6NHSWLFLVP6FLHQFH6RFLHW\ 9ROXPH1R0DUFK AN INTRODUCTION TO PARAPSYCHOLOGY A REMOTE VIEWING EXPERIMENT SCIENTOLOGY AND THE TRAVOLTA TRAGEDY ENVIRONMENTAL DEBATES AND LOGICAL FALLACIES PSYCHIATRY BASHING DEBUNKING DETOX DIETS ZZZVNHSWLFVFRPDX Skeptics Around Australia New South Wales PO Box 438 Collaroy Beach NSW 2097 Connect with the next generation! Tel: 0432 713 195 Fax: (02) 8088 4735 Scientists in Schools is a national program [email protected] that creates long-term professional Hunter Skeptics partnerships between scientists and Ph: (02) 4959 6286 [email protected] teachers. It’s completely fl exible to [email protected] suit your interests and availability. Victoria Australian Skeptics (Vic) Inc GPO Box 5166AA, Melbourne VIC 3001 Find out more at Tel: 1 800 666 996 www.scientistsinschools.edu.au [email protected] Borderline Skeptics Scientists in Schools PO Box 17 , Mitta Mitta VIC 3701 Tel: (02) 6072 3632 is an Australian [email protected] Government initiative. 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Tel: (03) 6234 4731 [email protected] Darwin Skeptics Contact Tel: (08) 8927 4533 [email protected] Volume 29, No.1 • March 2009 ISSN 0726-9897 Editor DDebuebunnkingking Dr Karen Stollznow 1122 Contributing Editor DDetoxetox DietDiets Dr Steve Roberts Art Direction Layout & Design Richard Saunders Dr Rachael Dunlop James Randi’s Technical Director 2200 Eran Segev Headquarters Web Manager Peter Bowditch Regulars Challenge Investigator IIgnorancegnorance isis Ian Bryce 4........ Editorial All correspondence to: 6........ Around the Traps CContagiousontagious Australian Skeptics Inc PO Box 438 8........ Beyond the Traps Collaroy Beach 15...... An Open Letter to..... NSW 2097 Australia 26...... A Nigerian Letter 30...... Believe it... Or Not...t... (ABN 90 613 095 379 ) 54...... Forum Contact Details Tel: +61 (0)432 713 195 60...... 5 Questions Fax: 61 (2) 8088 4735 61...... Your Stars 3322 [email protected] 62...... Letters www.skeptics.com.au The Skeptic is published four times per year by Features and Reports Australian Skeptics Inc. Views and opinions 12...... Debunking Detox Diets - Dr Rachael Dunlop expressed in articles and letters in The Skeptic are 16...... The Remote Viewer - Benjamin Radford those of the authors, and 20...... Inside the JREF HQ - Dr Karen Stollznow are not necessarily those of Australian Skeptics Inc. 24...... Scientology and the Travolta Tragedy - Michael Wolloghan Articles may be reprinted with permission and with 28...... The Next Generation - Richard Saunders due acknowledgement 32...... Ignorance is Contagious - Dr Ian Woodward to The Skeptic. 36...... CCommonommon LogicalLogical FallaciesFallacies - Dr Ian Woodward 40...... AAnn IIntroductionntroduction ttoo PParapsychologyarapsychology - Kylie Sturgess 42...... AAnn IInterviewnterview wwithith DDrr CCarolinearoline WattWatt - Kylie Sturgess 44...... PProtestrotest PPopemobileopemobile - Ian Bryce 48...... AAnn AAtheisttheist iinn tthehe AArmyrmy - RRoyoy ArnottArnott 52...... SScaremongeringcaremongering andand tthehe SStreisandtreisand EEffectffect - Kylie Sturgess The Skeptic • March 2009 • Page 3 EEditorialditorial Hello, Goodbye Hello. I’m Karen Stollznow, Editor of The Skeptic. “Where is Barry Williams?” I hear you ask as Skepticism was obviously my destiny. those conspiracy theories begin emerging. No, I discovered that the Headquarters were in nearby there wasn’t a Machiavellian plot to kidnap Roseville, so I approached the organisation and overthrow him. No, he wasn’t abducted by for work experience. By some sort of divine aliens. No, he wasn’t converted to a cult, and he intervention, there was an investigation into didn’t defect to the believers’ side to become a alternative medicine underway and an innocent, psychic medium (although the pay would have unassuming subject was needed. Within days, been better). He didn’t “cross over”, I was an undercover skeptical awaiting medium John Edward so agent, investigating a naturopath, he can communicate a message to us a homeopath, an iridologist and an from “the other side”. aura reader (Alternative Consultations After nearly 20 years as Editor 18/2). of The Skeptic magazine, Mr Barry I had become a scientific Williams has retired. investigator of pseudoscience and the As Barry says, accompanied by paranormal. a suitable guffaw, he was invited to The rest is history, but also present. edit a single issue, but he ended up I’ve been a hands-on skeptic for well editing a total of 75 issues. Sorry about over a decade now, exploring a broad that slight administrative oversight, range of phenomena. I’ve investigated Barry. These things happen. beliefs, stories and incidents. I’ve The Skeptic has been in print since observed and participated in rituals, 1981, and under Barry’s guardianship, ceremonies and practises. I’ve the publication has evolved from a Barry Williams infiltrated a psychic company and thin newsletter to a magazine. Today, Editor Emeritus been offered a job as a psychic, I’ve The Skeptic is one of the world’s devised a religious artefact hoax, premier skeptical magazines. In fact, I’ve examined numerous hauntings, it is one of the top three. and road tested many alternative medicine This issue marks a changing of the guard. therapies. I’ve been de-toxified, neuro- Editor has been succeeded by Editrix. Kaz has linguistically programmed, had my aura taken over from Baz. But who am I? Allow me to massaged, my energy cleared, my chakras aligned, introduce myself. There’s something inherently my guardian angels consulted, my deceased (and self-indulgent about an Editorial anyway... not-so-deceased) relatives contacted. I’ve had Once upon a time I walked into Willoughby tarot, tea-leaf, voodoo and rune readings. I’ve library in Sydney. On my way to my usual ghost had my mind, palms, eyes, toes, and aura read, book section I came across a copy of The Skeptic. not to mention my past, present and future lives. I was lured by the cover story, an investigation I’ve been jabbed, bled, blessed, cursed, exorcised, into telephone psychics (Telephonies Exposed, hypnotised, and prayed over. I’ve been prescribed 16/2). I ended up reading the magazine from pills, herbs, oils, creams, diets, juices and tonics. cover to cover. I was immediately attracted to I’ve been diagnosed and cured of illnesses I’ve the application of critical thinking to the topics never had... I enjoyed reading about, and I was particularly I have a career outside of skepticism. I struck by the sense of humour that pervaded the recently completed a PhD in Linguistics at the magazine. I suddenly had a skeptical epiphany. I University of New England. Since 2004 I lived in realised then and there that I that wanted to become California, where I worked as an adjunct involved in the movement, and that I was a skeptic... lecturer at San Francisco State University, and as Page 4 • The Skeptic • March 2009 a Researcher in the Department of Linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley. I work there still, remotely, and I write in my not-so- Publish, and Be Damned! spare time. But I’ve always found time to be a skeptic. I’ve been a member of the New South Wales Skeptics are interested in a diverse Committee of the Australian Skeptics for over range of topics: science and a decade. I’m a Director of the San Francisco Bay Area pseudoscience, urban myths and Skeptics. I run the Skepbitch blog www.skepbitch. legends, magic and the paranormal, wordpress.com and the Bad Language website scams, hoaxes, creationism, cults, www.bad-language.com. I’m also a correspondent beliefs, practices and many more. of the Skeptic Zone podcast www.skepticzone.tv. I write for other publications, including Australasian Science and the Skeptical Inquirer. And The Skeptic welcomes contributions for the last few years I’ve been Associate Editor of that investigate, discuss and apply The Skeptic. critical thinking to these themes. But the organisation still had to be sure that I was the right person for the job. I suffered We invite you to submit articles, a rigorous application process, a battery of tests. Fortunately, the Myers Briggs assessment, Oxford reviews, reports and letters to the Capacity Analysis and the graphology analysis Editor to: [email protected] reports said I was the right person for the job, despite my lack of a beard. And I’ve steadfastly Submission Deadlines refused to grow one, although I’ve just been told to check the small print of my contract... May 1, 2009 But enough about me, I’m interested in you. Barry has always been fond of saying that August 1, 2009 without our readers and contributors, there is no November 1, 2009 magazine. I agree. The Skeptic is for the skeptics, February 1, 2010 and by the skeptics. Our magazine embodies the Australian Skeptics. So, thank you for supporting our organisation, and our magazine. In this skeptical Academy Awards, I also want to thank consultants Eran Segev and Richard Saunders for their expertise and invaluable assistance in producing this issue. Thanks to Steve Roberts for continuing his role as Contributing Editor. Thanks to our state branches, and especially the NSW Committee for helping me transition into this new role. Finally, thanks to Barry, 75 times, for 75 issues of The Skeptic. Thank you, and goodbye. Barry has provided me with big shoes to fill (size 10, actually).