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CARL SAGAN on Science and Superstition an EXCERPT from HIS NEW BOOK, the DEMON-HAUNTED WORLD

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CARL SAGAN on Science and Superstition an EXCERPT from HIS NEW BOOK, the DEMON-HAUNTED WORLD MIRACLE PHOTOGRAPHS • MILK-DRINKING IDOLS • 'READING' CANDIDATES' FACES IN SAN FRANCISCO skeptical Inquirer THE MAGAZINE FOR SCIENCE AND REASON Volume 20, No. 2 • March/April 1996 CARL SAGAN On Science and Superstition AN EXCERPT FROM HIS NEW BOOK, THE DEMON-HAUNTED WORLD THE ROLE OF REPRESENTATIVENESS IN PSEUDOSCIENTIFIC BELIEFS SPECIAL REPORT: Spies, Psychics, and THE SENATOR FROM OUTER SPACE Published by the Committee for the Scientific igatioInvestigationn of Claim s of the Paranormal James E. Alcock,* psychologist, York Martin Gardner,* author, critic H. Narasimhaiah, physicist, president, Univ., Toronto Murray Gall-Mann, professor of physics, Bangalore Science Forum, India Jerry Andreas, magician and inventor, Santa Fe Institute; Nobel Prize laureate Dorothy Nelkin. sociologist. New York Univ. Albany, Oregon Thomas Gilovich, psychologist, Cornell Joe Nicked,* senior research fellow, CSICOP Robert A. Baker, psychologist, Univ. of Univ. Lee Nisbet* philosopher, Medaille College Kentucky Henry Gordon, magician, columnist, James E. Oberg, science writer Stephen Barrett. M.D., psychiatrist, Toronto author, consumer advocate, Allentown, Loren Pankratz, psychologist, Oregon Stephen Jay Gould Museum of Health Sciences Univ. Pa. Comparative Zoology, Harvard Univ. Barry Beyerstein.* biopsychologist, John Paulos, mathematician, Temple Univ. C. E. M. Hansel, psychologist, Univ. of Simon Fraser Univ., Vancouver, B.C., Mark Plummer. lawyer, Australia Canada Wales AI Hibbs. scientist, Jet Propulsion W. V. Quine, philosopher. Harvard Univ. Irving Biederman. psychologist, Univ. of Laboratory Southern California Milton Rosenberg, psychologist, Univ. of Douglas Hofstadter, professor of human Chicago Susan Blackmore,* psychologist. Univ. of Carl Sagan, astronomer, Cornell Univ. the West of England, Bristol understanding and cognitive science, Indiana Univ. Henri Broch, physicist, Univ. of Nice, Wallace Sampson, M.D., clinical profes­ France Gerald Holton, Mallinckrodt Professor of sor of medicine, Stanford Univ. Physics and Professor of History of Evry Schatzman. President, French Jan Harold Brunvand. folklorist, profes­ Science, Harvard Univ. Physics Association sor of English, Univ. of Utah Ray Hyman,* psychologist, Univ. of Vern Bullough, professor of history, Eugenie Scott physical anthropologist, Oregon executive director, National Center for California State Univ. at Northridge Leon Jaroff, sciences editor emeritus. Science Education Mario Bunge, philosopher, McGill University Time Glenn T. Seaborg. University Professor of Sergei Kapitza. editor, Russian edition, Chemistry, Univ. of California, Berkeley; John R. Cole, anthropologist, Dept. of Scientific American Nobel Prize laureate Anthropology, Univ. of Mass. at Amherst Philip J. Klass,* aerospace writer, engi­ Thomas A. Sebeok, anthropologist, lin­ F. H. C. Crick, biophysicist, Salk Inst, for neer guist, Indiana Univ. Biological Studies, La Jolla, Calif; Nobel Prize laureate Marvin Kohl, professor of philosophy, Robert Sheaffer, science writer SUNY at Fredonia Richard Dawkins. zoologist, Oxford Univ. Dick Smith, film producer, publisher, Edwin C Krupp, astronomer, director, Terrey Hills, N.S.W., Australia L. Sprague de Camp, author, engineer Griffith Observatory Robert Steiner, magician, author, El Cerrito, Cornells de Jager, professor of astro­ Paul Kurtz,' chairman, CSICOP Calif. physics, Univ. of Utrecht, the Jill Cornell Tarter. SETI Institute Netherlands Lawrence Kusche, science writer Bernard Dixon, science writer, London, Elizabeth Loftus, professor of psycholo­ Carol Tavris, psychologist and author, Los U.K. gy, Univ. of Washington Angeles, Calif. Paul Edwards, philosopher. Editor, Paul MacCready, scientist/engineer, Stephen Toulmin. professor of philoso­ phy, University of Southern California Encyclopedia of Philosophy AeroVironment, Inc., Monrovia, Calif. Antony Flew, philosopher, Reading Univ., David Marks, psychologist, Middlesex Steven Weinberg, professor of physics U.K. Polytech, England and astronomy. University of Texas at Austin; Nobel Prize laureate Andrew Fraknoi. astronomer. Foothill Marvin Minsky, professor of Media Arts College. Los Altos Hills, Calif. and Sciences, M.I.T. Marvin Zelen, statistician. Harvard Univ. Lin Zixin. former editor. Science and Kendrick Frazier,* science writer, Editor, David Morrison, space scientist, NASA Technology Daily (China) SKEPTICAL INQUIRER Ames Research Center Yves Galifret, Exec. Secretary, I'Union Richard A. Muller, professor of physics, •Member, CSICOP Executive Council Rationaliste Univ. of Calif., Berkeley (Affiliations given for identification only.) Visit the new CSICOP web site at http://www.csicop.org The Skeptical Inquirer. flSSN 0194-6730) n published bimonthly by the Committee for the Scientific work of individual author. Their publication does not necessarily commute an endorsement by CSI­ Investisigation of Claims of (he Paranormal. 3965 Renich Rd.. Amherst. NY 14228-2743 Primed in COP or us members unless so stated. U.S. A Second-., law postage paid it Amherst. New York, and additional mailing office Subscription Copyright ©1996 by the Committee tor the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. price one year (m moo). $32.50; two yean, $54.00; three year*. $7500; single issue. $4.95. All rights reserved The Skeptical Inquirer it available on 16mm microfilm. 35mm microfilm, and Inquiries from dte media and the public about the work of the Committee should be nude to I05mni microfiche from University Microfilms International and is indexed in the Reader's Guide to Paul Kurtz. Chairman. CSICOP. DOT 703. Amherst. NY 14226-0703. Tel.: (716) 636-1425- FAX Periodical Literature 716-636-1733. Subscriptions, change of address, and advertising should be addressedto : Skeptical Inquirer. Box Manuscript!, letter, book* tor review, and editorial inquiries should be addressed io Kendrick 703. Amherst, NY 14226-0703. Old address as well as new are necessary for change of subscribers Frazier. Editor. Skeptical Inquirer. 944 Deer Drive NE, Alburquerque NM 87122-1306. FAX 505- address, with so. weeks advance notice Skeptical Inquirer subscribers may not speak on behalf of CSI­ 828-2080. For Guide for Authors, fan request ro the Editor or see May-June 1995 issue, page 63 COP or the Skeptical Inquirer Articles, reports, reviews, and letter published in the Skeptical Inquirer represent the views and Postmaster. Send changes of addresst o Skeptical Inquirer . BOX 703. Amherst. NY 14226-0703 Skeptical Inquirer The Senator March/April 1996 • VOL. 20, NO. 2 from Outer Space, p. 12 SPECIAL REPORT 21 Evaluation of the Military's Twenty- Year Program on Psychic Spying What were the "real" Psychic spies? Psychologist Ray Hyman clears up the confusion vampires all about? p. 41 surrounding the government's twenty-year, $20 nullum research pro­ gram that tried using psychics for intelligence-gathering activities. ,, -'•^ITvj RAY HYMAN 24 The Evidence for Psychic Functioning: Claims vs. Reality COLUMNS RAY HYMAN EDITOR'S NOTE 4 27 CIA Concludes No Value to the Program NEWS AND COMMENT MICHAEL 0. MUMFORD. ANDREW M. ROSE. Chronicle "Reads Faces" of Candidates / A Roswell AND DAVID A. GOSLIN Reader / Rolling Uphill in California / Milk-Drinking Idols 5 NOTES OF A FRINGE-WATCHER Claiborne Pell: The Senator From Outer Space MARTIN GARDNER 12 28 Does Truth Matter? Science, MEDIA WATCH Media Miss Real Messages in Subliminal Stories Pseudoscience, and Civilization C EUGENE EMERY, JR 16 Science has beauty, power, and majesty that can provide spiritual as well as practical fulfillment But superstition and pseudoscience PSYCHIC VIBRATIONS keep getting in the way, providing easy answers, casually pressing Reichean Disciples, Restless Statues our awe buttons, and cheapening the experience. ROBERT SHEAFFER 18 CARL SAGAN INVESTIGATIVE FILES Miracle Photos 34 Like Goes With Like: The Role of JOE NICKELL 19 Representativeness in Erroneous and NEW BOOKS 49 Pseudoscientific Beliefs ARTICLES OF NOTE 50 The misguided premise that effects should resemble their causes FORUM underlies a host of erroneous beliefs, from folk wisdom about health Science is Money in the Bank, and the human body to elaborate pseudoscientific belief systems. Not in a Hole in the Ground THOMAS GILOVICH and KENNETH SAVITSKY MARK BOSLOUGH 51 FOLLOW-UP 41 Staking Claims: Vampires of Folklore A Response: African Contributions and Legend to Mathematics We know about Dracula and the would-be vampires m the news, BEATRICE LUMPKIN 53 but what were the "real" vampires all about? Response to Beatrice Lumpkin PAUL BARBER WALTER F. ROWE 54 READERS FORUM Viewers Find Flaws with 'Alien Autopsy Film 57 A doorway to heaven? p. 19 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 61 BOOK REVIEWS Whispers: The Voices of Paranoia by Ronald Siegel ROBERT BAKER 45 Radical Behaviorism by Mecca Chiesa DENNIS R. WAHLGREN... 46 ON THE COVER: Photo taken by the Apollo 8 (1968) Spaceships of the Pleiades crew showing the Earth rising above the Moon's limb as seen from lunar by Kal. K. Korff orbit. (NASA. Apollo 8 crew.) JOE NICKELL. 48 EDITOR'S NOTE Skeptical Inquirer The magazine FOR science AND MASON Science and Superstition, and the CIA and Psychics MM Kendrick Frazier or science-minded people, any new book by Carl Sagan is an event To all of us interested EDITORIAL BOARD Fin die place of science and skepticism—and pseudoscience and superstition—in today's James E. Alcock society, a book by Sagan that focuses on theu issues is especially significant. In diis issue, we Barry Beyerstein Susan J. Blackmore arc pleased to present
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