Sep Oct pages cut_SI new design masters 8/1/12 9:54 AM Page 5 [ 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- KEPTI Skep tical Inquiry fellow and a S - 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 science writer and author of the book research into telepathy, fortune-telling, ness of important scientific issues. 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. 2006: Ben Goldacre for his weekly ber 25–28, 2012. 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 Sep Oct pages cut_SI new design masters 8/1/12 9:54 AM Page 6 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 responses 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 Sep Oct pages cut_SI new design masters 8/1/12 9:54 AM Page 7 [ 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.