a young ment is reflected in his use of James many of us desire. “probably the only earth (180). i can only hope that he’s randi’s exposés of fraudulent healers and safe certainty we can maintain,” con- correct. n his recommendation of the Committee cludes Wilbur, “is a certainty that our for Skeptical inquiry and the SkeptiCAl best understandings are conditional and ronald l. numbers is the Hilldale Professor of the inquirer as reliable sources for critiques always seeking improvement” (192). in History of Science and Medicine, University of Wis- of reported divine healings (113). what i, a longtime student of the cre- consin–Madison, and author of The Creationists.

Enumerating the Problems with Young-Earth Creationism

PETER LAMAL

alter Fitch’s purpose in his new book, The Three Failures of Crea - Wtionism, is to lay out the reasons The Three Failures of Creationism: evolutionists differ from Creationists and Logic, Rhetoric, and Science. why the former are right and the latter are By Walter M. Fitch. University of California Press, wrong. He is concerned with Cre ationists Berkeley, 2012. ISBN: 987-0-520-27053-4. 194 pp. who interpret Genesis literally rather Softcover, $24.95. than metaphorically. the former are known as Young-earth, or Strict, Cre - ationists. Strict Creationists really believe that God created the universe and its or- ganisms about 6,000 years ago over six twenty-four-hour days. the controversy between Strict Cre- ationists and evolutionists is due at least word’s scientific meaning of a well-sup- scribes seven ways of knowing and points in part to failures in logic by the Strict ported explanation, as in the theory of out that they are not all equally depend- Creationists. Fitch defines and gives ex- evolution. able. they range from experience and ob- amples of failures in syllogisms, deduction Strict Creationists also make much servation to divine revelation and faith. in versus induction, and analogical reason- use of rhetorical devices, including using addition, he describes what he calls four ing. He also lists and gives examples of specific phrases and repetition for their areas of knowledge: theology, ethics, aes- eleven logical fallacies—including beg- effect. if one knowingly uses logical fal- thetics, and logic/epistemology. these ging the question and the equivocation lacies as a means of persuasion, that is a areas are said to be mutually exclusive. fallacy—and shows how the equivocation rhetorical device. exam ples of commonly thus science, which is confined to the fallacy is the basis of the Strict Creationist used rhetorical devices are ad hominem at- logical/epistemological investigation of belief that evolution is not a fact: Strict tacks, use of loaded words, and repetition the material world, cannot answer ques- Creationists make the mistake of equat- of falsehoods. tions of morality, beauty, or theology. ing the everyday meaning of the word Fitch goes on to discuss categories of the goal of a chapter devoted to rele- “theory”—that is, a guess—with the knowing and believing. He lists and de- vant math and statistics is to give the

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reader an understanding of the general Young-earth (Strict) Creationists fossil record: many related fossils are mathematical processes used to show hold some beliefs that are not shared by without transitional forms. whether a hypothesis is supported by the many Creationists today. One is that the Although Fitch is concerned with data. Hypotheses are not “proved,” but the Bible cannot be wrong because it is the Strict Creationists, it seems odd that he more tests any hypothesis passes the more word of God and thus must be read lit- explicitly gives other Creationists, Chris - confidence we can have in it; a funda- erally. But there are obvious problems tians or not, a free pass. (it would be in- mental tenet of science holds that a with taking Genesis literally. One is that teresting to know what percentage of hypothesis or theory that cannot be em- the creation story in Genesis is actually Christians are Strict Creationist and if pirically tested is unscientific. thus the two stories, each stemming from earlier that percentage has changed significantly un bridgeable gap be tween science and sources that differ in many details and Creationists—the assertion that God therefore cannot both be literally true. in, say, the last fifty years.) i hope his book created the universe is not empirically Young-earth Creationists also main- will inspire its readers to delve further testable. tain that species are immutable; genetic into many of the topics it outlines. Fitch further contrasts science to cre- mutation and speciation cannot be valid William M. Fitch (1929–2011) was ationism by posing six relevant questions because according to Genesis, God cre- professor of ecology and evolutionary bi- generated by observations of the fossil ated all living things in one week. Some ology at the university of California, record, following this with ten require- believe that many small changes in a irvine. He was a member of the national ments for a scientific explanation of those species cannot lead to evolutionary Academy of Sciences. n observations. One of the requirements is change. Other issues Young-earth Cre- for a material mechanism that accounts ationists take with evolution include that Peter lamalis emeritus professor of psychology at for how mutations occur. Another is that there is too little time for it to occur be- the University of North Carolina–Charlotte. He is a fel- the explanation must be in natural terms cause the earth is only 6,000 years old, low of the Division of Behavior Analysis of the Amer- because supernatural mechanisms are not that the net effect of all mutations is ican Psychological Association and a member of the allowed in science. harmful, and that there are gaps in the Association for Behavior Analysis International.

[ SCIENCE WATCH KENNETH W. KRAUSE continued from page 25

cadre of parents in South philadelphia to join with government to first judge the 2. neither “inalienable” nor “unalienable” rights are listed in the Constitution, of course. But three who recently blocked children from en- masses incompetent and then restrict of the latter—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happi- tering nearby convenience stores for their personal choices. ness—are enshrined in the Declar ation of inde- snacks, lustig et al. inquired, “Why i grow particularly nervous when even pendence. katz and others might wish to reexamine couldn’t a public-health directive do the the most distinguished researchers tran- their historical and philosophical significance. same?” scend their callings to campaign for prod- References: in late May of this year, new York City uct taxes and bans or, most egregiously, to Agrawal, r., and Gomez-pinilla, F. 2012. ‘Meta - Mayor Michael Bloomberg an nounced vaguely advocate for the regulation of bolic syndrome’ in the brain: Deficiency in the first plan in u.S. history to outlaw the “unhealthy aspects of diet and lifestyle.” omega-3 fatty acid exacerbates dysfunctions in sale of large sugary drinks—anything over Science’s time-tested authority springs vi- insulin receptor signaling and cognition. The Journal of Physiology 590(10): 2485–99. sixteen fluid ounces—in all restaurants, brantly from its practitioners’ exacting Ali, S.A. 2012. Sugar: Other ‘toxic’ factors play a movie theaters, sports arenas, and even and impartial roles as explorers, skeptics, part. Nature 482: 471. from street carts. if approved by the and even teachers. But never has it Boswell, r. 2012. Sugar: there’s more to the obesity crises. Nature 482: 470. Bloom berg-appointed Board of Health, spawned from the deluded cravings of Cottrell, r.C. 2012. Sugar: An excess of anything the ban could take effect next March. some to act as our parents or priests. n can harm. Nature 483: 158. Sugar can be bad; most of us get that. Henry, C.J. 2012 Sugar: A problem of developed Notes countries. Nature 482: 471. But even the most impassioned personal katz, D. 2011. Sugar isn’t evil: A rebuttal. Online at grudge against potentially harmful food 1. the authors dispute the common assertion www.huffingtonpost.com/david-katz-md/ that these diseases are caused by obesity. rather, sugar-health-evil-toxic_b_850032.html. is just that—personal. Science, like gov- they argue, obesity is merely “a marker for metabolic ———. 2012. Sugar on a slippery slope. Online at ernment, is valued be yond calculation in- dysfunction, which is even more prevalent.” in sup- www.huffingtonpost.com/david-katz-md/ sofar as it expands personal choice. But port, they cite statistics showing that 20 percent of sugar-regulation_b_1255695.html. obese people have normal metabolism and that 40 lustig, r.H., l.A. Schmidt, and C.D. Brindis. the ap propriate boundaries of science are percent of normal-weight people develop metabolic 2012. public health: the toxic truth about sugar. almost always exceeded when it at tempts syndrome. Nature 482: 27–29.

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[INBOX

evaluate many people for whom the book contends that the question wasn’t even consid- ptSD is not a brain malfunc- ered in prior evaluations. tion but a mind malfunction— We all know that in good the behavior of a healthy brain scientific inquiry the identifica- taught lessons of omnipresent tion of a significant event does danger and betrayal. this would not tell us anything about the make it very different from cause of that event. A differen- schizophrenia or depression, tial diagnosis or Bayesian analy- which seem to originate from sis is the proper next step. i malfunctions of brain systems. hope to see more published on richard Stallman this topic. (i practice forensic Cambridge, Mass psychiatry and have performed 400 evaluations of soldiers and Peter Barglow, MD, replies: veterans in the past twelve months.) Wayne Blackmon’s criticism of the current APA’s classification system Wayne Blackmon, MD, JD for psychiatric illness as over-in- professorial lecturer clusive and under-rigorous is fully law and psychiatry justified. Proposed DSM-V crite- Scientific evidence ria for mental illness may be better George Washington uni- than DSM-IV but as of this date versity law School appear worse. Veteran David Washington, DC Menard is concerned that some soldiers may exploit the PTSD diagnosis by faking symptoms of this the article by Dr. Barglow on supposed disease. While some ma- ptSD was very interesting, as i nipulation does lead to misuse of have met too many phonies compensation money, I doubt that claiming that they have this the practice is widespread. Such “disorder.” i suggest that he and cheating should not divert atten- your readers read the book tion from the permanent suffering The Roswellian morbid” conditions without any Stolen Valor by B. Burkett and and massive emotional disability Syndrome unifying understanding of in - G. Whitley, Chapters 10, 11, caused by war. Financial compen- dividual persons. As a result, the and 12. the VA knows of book- sation needs to be targeted to assist the cover on the May/June author fails to address the simple lets explaining how to fake victims using a more precise diag- issue is the prettiest you’ve had reality that diagnosis itself is ptSD symptoms and get away nosis and broader social-cultural in a long time and the most quite sloppy in practice. Many with it, leading to tax-free pen- constructs. mysteriously intriguing. thank of the veterans whose ptSD is sions and other benefits, and it I accept Stallman’s assertion you. not stable over time more likely does not care! it is so easy to be that PTSD phenomena indicate should have been diagnosed generous with other people’s Alice Anderson their dependence on a mind with adjustment disorders or money, but the u.S. government las Cruces, new Mexico disturbance rather than a brain clinical depression and would is very good at doing that and disease, and that the prolonged have been if the diagnosis were has for far too long now. condition serves a survival func- properly rigorous. the author i am a Vietnam vet but was PTSD: A Flawed tion. Yes, I also think it appropri- also fails to discuss the very not in the jungle with soldiers Diagnosis ate to describe the Achilles of clear difference between brain or marines so cannot comment Homer’s iliad as having “gone injury and ptSD, which is usu- on the hells they went through. peter Barglow’s article (“We ally quite clear even if the two berserk” when he murdered Hector Can’t treat ptSD without a conditions might coexist. David Menard to avenge the death of his friend Better Diagnosis,” Si, May/June the author does highlight, Dayton, Ohio Patroklos. But the hero’s amok be- 2012) is an excellent review of but not sufficiently, a true prob- havior I consider unrelated to any some controversies surrounding lem in psychiatry, namely the contemporary conception of PTSD post traumatic stress disorder lack of rigor in controlling for peter Barglow’s article on ptSD even though Jonathan Shay in (ptSD), and it was good to see bias. practitioners all too easily cites euripides’s Herakles as an 1994 speculated that this disorder it published. However, it is in- use terms and diagnoses in the ancient description of ptSD. (possibly with biologic abnormal- complete and too proselytizing. most casual of ways. As a relevant According to Achilles in Vietnam ities) might have followed as a there is no question that the en- example: how much “dissocia- by Jonathan Shay, that wasn’t the later consequence of such a state of tire DSM diagnostic scheme, as tion,” a functional fracturing of first; The Iliad sings of the ptSD mind during the Vietnam war. A currently constituted, en courages the personality and grip on iden- of Achilles. (put far too simplis- smart skeptic (Robert Spil lane in over-diagnosis of many condi- tity, is really delirium, a physical tically, his commander cheated 2006) put it this way: In Homer’s tions and their severity. it also disruption of the brain’s ability to him, his buddy was killed, and he characters “there are no hidden encourages the diagnosis of “co- function? in my own practice i went berserk.) depths, no un conscious motives, no

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personality traits, no hierarchy of of the separation of church and As a Member of the Humanist when there is a level playing psychological needs.” At that an- state. Society Scotland and therefore field for those with and without cient time of history the mind was if science is successful in dis- no friend of organized religion, faith, but each should have the located anatomically not in the crediting religious views among i still winced at many of the in- right to believe (or not) as they brain, but associated with human the masses, resulting in a more accuracies in Shneour’s article see fit. Church and state should bowels and lungs. Later, during secular society, then what does and the gratuitous nature of be truly separated, and religion the fifth century BCE Greek the- Dr. Shneour offer as a replace- stated presuppositions. should have no part to play in ater, the berserk murders by the ment for the vacuum it has cre- the most obvious deficiency politics or education (other than Herakles of Euripides and the ated—science?. . . Shneour notes is the “either/or” presentation in where the study of religion as a Ajax of Sophocles were considered that the “attempt to reconcile re- the article, as if somehow a subject is required). to be continuous with a self-religion with science and/or tech- choice must be made between Jack Gold flecting consciousness typical of our nology [is] a virtually unattain- science and belief. Shneour an- east of Scotland education modern era. I do agree with Stall- able goal” (p. 52). But then why alyzes history, focusing through representative man that all these mythic figures’ should such reconciliation be the a “scientific” lens and in so doing Humanist Society Scotland symptoms and mental states seem goal? Why not assert clearly, “a constructs a false dichotomy. quite different from those of an or- separation between church and Shneour’s central claim that ganic brain disease such as schizo- science”? religion has made no lasting Shneour spends most of his phrenia. impact in human ethics is in- William F. Vitulli, phD time creating straw targets (the correct, and it is wrong to imply professor emeritus of fallacy of many a religious skep- that modern science can in psychology tic). Does Shneour honestly Science Meets Religion some way perform such a role. university of South suppose that any person whose to begin with, a distinction Alabama theological education is more elie Shneour’s article “the On- must be made between individ- Mobile, Alabama advanced than grade school going Decline of religion” (Si, ual religious belief and the would argue that a snake once May/June 2012) is a good sci- worst excesses of organized re- spoke? As far as the red Sea, in entific analysis. Yet, “be careful ligion. Most religions incorpo- Dr. Shneour’s article on the de- my teens i was taught—by my what you wish for.” to the ex- rate some form of introspection, cline of religion in the face of religion—that there likely was tent that the article’s subhead- for example contemplation, science was excellent, and i note not a crossing of the red Sea at ing is true (“the inexorably meditation, divining, prayer; in this not simply because i agree all, dry or wet. growing impact of science is our my opinion, such behavior is with him. One sentence, how- if Shneour, or the SkeptiCAl most significant tool discredit- positive—there is nothing wrong ever, caught my attention. He inquirer, wish to challenge re- ing religion”), our society has a with becoming self-aware and wrote, “ethics is a major factor ligion, both will have to step up problem. the scientific commu- learning to think in a positive in science but plays no discern- their game. Most of their argu- nity has shown little interest in and disciplined manner. able role in technology.” if he is ments are already raised and en- replacing religious atmosphere it is a myth to believe that referring to what might be the couraged by people of faith in far with culturally equivalent influ- science liberated humanity current state of affairs, then more sophisticated ways in ences—influences that reinforce from religion and continues to possibly a point can be made for classrooms and churches across the social support encouraging do so. newton and Copernicus this view. if instead he is refer- the globe, so that people might interaction in church services, were people of faith and contin- ring to the synergy between sci- advance beyond such childish donations to the poor, the liturgy ued to be throughout their lives ence and technology, and how beliefs as Santa Claus and in deaths and funerals, the uplift- despite their contribution to each is perceived operationally, speaking snakes. ing climate (singing and prayers) what we now regard as “sci- which he did a great job eluci- during religious ceremonies, and ence.” Of course, Darwin be- Br. Duane D. lemke, SCJ dating, then i cannot agree. yes, even the questionable as- came skeptical in later years, Chicago, illinois Another way to distinguish sci- sumption of life after death, etc. frowning upon such concepts as ence from technology is that these influences are more emo- hell and damnation, but he still the former operates by discov- tional than intellectual. believed in a creator, perhaps thank you for elie Shneour’s ery whereas the latter operates recall karl Marx’s notion, one that created the evolution- article. He writes that the state- by invention. A discovery is not “religion is the opium of the peo- ary process. ment “life begins at conception” or should not be a matter of ple.” the context of his metaphor in fairness, i add that the is false. this is, of course, true if ethical concern in and of itself. was the zeitgeist of the suffering natural philosophy of the pre- it refers to life in general, but An invention based on that dis- of people during that era. the Christian Greeks in fact in- isn’t that statement meant to covery can carry a considerable misery of lives in ancient soci- cluded an ethical dimension. in refer specifically to human life? ethical burden. Splitting the eties gave “market value” to reli- those days, the pursuit of if so, perhaps the statement de- atom was science (of course giosity. religion was consolation knowledge was seen as a means serves some discussion. Can the done with technology). the for the misery that eternal joy to an end, the objective being to argument not be made that the ethical di lemma was how this would overcome in the “next life.” become a better person in the first uniquely and fully human discovery was used in weapons now science is left with defend- pursuit of knowledge. Christi- origins are created at concep- technology. ing reason, logic, empiricism, and anity changed all that by sepa- tion? is the statement not a bit common sense against religious J. David Archibald rating out the moral, ethical, more than “. . . an utterly false encroachment into government Biology professor emeritus and behavioral content. assertion on its face. . .”? to de- and educational affairs. Such en- San Diego State university i am a secularist. i believe cide at what point human life croachment violates the principle San Diego, California that human society will benefit begins is not an easy question

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[LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

John W. Dooley lancaster, pennsylvania There’s much more Elie Shneour replies: Skep ti cal In quir er That my essay on religion received so many thoughtful responses is ex- content available on our website! hilarating yet humbling. That it also received objections that are beyond the realm of my expressed po- Here’s just a sample of what you’ll find: sition has been enlightening but is difficult to respond to in short re- “Decisions, Decisions: The Problem with ‘You Decide’” buttals. It is important to keep in Sharon Hill’s “Sounds Sciencey” column examines the phenomenon of TV shows mind that the main thrust of my about unsolved mysteries ending with the proposition “you decide.” What does “you essay is the undeniable fact that re- decide” mean when the shows themselves are biased toward mystery mongering? ligion is slowly retreating while science is advancing. There is no vac- “Thunderbirds” uum created by this process because Skeptical Briefs “Native Skeptic” columnist Noah Nez examines various science is so much richer and grow- stories from different tribes of indigenous people about Thunderbird sightings. ing relentlessly in scope. By contrast, Some monster enthusiasts claim that these are reports of giant flying religion is loaded down with legions creatures in the modern era; are they? of myths that impede its standing. The issue of making sciences compatible with religion, as several letters suggest, must be recognized as a lost cause. Ethics is a crucial civiliz- ing issue that religion has virtually abandoned and science has taken up in many ways, among them the growing understanding of what is life and the humbling of our position in the universe. It is no longer an issue of heliocentrism but one in which the Earth is likely to be one of a myriad of livable planets in an extent of space with billions of galaxies, each containing billions of For more online columns, features, and special content, stars, many with planets. Science visit www.csicop.org. has a major ethical component that technology lacks, witness the barbed wire in the Civil War, the machine for most scientists, as demon- maculate Conception is a doc- elie A. Shneour incorrectly strated, for example, in the book trine proclaimed by pope pius claims that Galileo “experimen- gun in the First World War, the Science and Ethics edited by paul iX in 1854. it claims that Mary tally confirmed . . . the heliocen- Holo caust, and the atomic bomb in kurtz. was conceived by her mother tric theory.” it was his lack of the Second. evidence (his attempt to con - On the issue of the Immaculate Joseph Derosa without original sin. the Vir- nect tides to earth’s rotation was Conception vs. the Virgin Birth of Director of Music gin Birth is quite a different nonsense) and his polemic style Mary, they are both sides of the Ministries matter. it is recorded in the that irritated the Vatican. same coin and do not negate the Our lady of the Snows gospels of Matthew and luke, using a myth about Galileo to observation that religion is declin- Catholic Church and asserts that Mary was a vir- argue that science beats religion is ing. That the scientific community reno, nevada gin when Jesus was born. Both doctrines are patently silly. too much like comparing myths has little interest in stepping into to argue that one religion is bet- the conflict between science and philip Howard ter than another. there is dan- elie Shneour states that one of religion is clear evidence that this Ocracoke, north Carolina ger in using a myth as a casual the dogmas derived from an- entire issue is no longer a signifi- shortcut past the real work of cient religious texts is “the im- cant impediment to progress. Fi- A number of readers wrote to science. if science is perceived as maculate conception of Jesus by nally, let me apologize for passing make this same point about “im- just another religion, it can be Mary.” this is inaccurate. the over the subjects of many wonder- maculate conception.” excluded from schools, just like immaculate Con cep tion is not ful letters from which I learned a creationism. the Virgin Birth. the im - —EDITOR great deal. I thank you all.

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Pseudoscience scientific research must, to be They are also completely irrel- C.M. Wyss, phD in Universities true to its mission, focus on de- evant to the question of which Bloomington, indiana termining the specific results of treatments are safe and effective. Dr. novella has spotlighted a narrowly defined treatment Science-based medicine starts with pervasive problem within our strategies on specific medical treatments that have reliable evi- i am a feminist and an intellec- higher education institutions: conditions. that requires cor- dence to back them up, and then tual, and i do believe that there quackery (complementary and recting sample groups to elimi- applies them (and also studies are biological differences in the alternative medicine [CAM]) nate extraneous factors that them) in real-world practice with minds of men and women. seeking legitimacy by being in- might influence the result, in- all the messy details of actual pa- However, i can understand why troduced as serious subjects cluding patient economics, life - tients. CAM uses treatments that some of my fellow academics in within our university system style issues, and comorbidities. lack evidence of effectiveness, or in women’s studies resist this no- (“pseudo science in Our univer- But real people bring all their some cases have already been tion, however unscientific i find sities,” Si, May/June 2012). emotional, lifestyle, and physi- demonstrated not to work, and are their position. the inconvenient these efforts seem to come cal ailments to their encounters often fanciful and extremely un- truth that men (for it is almost in cycles, and now it’s high-tide with medical practitioners, and likely to be effective. always men) like kenneth W. for many of them once again. the art of healing requires find- Mr. Veitch then assumed that krause and Steven pinker seem the shamans, snake-oil sales- ing a way to treat pathological CAM treatments are actually content to leave unaddressed is men, and other practitioners of conditions within the context of helping people when in fact that is that, under patriarchal social the various pseudosciences ap- these messy lives. patients rarely the exact question that we need sci- systems—which still dominate proach our universities with pleas care how scientific their treat- ence to answer. Science is simply the entire globe—different is that these are just “courses of in- ment is if it results in tangibly the process of looking fairly and unequal. patriarchal rule is terest” that many students want. improving their quality of life. systematically at all available in- based on the assumption that But once inside, they plant Science-based medicine, en- formation. To reject it or think we the male is the standard and the themselves, and like noxious couraged by the medical busi- do not need it is to reject basic in- female the exception; that qual- weeds they spread out among the ness, greatly overuses ex pensive tellectual rigor and honesty. ities inherent to the male are good flowers of education, poi- technological and pharmaceuti- more desirable than qualities soning the entire field. Once in- cal treatment strategies. As a re- inherent to the female. the per- side, the pseudoscientists will sult, we spend $2.5 trillion on Gender Personality nicious effects of this indoctri- then try to claim legitimacy be- health care in the u.S. and get a Differences nation can be seen worldwide. cause they “teach” alongside real mediocre result. CAM, with no As a stark example, many soci- scientists in our universities. science in its kit, focuses on kenneth krause has given us eties in the Middle east con- these quacks are as danger- human-to-human interaction, a second thought-provoking sider the court testimony of a ous to the academic body as a often resolving psychosomatic article regarding gender differ- woman to be worth half that of parasite is to a healthy human factors influencing health and ences (“Gender personality a man’s; their confessed reason- body. if our university system is improving the patient’s quality Dif fer ences: planets or p.O. ing behind this being that to maintain its integrity, it must of life at a relatively low cost. We Boxes, evidence or ideology,” women are more emotional, and insist on the highest standards need a medical profession that Si, May/June 2012). this character flaw may com- of proof for any subject before can bring these two approaches the passage i must question promise the objectivity of their admission. CAM, along with together. including CAM in is the following: “[Del Giudice] testimony. this is accepted al- astrology, creationism/intelli- medical school curricula is one denies as well Hyde’s claim that most without question. it is not gent design, and other unproven way to improve critical people his techniques were either con- countered that men are discom- ideas, is best left to the local jun- skills of future doctors. troversial or prone to maximiz- passionate and ambitious, and ing bias. to the contrary, he told that these characteristics might ior colleges where it can be of- robert D. Veitch me, his team simply ‘thought influence their testimony. ... Of fered as non-credit courses of in- Minneapolis, Minnesota terest, right alongside dancing hard about the various artifacts course not! there can’t be any- that can deflate sex differences thing wrong with the male! the and French cooking. Steven Novella, MD, replies: in personality, and took steps to male is the standard! Gregory M. Mullaley, Mr. Veitch falls for the typical false correct them’” (p. 27). Here in the united States, Gainesville, Florida dichotomies with which proponents in other words, Del Giudice things are not much better. of pseudoscience in medicine delib- and his team took steps to inflate Women are charged more for erately muddy the waters. Yes, there sex differences in personality (to health insurance, because our While the various CAM modal- is an art to medicine in addition to paraphrase without the hidden bodies allegedly require more (or ities don’t be long in a medical the science. There is a very human double negative). Yet Del Giu- is it just “different”?) upkeep science program, they certainly aspect to acquiring information dice main tains his study shows than men’s bodies do. Women do belong in any balanced cur- from patients, developing a thera- the “true extent of sex differ- are essentially punished for riculum aimed at training doc- peutic relationship, and considering ences in human personality . .. being the ones who must endure tors to heal real people. As im- all the real-life factors that influ- has been consistently underes- pregnancy and childbirth, even portant as medical science is, it is ence a patient’s health and care. timated” (p. 26). Well, this though the babies we bear also only one dimension of healing. However, these are already part of is hardly surprising in light of belong to men, as our govern- Medicine is also both an art and, regular mainstream medicine. the team’s gedanken experiment refuses to enforce paid ma- unfortunately, a business. These concepts were not invented ments aimed at inflating such ternity leave like every other de- Dr. novella’s gold-standard by CAM proponents. differences. veloped nation already does.

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[LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Women still make 77 cents to masculinity and femininity. In the Mr. torcello’s point is that any- consensus with regard to medical the man’s dollar for the same end, we respect what works, and body who doubts so-called an- vaccines, anthropogenic climate work, and far less for work that efficacy always implicates a much thropogenic global warming change, and AIDS (as well as those seems to come “naturally” to us, more complex, multifactorial (AGW) is a pseudoskeptic. who practice other forms of science such as childcare, eldercare, and analysis. He says there is an overwhelm- denialism) don’t merit the title of social service work. ing scientific consensus about skeptics but can be more accurately krause invokes his previous AGW, but he himself is not a described as pseudoskeptics. The column about women’s under- Pseudoskepticism climate scientist. How can he be pseudoskeptical position has more to representation in high-end sci- so sure? i am an electrical engi- do with cynicism than skepticism. I ence, technology, engineering, i think lawrence torcello (“the neer and have had some training do not claim that scientific consen- and math, but where is the study trouble with pseudoskepti- in physics, chemistry, and math. sus is infallible. Nor do I claim that on men’s underrepresentation in cism,” Si, May/June 2012) i think there is a scientific con- being unconvinced of a scientific so-called “pink collar” jobs? misses an important point when sensus that global climate is finding is necessarily pseudoskepti- there is none, because these he calls vaccine refusers and changing, naturally or not. the cal, as long as one honestly ac- jobs are devalued in our patriar- global warming doubters “those amount of carbon dioxide in the knowledges what the scientific con- chal society, precisely because outside the realm of active re- atmosphere has been rising in sensus is, along with one’s own they have historically been con- search into a particular topic the last decades. the question is: relative ability to judge it. It re- sidered “women’s work.” [who] willfully and without jus- How much of global warming is mains the case that if an entire Women do not want to be tification contradict established caused by human-produced car- community of active scientific re- men; we want our femininity to scientific consensus. ...” in both bon dioxide? For sure, there is searchers in a given area share in a be revered and rewarded by our cases, laymen are being asked to not a scientific consensus about miscalculation, then it is extremely culture the way men’s masculinity take potentially harmful action, this issue, so i feel free to be unlikely that a layperson could is. until that happens, as long as accepting the experts’ word that skeptical (or pseudoskeptical, if reliably identify and assess the we are held to a masculine “stan- it is the right thing to do. look- you wish). mistake. Happily, the skeptical dard,” women—tired of being ing back on lead paint, asbestos Claude pasteur Faria process inherent to science drives it marginalized as the exception to insulation, mercury fillings, and Florianópolis, SC toward self-correction. When sci- the rule and told that our inter- endocrine disruptors in plastics, Brazil entific opinion stands in error, it is ests and passions are less wor- for instance, as well as the ultimately the process of science that thy—will understandably bristle current epidemic of ritalin pre- detects and corrects the inaccuracy. at the suggestion that there are scriptions with uncertain long- there is no more fertile ground Conversely, there is a long history inherent differences between our term effects, parents can cer- for pseudoskepticism than post- of corporate and political attempts brains and those of the culturally tainly be forgiven for skepticism modernist philosophy. they will to subvert science and to suppress dominating sex. regarding substances to be in- use the findings of science when financially inconvenient findings. All the more reason to stick with Jen nichols jected into their children. Vac- it suits their needs, such as scientific consensus, then, since the portland, Oregon cines do have real risks and side quantum physics showing that effects aside from the rumored our senses limit our perception whole scientific community cannot be influenced by corporate and po- Kenneth W. Krause replies: ones. the answer is not to insist of reality. this leads to the claim that parents shut up and accept that there is no “absolute truth” litical ideologies, even if some indi- First, my contemporaries and I cer- the scientific consensus but to so one person’s personal truth is vidual scientists can be. The alleged tainly didn’t undervalue “pink col- continue to offer abundant edu- no more valid than another’s. counter-examples in Patricia Lin- lar” jobs when I was a young cation about the even greater Also, feelings play a part in so- derman’s letter nicely underscore my man. A safe clerical position would risks of non-vaccination. cial constructs and that’s all sci- point. Claude Pasteur Faria cor- have been much preferred, for ex- in the case of global warm- ence is, a social construct, so rectly identifies himself, in his let- ample, to back-breaking construc- ing, i think people can likewise there’s no such thing as science ter, as a pseudoskeptic. Climate sci- tion and furniture moving. As I be forgiven for hesitating to as a value-free activity. entists, as a matter of consensus, recall, clerical jobs often paid more make sweeping changes to the the most annoying thing have confidently ruled out the ex- but were completely unavailable to economy based on what might about postmodernists is their istence of natural forces capable of men, many of whom I saw seri- turn out to be the latest exagger- dishonesty. they know they’re explaining the degree to which ously injured or just plain used up ated scare (population Bomb, spouting nonsense but they’re temperatures have risen over the by the time they turned thirty. Sec- Y2k, etc.). Here, skepticism is a doing it in such a clever, erudite past century. It is a brute finding ond, we should be grateful that rational response in the face of manner. if they tried to live the of science that human beings are neither men nor women have to drastic claims, and before people nonsense they talk, they would heating the planet and changing the climate. I tend to agree with Hal C. endure the hardships of pregnancy accept a lifestyle with radically starve and freeze. and childbirth. Today, reproduc- Pattee’s letter. Post modernism, in reduced comforts, they will need Hal C. pattee tion is a choice. Third, there’s no many of its forms, is an incoherent to be painstakingly convinced, utica, new York such thing as the “same work.” As conceit. It assumes that the not simply admonished to trust the cited research suggests, factors Enlighten ment projects it rejects the experts. Lawrence Torcello replies: other than discrimination are have actually occurred in most of likely at play. Finally, it’s really patricia linderman My position is as follows: Those the world. As such, it often cele- not a simple, dualistic question of Falls Church, Virginia who deny the established scientific brates its own perceived radicalism

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while exacerbating the yoke of pre- Bob Masta in his review of a book by the basic principle of Occam’s razor. modern superstitions. Most of the Ann Arbor, Michigan Deepak Chopra and leonard This principle is part of the foun- world’s inhabitants live in relative Mlodinow, Mark Alford insists dation of science, but it is much poverty, are least responsible for that the rejection of unevi- broader; one might even regard it anthropogenic climate change, and Anthropomorphic denced supernatural claims goes as part of common sense (if my car are least equipped to adapt to its ef- Musings beyond science into philosophi- is missing then I assume it has been fects (which many are already ex- cal materialism. He says of argu- towed or stolen, not converted into periencing). Mark Alford’s interesting review ments against supernatural enti- smoke: isn’t that just Occam’s of War of the Worldviews by ties like the soul, “rather than razor?). Schuller’s main point is Deepak Chopra and leonard being scientific they will be of a just a misunderstanding: he thinks Pascagoula Case Mlodinow (“is Science the more general logical or philo- I am saying Occam’s razor is not Anti dote to Deepak Chopra’s sophical nature.” Alford ends his part of science. But actually I am Joe nickell’s fine special report Spiritu ality?,” Si, May/June review with a flourish: “the saying it is not exclusive to science. on the pascagoula uFO case 2012) includes the notions of counterpoint to Chopra’s specu- It’s a more general principle. (“Famous Alien Abduc tion in “universal consciousness,” “pur- lations is not science, with its pascagoula: reinvestigating a pose in the universe,” and “the complicated structure of facts, Cold Case,” Si, May/June 2012) meaning of life.” these are mere theories, and hypotheses, but really brought back memories, anthropomorphisms, not worthy something much more basic. the [FEEDBACK and clarified some points for me. of deliberation by scientists or antidote to Chopra is Occam.” My neighbor at the time was the philosophers. recently i attended a talk by the letters column is a forum on mat - Michigan director for MuFOn, Ascribing human qualities eugenie C. Scott, executive di- ters raised in previous issues. Letters who invited Hickson and parker and concepts to the entire uni- rector of the national Center for shouldbenolongerthan225words. to speak to the group. He brought Science education (nCSe). verse is the height of hubris. Due to the volume of letters we receive, me along to get a perspective nCSe is a prominent supporter need i repeat the cliché about not all can be published. send letters from a skeptic with an engineer- of evolution and opponent of our gross insignificance as a as email text (not attachments) to ing background. creationism. the first half of Johnny-come-lately species on letters@csicop. org. In the subject line, We had dinner with the pair Scott’s talk was an explanation one planet in one solar system in provide your surname and informative before the talk, and parker said and a defense of science. the the suburbs of one galaxy among identi fication, e.g.: “smith letter on almost nothing the whole time. second half made the same point billions? Consciousness, pur- Jones evolution art icle.” In clude your i asked a few simple questions pose, and meaning are purely as Alford; that science is not in- name and ad dress at the end of the let- when Hickson was away from human concepts, and any at- compatible with the supernatural ter. you may also mail your letter to the the table, but parker demurred tempt by either spiritualists or claims of religion. there is one editor to 944 Deer Dr. ne, albuquerque, and said i should talk to Hickson. scientists to find them as driving clear difference: in the first half of nM 87122, or fax it to 505-828-2080. i got the impression that he was forces in the universe is an exer- her talk, Scott presented parsi- completely cowed by Hickson. cise in futility. mony, a.k.a. Occam’s razor, as an this is now much more under- What are the purpose and ac cepted part of the scientific standable with nickell’s descrip- meaning of an atom? And who method. tion of parker’s situation (new or what is the supposed director i agree with Alford that su- hire living with the Hicksons). who manages the universe by its pernatural claims such as those the talk itself was given en- own consciousness? if you want of Chopra can be readily dis- tirely by Hickson. One point that to say it’s God, well, say so. But missed with an application of particularly struck me was when discussions of panpsychism— Occam’s razor. And i agree with an audience member asked the the supposition that some cos- Scott that Occam’s razor is an purpose of the alien equipment mic mind makes the universe go accepted part of science. this used in the “medical exam.” ’round—by otherwise rational makes it impossible for me to Hickson answered “How would scientists and philosophers is agree with both of them that su- i know?” i was a bit surprised, unworthy of them. pernatural religious claims are thinking that if the story were the universe never has and compatible with science. per- pure hoax he might have con- never will reveal its purpose or haps Alford can explain why he cocted some rationale for each meaning, because it has none. does not consider Occam’s razor story element. His answer was to be a part of science. more like that expected from robert l. Wolke David J. Schuller someone who had a genuine professor emeritus of chem- ithaca, new York mystifying experience. At the istry time i had never heard of hypno- university of pittsburgh Mark Alford responds: gogic states, but now that expla- Author of What Einstein nation seems like a perfect fit. Kept Under His Hat and The main point of my review was thank you, Joe nickell! others that to refute Chopra you only need

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[ THE LAST LAUGH BENJAMIN RADFORD

HIDDEN MESSAGES by Dave Thomas SKEPTICAL ANNIVERSARIES by Tim Farley the following letters are a simple substitution cipher. If r stands for l, it will do so everywhere. solution is by trial september1,1972: frank searle’s photo of the sup- and error. hint: look for patterns in words; for example, the posedly two-humped loch ness monster was pub- scrambled phrase “JrXJ Jrq” might represent “that the.” lished in london's Daily Mail. september9,2002: an altercation outside a holly- PUzzLe wood hotel ended when astronaut Buzz aldrin punched moon landing denier Bart sibrel. Police declined to “f BX aBCfIGC ofCD VCsafhfCZ, charge anyone in the incident, the video of which circulated widely. PsC GyC ofCD CDyVI oDy BJI september12,1957: James Vicary claimed in a press aJysh ye fC.” conference that he had increased the sales of Coca- Cola and popcorn in a fort lee, new Jersey, movie the- —IhfCD VfCoItt ater via subliminal advertising. five years later (to the day) he admitted in an interview with Advertising Age cLUe:z=y that the test was highly flawed.

PreVioUsPUzzLesoLUtion(July/august2012):"reLigionsareconcLU- september25,1987: a federal court found the ameri- sionsforWhichthefactsofnatUresUPPLynomaJorPremises." can Medical association had illegally attempted to —amBroseBierce “contain and eliminate the chiropractic profession” in sUPer-secretWord:UnWorshiPaBLe the antitrust case Wilk v. AMA. the ruling was upheld (Instructions: www.nmsr.org/secretword.htm) through several appeals. october9,1992: a meteor with a pronounced green color was sighted throughout the northeastern united states, prompting many ufo reports. a meteorite hit a parked car in Peekskill, new york, and was recovered. Hidden Messages Puzzle Contest october20,1967: the often-seen “Patterson-Gimlin” Submit your solution by email to [email protected] footage of an alleged sasquatch was shot in a national or via postal mail to: Benjamin Radford The Last Laugh forest area in California. P.O. Box 3016 Corrales, NM 87048 Winner will be chosen at random from the first three correct october23,1892: the popular “duck-rabbit” optical il- submissions received by both email and postal mail. lusion, later popularized by psychologist Joseph Jas- trow, was first published in Fliegende Blätter, a German humor magazine. July/August 2012 Hidden Messages Puzzle Contest Winner: robertBoles october26,1997: the last natural case of smallpox thisissue'sprize:a Surly-Ramics necklace, was diagnosed in somalia. eradication of this disease courtesy of surlyramics.com via vaccination is one of the greatest successes of science-based medicine. Tim Farley is a research fellow with the James Randi Educational Foundation and created the website whatstheharm.net. GET FUZZY BY DARBY CONLEY

Scientific and Technical Consultants CENTERS FOR INQUIRY www.centerforinquiry.net/about/branches Gary Bauslaugh, John F. Fischer, I.W. Kelly, Daisie Radner, writer and editor, forensic analyst, Orlando, FL prof. of psychology, Univ. of Saskatch ewan, prof. of philosophy, SUNY Buffalo Victoria, B.C., Canada Canada TRANSNATIONAL Eileen Gambrill, Robert H. Romer, 3965 Rensch Road, Amherst, NY 14228 Richard E. Berendzen, prof. of social welfare, Richard H. Lange, prof. of physics, Amherst College Tel.: (716) 636-4869 astronomer, Washington, DC Univ. of California at Berkeley MD, Mohawk Valley Physician Karl Sabbagh, Health Plan, Schenectady, NY AUSTIN Martin Bridgstock, Luis Alfonso Gámez, journalist, Richmond, Surrey, England PO Box 202164, Austin, TX 78720-2164 senior lecturer, School of Science, science journalist, Bilbao, Spain Gerald A. Larue, Robert J. 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Jerry ARIZONA Association for Rational Thought (ART) France Tel.: +33-492-07-63-12 http://www.ncas.org Mertens, Psychology Department, 720 Tucson Skeptics Inc. Tucson, AZ. James Cincinnati. Roy Auerbach, president. Tel: 4th Ave. S, St. Cloud State Univ., St. GERMANY Mc Gaha. Email:[email protected]. FLORIDA (513)-731-2774, Email: Cloud, MN 56301 Kirchgasse 4, 64380 Rossdorf, Germany 5100 N. Sabino Foot hills Dr., Tucson, AZ Tampa Bay Skeptics (TBS) Tampa Bay, [email protected]. PO Box 12896, Tel.: +49-6154-695023 85715 Florida. Gary Posner, Executive Director. MISSOURI Cin cinnati, OH 45212. www.cincinnati INDIA Tel.: 813-505-7013; Email: Skeptical Society of St. Louis (SSSL) skeptics.org Phoenix Area Skeptics Society (PASS) [email protected]. c/o O’Keefe, St. Louis, Missouri. Michael Blanford, 46 Masi garh, New Friends Colony http://phoenixskeptics.org OREGON 4011 S. Manhattan Ave. #139, Tampa, President. Email: [email protected]. New Delhi 110025 Email: [email protected] Oregonians for Science and Reason Tel.: 91-9868010950 FL 33611-1277. www.tampabayskept 2729 Ann Ave., St. Louis, MO 63104 (O4SR) Oregon. Jeanine DeNoma, presi- Phoenix Skeptics, Phoenix, AZ. Michael LONDON ics.org www.skepticalstl.org dent. Tel.: (541) 745-5026; Email: Stack pole, P.O. Box 60333, Phoenix, AZ Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, The James Randi Educational St. Joseph Skeptics [email protected]; 39105 Military Rd., 85082 Foun dation. James Randi, Director. Tel: P.O. Box 8908 Monmouth, OR 97361. www.04SR.org London WC1R 4RL, England CALIFORNIA NEPAL (954)467-1112; Email [email protected]. St. Joseph MO, 64508-8908 PENNSYLVANIA Sacramento Organization for Rational Humanist Association of Nepal, 201 S.E. 12th St. (E. Davie Blvd.), Fort NEVADA Philadelphia Association for Critical Think ing (SORT) Sacramento, CA. Ray Span- PO Box 5284, Kathmandu Nepal Lauderdale, FL 33316-1815. Reno Skeptical Society, Inc., Think ing (PhACT), much of Pennsylvania. genburg, co-foun der. Tel.: 916-978-0321; www.randi.org Brad Lutts, President. Eric Krieg, Presi dent. Tel.: 215-885- Tel.: +977-1-4413-345 Email: [email protected]. PO Box 2215, ILLINOIS Tel.: (775) 335-5505; 2089; Email: [email protected]. NEW ZEALAND Carmichael, CA 95609-2215 Rational Examination Association Email: [email protected]. 18124 By mail c/o Ray Haupt, 639 W. Ellet St., email: [email protected] http://home.comcast.net/~kitray2/site/ of Lincoln Land (REALL) Illinois. Bob Wedge Parkway #1052 Reno, Nevada Philadelphia PA 19119 NIGERIA Bay Area Skeptics (BAS) San Francisco— Ladendorf, Chairman. Tel.: 217-546- 89511. www.RenoSkeptics.org TENNESSEE PO Box 25269, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria Bay Area. Eugenie C. Scott, President. 1218 3475; Email: [email protected]. PO Box NEW MEXICO Rationalists of East Tennessee, East Tel.: +234-2-2313699 Miluia St., Berkeley, CA 94709. 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ROMANIA Terry Sandbek, Presi dent. 4300 Au burn Baton Rouge Proponents of Rational president. PO Box 5122 New York, NY Tel.: (972)-306-3187; Email: Fundatia Centrul pentru Constiinta Critica Blvd. Suite 206, Sacramento CA 95841. Inquiry and Scientific Methods 10185. www.nycskeptics.org [email protected]. PO Box 111794, Tel.: (40)-(O)744-67-67-94 Tel.: 916 489-1774. Email: terry@sand- (BR-PRISM) Louisiana. Marge Schroth. Carrollton, TX 75011-1794. email: [email protected] bek.com Tel.: 225-766-4747. 425 Carriage Way, Central New York Skeptics (CNY Skeptics) www.ntskeptics.org RUSSIA Syracuse. Lisa Goodlin, President. Tel: San Diego Asso ciation for Rational Inquiry Baton Rouge, LA 70808 VIRGINIA (315) 636-6533; Email: info@cnyskep- Dr. Valerii A. Kuvakin, 119899 Russia, Moscow, (SDARI) President: Paul Wenger. Tel.: 858- Science & Reason, Hampton Rds., MICHIGAN tics.org, cnyskeptics.org PO Box 417, Vorobevy Gory, Moscow State Univ., 292-5635. Program/general information Virginia. Lawrence Weinstein, Old Great Lakes Skeptics (GLS) SE Michi- Fayettville, NY 13066 Philosophy Department 619-421-5844. www.sdari.org. gan. Lorna J. Simmons, Contact person. Dominion Univ.-Physics Dept., Norfolk, SENEGAL Postal ad dress: PO Box 623, La Jolla, CA Tel.: 734-525-5731; Email: Skeptic31 OHIO VA 23529 92038-0623 Central Ohioans for Rational Inquiry PO Box 15376, Dakar – Fann, Senegal @aol.com. 31710 Cowan Road, Apt. WASHINGTON (CORI) Central Ohio. Charlie Hazlett, Tel.: +221-501-13-00 CONNECTICUT 103, West land, MI 48185-2366 Seattle Skeptics President. Tel.: 614-878-2742; Email: New England Skeptical Society (NESS) www.seattleskeptics.com Tri-Cities Skeptics, Michi gan. Gary [email protected]. PO Box 282069, New England. Steven Novella M.D., Presi- Barker. Tel.: 517-799-4502; Email: bark- Columbus, OH 43228 dent. Tel.: 203-281-6277; Email: [email protected]. 3596 Butternut St., [email protected]. 64 Cobblestone Saginaw, MI 48604 Cleveland Skeptics Joshua Hunt, Dr., Hamden, CT 06518 Co-Organizer, www.clevelandskeptics.org www.theness.com

C Y E The organizations listed above have aims similar to those of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry but are independent and autonomous. N I R T U E Q Representatives of these organizations cannot speak on behalf of CSI. Please send updates to Barry Karr, P.O. Box 703, Amherst NY 14226-0703. R F O R I N International affiliated organizations listed at www.csicop.org.