GARDNER ON THE WORLD BRAIN • THE CASE OF THE PETRIFIED GIRL • MULTIPLE PERSONALITY DISORDER Skeptical THE MAGAZINE FOR SCIENCE REASON Volume 23, No. 1 • January/Febr SPECIAL REPORT ARMAGEDDON and the prophets of Doomsday Fears of the Apocalypse M Bible and the Prophets of Doomd Pseu in Russia testing Dowsing m i,m- Alternative Medicine and Unregulated Remedies Published by the Committee R Scientific J^j Cation of Claims of the Paranormal THE COMMITTEE FOR THE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION OF CLAIMS OF THE PARANORMAL AT THE CENTER FOR INQUIRY-INTERNATIONAl (ADJACENT TO THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO) P AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION Paul Kurtz, Chairman; professor emeritus of philosophy. State University of New York at Buffalo Barry Karr, Executive Director Joe Nickell. Senior Research Fellow Lee Nisbet, Special Projects Director Matthew Nisbet Public Relations Director FELLOWS James E. Alcock,* psychologist, York Univ., Thomas Gilovich, psychologist, Cornell Univ. Dorothy Nelkin, sociologist. New York Univ. Toronto Henry Gordon, magician, columnist, Joe Nickell,* senior research fellow, CSICOP Steve Allen, comedian, author, composer, Toronto Lee Nisbet,* philosopher, Medaille College pianist Stephen Jay Gould, Museum of Bill Nye, science educator and television Jerry Andrus, magician and inventor, Comparative Zoology, Harvard Univ. host, Nye Labs Albany, Oregon Susan Haack, Cooper Senior Scholar in Arts James E. Oberg, science writer Robert A. Baker, psychologist, Univ. of and Sciences, prof, of philosophy, Loren Pankratz, psychologist, Oregon Kentucky University of Miami Health Sciences Univ. Stephen Barrett, M.D., psychiatrist, author, C. E. M. Hansel, psychologist, Univ, of Wales John Paulos, mathematician. Temple Univ. consumer advocate, Allentown, Pa. Al Hibbs, scientist. Jet Propulsion Laboratory W. V. Quine, philosopher, Harvard Univ. Barry Beyerstein, * biopsychologist, Simon Douglas Hofstadter, professor of human Milton Rosenberg, psychologist, Univ. of Fraser Univ., Vancouver, B.C., Canada understanding and cognitive science, Chicago Irving Biederman, psychologist, Univ. of Indiana Univ. Wallace Sampson, M.D., clinical professor Southern California Gerald Holton, Mallinckrodt Professor of of medicine, Stanford Univ. Susan Blackmore, psychologist, Univ. of the Physics and professor of history of science. Evry Schatzman, president. French Physics Harvard Univ. West of England, Bristol Association Ray Hyman,* psychologist, Univ. of Oregon Henri Broch, physicist. Univ. of Nice, France Eugenie Scott,* physical anthropologist. Leon Jaroff, sciences editor emeritus, Time Jan Harold Brunvand, folklorist. professor executive director, National Center for Sergei Kapitza, editor, Russian edition, of English, Univ. of Utah Science Education Vern Bullough, professor of history, Scientific American Glenn T. 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Sprague de Camp, author, engineer Elizabeth Loftus, professor of psychology, Cornelis de Jager, professor of astro­ Hills, N.S.W.. Australia Univ. of Washington Robert Steiner, magician, author. physics, Univ. of Utrecht, the Netherlands Paul MacCready, scientist/engineer, Bernard Dixon, science writer, London, U.K. El Cerrito, Calif. AeroVironment. Inc., Monrovia, Calif. Jill Cornell Tarter, astronomer, SETI Paul Edwards, philosopher, editor, John Maddox, editor emeritus of Nature Institute, Mountain View, CA Encyclopedia of Philosophy David Marks, psychologist. Middlesex Carol Tavris, psychologist and author, Los Kenneth Feder, professor of anthropology, Polytech, England Angeles, Calif. Central Connecticut State Univ. Walter C. McCrone, microscopist, McCrone Stephen Toulmin, professor of philosophy, Antony Flew, philosopher, Reading Univ., Research Institute Univ. of Southern California U.K. Mario Mendez-Acosta, journalist and Marilyn vos Savant Parade magazine con­ Andrew Fraknoi, astronomer, Foothill science writer, Mexico City, Mexico tributing editor and CBS News correspon­ College, Los Altos Hills. Calif. Marvin Minsky, professor of media arts and dent Kendrick Frazier,* science writer, editor, sciences, M.I.T. Steven Weinberg, professor of physics and SKEPTICAL INQUIRER David Morrison, space scientist. NASA astronomy, Univ. of Texas at Austin; Nobel Yves Galifret. vice-president. Affiliated Ames Research Center Prize laureate Organizations: France Richard A. Muller, professor of physics, Marvin Zelen, statistician, Harvard Univ. Martin Gardner,* author, critic Univ. of Calif., Berkeley Murray Gell-Mann, professor of physics, H. Narasimhaiah, physicist, president. * Member. CSICOP Executive Council Santa Fe Institute; Nobel Prize laureate Bangalore Science Forum, India (Affiliations given for identification only.) Visit the CSICOP web site at http://www.csicop.org The SKI.E'IH'AI. INIJUIKUC (ISSN 0194-0730) ii published bimonthly by the Committee for the Articles, reports, reviews, and letters published in the SKI'mi AI INQUIRIH represent the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. 1310 Sweet Home Rd.. Amherst. NY views and work of individual authors. Their publication does not necessarily constitute an 1*4228. Printed in U.S.A. Second-class postage paid at Amherst. New York, and additional endorsement by CSICOP or us members unless to stated mailing offices. Subscription prices: one year (six issues), $35; two years. $58; three years. $81 \ Copyright ©1998 by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the single issue, $4.95. Canadian and foreign orders: Payment in VS. funds drawn on a U.S. bank Paranormal. 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Old address as well as new are necessary for change of subscriber's address, with six Manuscripts, letters, books for review, and editorial inquiries should be addressed to weeks advance nonce SKFPIKAI INQUIRER subscribers may not speak on behalf of CSICOP Kendrick Frazier. Editor. SKOTICAI INQUIKIK. 944 Deer Drive NE. Albuquerque NM or the SKI.rTK'Al INCJUIKEIL 87122. FAX 505-828-2080 For Guide for Authors, see page 69 in the May/June issue, or Postmaster Send changes of address to SKEPIKAI INQUIKIK. Box 703. Amherst, NY send a fax request to the Editor. 14226-0703 ON THE COVER Illustration by Brad Skeptical Inquirer Marshall January/February 1999 • VOL 23, NO. 1 SPECIAL REPORT ARMAGEDDON AND THE PROPHETS OF DOOMSDAY Fears of the Apocalypse COLUMNS The Escape from Reason EDITOR'S NOTE Millennium hysteria has been with humankind for a long time, but when it is combhttd with doomsday prophecies, the result can be a dangerous flight NEWS AND COMMENT from reason. World's Longest Firewalk: Physicist Leads Hot Trek for Science in Pennsylvania / Illinois Files Complaint PAUL KURTZ Against Repressed Memory Doctors / Tapes Said to Show Sybil's Multiple Personalities Bogus / Host of The Bible and the Prophets of Doom Paranormal Radio Show Creates a Mystery of His Millenmalism, which suggests thai supernatural powers will soon estab­ Own / CSICOP Research Scholarship Set Up at Hertfordshire / APS Position on EMF Affirmed: 'No lish a perfect world, reflects a failure of nerve and the abandoning of Evidence of Health Effects' / 'Psychic' Sleuth Greta hope in human potential to resolve social and ecological problems. Alexander Dies 5 Despite the claims of divine revelations, it is possible to trace the social historical evolution of the beliefs that lie behind end-ofthe-age theology. NOTES OF A FRINGE-WATCHER GERALD A. LARUE The Internet: A World Brain? MARTIN GARDNER 1 2 New Russian Initiative to Defend INVESTIGATIVE FILES Science and Reason The Case of the Petrified Girl PAUL KURTZ JOE NICKELL 15 PSYCHIC VIBRATIONS Science and Pseudoscience in Russia Apocalypse Soon With the collapse of the Soviet Union and subsequent profound eco­ ROBERT SHEAFFER 18 nomic crisis, science in Russia is in a difficult state. The rampant social NEW BOOKS 55 disruption has been accompanied by a veritable flood of pseudoscience. The rise of irrationality and decline of reason may