SI J-F 07 Cover V1 11/13/06 12:32 PM Page 1 MARTIN GARDNER ON VACUUM ENERGY • WEIGHING THE SOUL • ENTITIES OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST THE MAGAZINE FOR SCIENCE AND REASON Volume 31, No. 1 • January/February 2007 • INTRODUCTORY PRICE U.S. $4.95 • Canada $5.95 New Do They Directions Have Your for Skeptical Numb3r? Inquiry Energy ID’s Pseudo- ‘Vise Strategy’ science Undone Mass Hysteria Strange in Schools Visions How Can SPECIAL Scientists REPORTS: Persuade? • World Trade Center Illness 01> • Gulf War Syndrome Published by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry 0556698 80575 SI J-F 2007 pgs 11/13/06 11:24 AM Page 2 THE COMMITTEE FOR SKEPTICAL INQUIRY AT THE CENTER FOR INQUIRY–TRANSNATIONAL (ADJACENT TO THE UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO) AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION Paul Kurtz, Chairman; professor emeritus of philosophy, University at Buffalo Barry Karr, Executive Director Joe Nickell, Senior Research Fellow Massimo Polidoro, Research Fellow Richard Wiseman, Research Fellow Lee Nisbet, Special Projects Director FELLOWS James E. Alcock,* psychologist, York Univ., Toronto and Sciences, Professor of Philosophy and Robert L. Park, professor of physics, Univ. of Maryland Jerry Andrus, magician and inventor, Albany, Oregon Professor of Law, University of Miami John Paulos, mathematician, Temple Univ. Marcia Angell, M.D., former editor-in-chief, New C. E. M. Hansel, psychologist, Univ. of Wales Steven Pinker, cognitive scientist, Harvard England Journal of Medicine David J. Helfand, professor of astronomy, Massimo Polidoro, science writer, author, Stephen Barrett, M.D., psychiatrist, author, Columbia Univ. executive director CICAP, Italy consumer advocate, Allentown, Pa. Douglas Hofstadter, professor of human under- Milton Rosenberg, psychologist, Univ. of Chicago Willem Betz, professor of medicine, Univ. of standing and cognitive science, Indiana Univ. Wallace Sampson, M.D., clinical professor of Brussels Gerald Holton, Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics medicine, Stanford Univ., editor, Scientific Barry Beyerstein,* biopsychologist, Simon Fraser and professor of history of science, Harvard Univ. Review of Alternative Medicine Univ., Vancouver, B.C., Canada Ray Hyman,* psychologist, Univ. of Oregon Amardeo Sarma, manager NEC Europe Ltd., Irving Biederman, psychologist, Univ. of Southern Leon Jaroff, sciences editor emeritus, Time executive director, GWUP, Germany. California Sergei Kapitza, former editor, Russian edition, Evry Schatzman, former president, French Physics Susan Blackmore, Visiting Lecturer, Univ. of the Scientific American Association West of England, Bristol Lawrence M. Krauss, author and professor of physics Eugenie Scott, physical anthropologist, executive Henri Broch, physicist, Univ. of Nice, France and astronomy, Case Western Reserve University director, National Center for Science Education Jan Harold Brunvand, folklorist, professor Edwin C. Krupp, astronomer, director, Griffith Robert Sheaffer, science writer emeritus of English, Univ. of Utah Observatory Elie A. Shneour, biochemist, author, president and Mario Bunge, philosopher, McGill University Paul Kurtz,* chairman, Center for Inquiry research director, Biosystems Research Institute, John R. Cole, anthropologist, editor, National Lawrence Kusche, science writer La Jolla, Calif. Center for Science Education Leon Lederman, emeritus director, Fermilab; Dick Smith, film producer, publisher, Terrey Hills, Frederick Crews, literary and cultural critic, Nobel laureate in physics N.S.W., Australia professor emeritus of English, Univ. of Scott Lilienfeld, psychologist, Emory Univ. Robert Steiner, magician, author, El Cerrito, Calif. California, Berkeley Lin Zixin, former editor, Science and Technology Victor J. Stenger, emeritus professor of physics Richard Dawkins, zoologist, Oxford Univ. Daily (China) and astronomy, Univ. of Hawaii; adjunct Geoffrey Dean, technical editor, Perth, Australia Jere Lipps, Museum of Paleontology, Univ. of professor of philosophy, Univ. of Colorado Daniel C. Dennett, University Professor and Austin California, Berkeley Jill Cornell Tarter, astronomer, SETI Institute, B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy, Director of Elizabeth Loftus, professor of psychology, Univ. of Mountain View, Calif. the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts Univ. California, Irvine Carol Tavris, psychologist and author, Los Angeles, Calif. Ann Druyan, writer and producer, and CEO, Paul MacCready, scientist/engineer, David Thomas, physicist and mathematician, Cosmos Studios, Ithaca, New York AeroVironment, Inc., Monrovia, Calif. Peralta, New Mexico Cornelis de Jager, professor of astrophysics, Univ. John Maddox, editor emeritus of Nature Stephen Toulmin, professor of philosophy, Univ. of of Utrecht, the Netherlands David Marks, psychologist, City University, London. Southern California Kenneth Feder, professor of anthropology, Mario Mendez-Acosta, journalist and Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and director, Central Connecticut State Univ. science writer, Mexico City, Mexico Hayden Planetarium, New York City Antony Flew, philosopher, Reading Univ., U.K. Marvin Minsky, professor of media arts and Marilyn vos Savant, Parade magazine Andrew Fraknoi, astronomer, Foothill College, Los sciences, M.I.T. contributing editor Altos Hills, Calif. David Morrison, space scientist, NASA Ames Steven Weinberg, professor of physics and astronomy, Univ. of Texas at Austin; Kendrick Frazier, science writer, editor, SKEPTICAL INQUIRER Research Center Nobel laureate Yves Galifret, vice-president, Affiliated Richard A. Muller, professor of physics, Univ. of Organizations: France Calif., Berkeley E.O. Wilson, University Professor Emeritus, Harvard University Martin Gardner, author, critic Joe Nickell, senior research fellow, CSI Richard Wiseman, psychologist, University of Murray Gell-Mann, professor of physics, Santa Fe Lee Nisbet,* philosopher, Medaille College Hertfordshire Institute; Nobel laureate Bill Nye, science educator and television host, Nye Labs Benjamin Wolozin*, professor, department of phar- Thomas Gilovich, psychologist, Cornell Univ. James E. Oberg, science writer macology, Boston University School of Medicine Henry Gordon, magician, columnist, Toronto Irmgard Oepen, professor of medicine (retired), Marvin Zelen, statistician, Harvard Univ. Saul Green, Ph.D., biochemist, president of ZOL Marburg, Germany Consultants, New York, NY Loren Pankratz, psychologist, Oregon Health * Member, CSI Executive Council Susan Haack, Cooper Senior Scholar in Arts Sciences Univ. (Affiliations given for identification only.) • • • Visit the CSICOP Web site at www.csicop.org • • • The SKEPTICAL INQUIRER (ISSN 0194-6730) is published bimonthly by the Committee for of the November/December 2006 issue. Or you may send a fax request to the editor. Skeptical Inquiry, 1310 Sweet Home Rd., Amherst, NY 14228. Printed in U.S.A. Periodicals post- Articles, reports, reviews, and letters published in the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER represent the views age paid at Buffalo, NY, and at additional mailing offices. Subscription prices: one year (six issues), and work of individual authors. Their publication does not necessarily constitute an endorse- $35; two years, $60; three years, $84; single issue, $4.95. Canadian and foreign orders: Payment in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank must accompany orders; please add US$10 per year for shipping. ment by CSI or its members unless so stated. Canadian and foreign customers are encouraged to use Visa or MasterCard. 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SI J-F 2007 pgs 11/13/06 11:25 AM Page 3 Skeptical Inquirer SPECIAL REPORTS 12 World Trade Center Illness: January / February 2007 • VOL. 31, NO. 1 Manufactured Mass Hysteria MICHAEL FUMENTO EDITORIAL 13 New Report Casts Doubt on 5 It’s CSI Now, Not CSICOP Gulf War Syndrome KENDRICK FRAZIER AND BENJAMIN RADFORD THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL 7 New Directions for COMMENT AND OPINION Skeptical Inquiry 15 The Art of Persuasion in Politics PAUL KURTZ (and Science) BENJAMIN WOLOZIN ARTICLES 29 Man for the Cosmos: Carl Sagan’s COLUMNS Life and Legacy as Scientist, Teacher, and Skeptic EDITOR’S NOTE Men of the Cosmos.