$30,000 TREASURE HUNT INSIDE JlTjTlU FEBRUARY 1995 STAR TREK: LAUNCHING VOYAGER UFO CONTROVERSY: ABDUQEE VS. THE MILITARY EXPLORING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE onnruiFEBRUARY 1995 EDITOR IN CHIEF & DESIGN DIRECTOR: BOB GUCCIONE PRESIDENT & C.O.O.: KATHY KEETON VP/EDITOR: KEITH FERRELL EXECUTIVE v/P/GHAPI-i OS ;,|R-c:0H. MA'-.X DI-VINO MANAGING R-jlTOP- CAROLINE DARK ART DIRECTOR: CATHRYN MEZZO 6 38 First Word " Star Trek: Voyager A '"" By Mark Pendergrast "'™ 1 tel By David Bischoff 8 The latest Trek sets sights Communications on distant stars 12 and new worlds across Funds our galaxy By Linda Marsa 46 14 Virtual Blue Electronic Universe Yonder: Fightertown By Gregg Keizer ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^m 1 Takes OH 16 III T By Denny Atkin Mind 87 ^^^BJ Tj The ultimate By Jeff Goldberg in flight, and fight. Hunting for simulation the "aggression" gene 1^— fl 58 18 tfrJS Project Open Kid Stuff VAlHSD Book Update: By Lisa Casinger Anatomy G. ^3 i Hands-on books r ^H .of an Abduction 20 By A. J.S. Rayl Stars 62 Steve IMadis Profiles in Artificial By ^^fcv ^*£v - , £ Speed traps Intelligence for high-energy By David H. Freedman cosmic rays Researchers 22 take a nature-based The Great Omni ^H BP^^^Ea* * ^W "^^^k. approach to Al Treasure Hunt K^^BBRBk " ^^bw^^ 888^ 66 More than $30,000 in Fiction: prizes ^Hl£*'3^| Occam's Ducks 26 "' sfl Hf,V By Howard Waldrop Waves 73 By Paul Kvinta Interview: 28 Linda Scheie Sounds By Kathleen McAuliffe By Anthony Liversidge Far on the other side of the galaxy, ihe U.S.S. 79 and Ted Libbey oyageriaces a bold task: to explore strange, new worlds- Antimatter Analog versus digital and find its way home. A look at the people making it 104 31 possible. Cover art by Gary Hutzel, copyright Paramoun Games Continuum Television. [Additional art credits, page 96) By Scot Morris Printed in U.S.A. Ca-adiEn GST Reg slral en tP:'2cCG:'589 FIRST UUORD REMEMBERING THE PAST: A new chapter in the old story of women and oppression By Mark Pendergrast her 1972 landmark book, traditionally been expected to cest—but no one forgets years of InWomen and Madness, Phyllis act out the role of the hysteric abuse. The real problem for incest Chesler noted that, "Today, more often than males. Women, victims is their inabilityto forget. more women are seeking psychi- almost universally repressed, One of the tragic ironies of atric help and being hospitalized abused, and powerless to do this movement is its supposed than at any other time in history." much about it, have often con- affiliation with feminism. I have Today, that is truer than ever, Ches- formed to the roles expected of interviewed scores of self-identi- ler attributed this intensification them, which at least allowed them fied "survivors" who have re- of an old trend to the "help-seek- sympathetic attention and an emo- called abuse memories. They ing" nature of the learned female tional outlet for their suppressed are firmly convinced that, as they role, the oppression and often justifiable have been told repeatedly, "You of women, and role- rage. Little seems to have to get worse before you get confusion in the have changed. The better." They are thrown into a modern age. only thing that is rel- psychological hell in which they The female "ca- atively new about frequently lose their self-confi- Pendergrast dis- reer" as a psychiat- the Incest Survivor dence, jobs, marriages, children, cusses tlie ric patient identified movement is its par- and sometimes their sanity—all by Chesler has a long ticularly awful slant— in the name of "healing." history, with women the virulent accusa- Though most therapists who usually displaying tions against parents help extract these "memories" the symptoms ex- and other early care- truly believe that they are helping pected of them, givers, and the com- their patients, they do so by ranging from de- plete rewriting of the making women feel helpless, de- pression to paranoia. personal past. pendent, wounded, incomplete, fundamentally flawed. Does Chesler tacitly acknowledges I speak from experience. My and this history with the wry observa- own daughters cut off all contact that sound familiar? Women's lives tion: "No longer are women sac- with me after accusing me of un- are being harmed by a move- rificed as voluntary or involuntary specified sexual abuse. As a ment that feminists should abhor. Phyllis Chesler witches. They are, instead, consequence, I spent over two Back in 1972, taught to sacrifice themselves for years investigating recovered issued a prophetic warning about promise newly named heresies." memory therapy (RMT). I cannot radical treatments that One of these newly named di- possibly summarize here all of to help female patients in some social agnoses, amazingly popular the significant findings I detail in special way. "People and since the publication of Courage a 600-page book on the subject: structures change slowly if at to Heal by Ellen Bass in 1988, is Victims of Memory. Suffice it to all," she wrote, adding that "most that of Incest Survivor. Millions of say, however, that there is no sci- people simply obey new myths, women—and some men—have entific evidence to support the as inevitably as they did old come to believe that all of their concept of "massive repres- myths." Consequently, she was "symptoms" {depression, panic sion"—the idea that human be- both excited and disturbed by attacks, poor relationships, sex- ings can or do completely forget the possibilities she saw in femi- ual dysfunction, bodily pangs, years of abuse, only to recall it nist psychotherapy. It could, she nightmares, eating disorders, years later in therapy. On the feared, simply turn into "authori- and other life problems) stem contrary, there is a great deal of tarianism with a new party line." from long-forgotten sexual abuse. evidence which confirms that Unfortunately, with the advent Only by recalling and reliving when a therapist suggests the of RMT, that is just what has hap- these repressed trauma memo- possibility of repressed incest pened. With women's mental ries can they be truly healed. memories, confabulations (the health on the line, let us hope For centuries in Western cul- psychologist's term for illusory that a new brand of feminist ther- tures, women have often suf- memories) can easily result. apist will blow the whistle on this fered from bizarre psychosomatic To question the validity of disastrous social phenomenon. CXI ailments aided and abetted by massive repression or the effi- the "experts" of the era. Because cacy of RMT is not to deny the Victims of Memory is published (1-800- of societal bias, females, consid- existence of real abuse. I am we'll by Upper Access Books ered the "weaker vessel," have aware of the horrors of real in- 356-9315). connnnunJicATorus READERS' WRITES: A better beta version, unearthing more facts, and - splendor in the gas No Deposit, No Return the arrogant assumption that we could Regarding the sperm bank note [Anti- comprehend with any accuracy "why" created all this. We are burning matter, October 1994], may I suggest God the following Purdue campus scene? out our gears arguing over something possibly in this Omni (to a student}; "I'm doing a story which we cannot know on college education and would like a lifetime. There is unlimited beauty and " fulfillment in scientifically observing the i information on social life. I see you have a large Greek Beta on your shirt. infinite "hows" of our cosmos. Crawford Do you belong to a fraternity?" Student: Christian Carlsbad, CA "No, actually I don't. This represents my association with the local sperm bank. I'm a Master Beta." Mounds of Evidence Fritz Khan Jeffrey Heck's article [Digs, October Los Angeles, CA 1994] was interesting, particularly the arguments and statements of curator Reality Check Brad Lepper and author Stephen Wil- article lucid dreaming liams who doubted the authenticity of I enjoyed the on [September 1994]. Regarding the the Newark Holy Stones. Perhaps anecdotal reports of people losing the speculation about authenticity should ability to discr mi:ia:e between dreams be withheld until the readily available and reality, I would speculate that indi- evidence in the mounds has been fully viduals with this problem already have examined. If the mounds contain addi- an existing psychological disorder. tional similar stones which can be time- David Porter dated based on surrounding material, Scotia, NY proof of a Jewish presence in early America may be incontrovertible. Striking a Balance Roger G. Jenkins Hats off to Omni and writer Margaret Phoenix, AZ Wertheim for the excellent treatment of "Science and Religion" [October The Gas is Always Greener . 1994], Your fitting choice of scholars I'd like to see another article on the use enabled you to dispel the idea 'that of helium-3 [Continuum, Sepiember these areas of concern are in total and 1994]. I once read an article on the permanent isolation from one another, theory that our planets are slowly mov- Strident fundamentalists, whether of ing toward our sun, the idea being that the theistic or antitheistic stripe, wheth- life hops from the inner planets to the er zealous in the name of religion or outer ones as they approach "living science, have long resisted construc- position." Perhaps helium-3 changes tive interaction. It's time now for authen- into something necessary in the eons tic scientists and theologians to engage to come, Whether true or not, one does in candid conversation and to see what wonder if it is wise to deplete re- each can learn from the other.