SKEPTICAL INQUIRER Vol. 17, No. 1 • Fall 1992/$6.25 ISAAC ASIMOV TRIBUTES BY ARTHUR C. CLARKE, FREDERIK POHL, HARLAN ELLISON, CARL SAGAN, STEPHEN J MYSTICISM RUNESTONE HOAXES NIGHT TERRORS & SLEEP PARALYSIS CREATIONIST PSEUDOSCIENCE THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER (ISSN 0194-6730) is the official journal of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, an international organization. Editor Kendrick Frazier. Editorial Board James E. Alcock, Martin Gardner, Ray Hyman, Philip J. Klass, Paul Kurtz. Consulting Editors Isaac Asimov, William Sims Bainbridge, John R. Cole, Kenneth L. Feder, C. E. M. Hansel, E. C. Krupp, David F. Marks, Andrew Neher, James E. Oberg, Robert Sheaffer, Steven N. Shore. Managing Editor Doris Hawley Doyle. Contributing Editor Lys Ann Shore. Business Manager Mary Rose Hays. Assistant Business Manager Sandra Lesniak Chief Data Officer Richard Seymour. Computer Assistant Michael Cione. Production Paul E. Loynes. Art Linda Hays. Audio Technician Vance Vigrass. Librarian, Ranjit Sandhu. Staff Leland Harrington, Jonathan Jiras, Alfreda Pidgeon, Kathy Reeves, Elizabeth Begley (Albuquerque). Cartoonist Rob Pudim. The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal Paul Kurtz, Chairman; professor emeritus of philosophy, State University of New York at Buffalo. Barry Karr, Executive Director and Public Relations Director. Lee Nisbet, Special Projects Director. Fellows of the Committee James E. Alcock, psychologist, York Univ., Toronto; Isaac Asimov, biochemist, author; Robert A. Baker, psychologist, Univ. of Kentucky; Barry Beyerstein, biopsychologist, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, B.C., Canada; Irving Biederman, psychologist, University of Minnesota; Susan Blackmore, psychologist, Brain Perception Laboratory, University of Bristol, England; Henri Broch, physicist, University of Nice, France; Vern Bullough, Distinguished Professor, State University of New York; Mario Bunge, philosopher, McGill University; John R. Cole, anthropologist, Institute for the Study of Human Issues; F. H. C. Crick, biophysicist, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, Calif.; L. Sprague de Camp, author, engineer; Cornells de Jager, professor of astrophysics, Univ. of Utrecht, the Netherlands; Bernard Dixon, science writer, London, U.K.: Paul Edwards, philosopher, Editor, Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Antony Flew, philoso­ pher, Reading Univ., U.K.; Andrew Fraknoi, astronomer, executive officer, Astronomical Society of the Pacific; editor of Mercury; Kendrick Frazier, science writer, Editor, THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER; Yves Galifret, Exec. Secretary, I'Union Rationaliste; Martin Gardner, author, critic; Murray Gell-Mann, professor of physics, California Institute of Technology; Henry Gordon, magician, columnist, broadcaster, Toronto; Stephen Jay Gould, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard Univ.; C. E. M. Hansel, psychologist, Univ. of Wales; At Hibbs, scientist. Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Douglas Hofstadter, professor of human understanding and cognitive science, Indiana University; Ray Hyman, psychologist, Univ. of Oregon; Leon Jaroff, sciences editor. Time; Lawrence Jerome, science writer, engineer; Philip J. Klass, science writer, engineer; Marvin Kohl, professor of philosophy, SUNY at Fredonia; Edwin C. Krupp, astronomer, director, Griffith Observatory; Paul Kurtz, chairman, CSICOP, Buffalo, N.Y.; Lawrence Kusche, science writer; Paul MacCready, scientist/engineer, AeroVironment, Inc., Monrovia, Calif.; David Marks, psychologist, Middlesex Polytech, England; David Morrison, space scientist, NASA Ames Research Center; Richard A. Muller, professor of physics, Univ. of Calif., Berkeley; H. Narasimhaiah, physicist, president. Bangalore Science Forum, India; Dorothy Nelkin, sociologist, Cornell University. Joe Nickell, author, technical writing instructor, University of Kentucky; Lee Nisbet, philosopher, Medaille College; James E. Oberg, science writer; John Paulos, mathematician. Temple University; Mark Plummer, lawyer, Australia; W. V. Quine, philosopher. Harvard Univ.; Milton Rosenberg, psychologist, University of Chicago; Carl Sagan, astron­ omer, Cornell Univ.; Evry Schatzman, President, French Physics Association; Eugenie Scott, physical anthro­ pologist, executive director. National Center for Science Education, Inc.; Thomas A. Sebeok, anthropologist, linguist, Indiana University; Robert Sheaffer, science writer; Dick Smith, film producer, publisher, Terrey Hills, N.S.W., Australia; Robert Steiner, magician, author, El Cerrito, California; Carol Tavris, psychologist and author, Los Angeles, California; Stephen Toulmin, professor of philosophy. Northwestern Univ.; Marvin Zelen, statistician, Harvard Univ. (Affiliations given for identification only.) Manuscripts, letters, books for review, and editorial inquiries should be addressed to Kendrick Frazier, Editor, THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, 3025 Palo Alto Dr., N.E., Albuquerque, NM 87111. Subscriptions, change of address, and advertising should be addressed to: THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Box 703, Buffalo, NY 14226-0703. Old address as well as new are necessary for change of subscriber's address, with six weeks advance notice. Subscribers to THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER may not speak on behalf of CSICOP or THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. Inquiries from the media and the public about the work of the Committee should be made to Paul Kurtz, Chairman, CSICOP, Box 703, Buffalo, NY 14226-0703. Tel.: (716) 636-1425. FAX: (716)-636-1733. Articles, reports, reviews, and letters published in THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER represent the views and work of individual authors. Their publication does not necessarily constitute an endorsement by CSICOP or its members unless so stated. THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER is indexed in the Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature. Copyright ©1992 by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, 3965 Rensch Road, Buffalo, NY 14228. All rights reserved. THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER is available on 16mm microfilm, 35mm microfilm, and 105mm microfiche from University Microfilms International. Subscription Rates: Individuals, libraries, and institutions, $25.00 a year; back issues, $6.25 each. Postmaster: THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER is published quarterly. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Printed in the U.S.A. Second-class postage paid at Buffalo, New York, and additional mailing offices. Send changes of address to THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Box 703, Buffalo, NY 14226-0703. <^> SKEPTICAL INQUIRER Vol. 17. No. 1, Fall 1992 ] Journal of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal A CELEBRATION OF ISAAC ASIMOV: A MAN FOR THE UNIVERSE 30 Kendrick Frazier. Arthur C. Clarke. Frederik Pohl, Harlan Ellison, L Sprague de Camp, Carl Sagan, Stephen Jay Gould, Martin Gardner, Paul Kurtz, Donald Goldsmith, James Randi, and £ C. Krupp ARTICLES Gaia Without Mysticism Phil Shannon 48 Gaia's Scientific Coming of Age Kendrick Frazier 50 The Curse of the Runestone: Deathless Hoaxes John Whittaker 57 Night Terrors. Sleep Paralysis, and Devil-Stricken Telephone Cords from Hell Peter Huston 64 Scientific Creationism: The Social Agenda of a Pseudoscience Steven N. Shore 70 Observing Stars During the Daytime: The Chimney Myth Richard Sanderson 74 Does an Ancient Jewish Amulet Commemorate the Conjunction of 2 B.C.? David P. Rubincam 78 NEWS AND COMMENT Geller Suit Against CSICOP Dismissed / Junk Science and the Courts / US. Public Positive About Science / Francis Huxley Defends Anecdotal Evidence / American Conference on Angels / Asimov on Stamp in 2002? / Paul Kurtz Elected AAAS Fellow / For the Record J NOTES OF A FRINGE-WATCHER Marianne Williamson and 'A Course in Miracles' Martin Gardner 17 PSYCHIC VIBRATIONS TVs UFO Flap, Earthquake Lights, and Francis Bacon Robert Sheaffer 26 BOOK REVIEWS Rosemary Ellen Guiley, Vampires Among Us; Paul Barber, Vampires, Burial and Death: Folklore and Reality Peter Huston 81 RECENT BOOKS 84 ARTICLES OF NOTE 85 FOLLOW-UP The "Bloody Miracle' of San Gennaro / Atomic Arithmetic 91 FORUM Prospecting for Skepticism 97 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 99 ON THE COVER: Eggshell Earth: abstract graphics composition featuring the classic Apollo 11 photo of Earth (by Tony Craddock/Science Photo Library). Cover design by Linda Hays. The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal announces the 1992 CSICOP Conference at the Harvey Hotel in Dallas, Texas Friday, Saturday, and Sunday October 16, 17, and 18, 1992 FAIRNESS, FRAUD AND FEMINISM: CULTURE CONFRONTS SCIENCE Keynote Address (Friday at 8:30 P.M.) Richard Dawkins distinguished professor of zoology at Oxford University, author of The Blind Watchmaker and The Selfish Gene Friday, October 16 7:30 - 9:00 A.M.: Registration 9:00 - 9:15 A.M.: Opening Remarks — Paul Kurtz, CSICOP Chairman 9:15 A.M. - 12 NOON: MULTICULTURAL APPROACHES TO SCIENCE: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY Moderator: Eugenie Scott, Executive Director, National Center for Science Education Bernard Ortiz de Montellano, professor of anthropology, Wayne State University Diana Marinez, professor of biochemistry, Michigan State University Joseph Dunbar, professor of physiology, Wayne State University 12 NOON - 2:00 P.M.: Lunch Break 2:00 - 5:00 P.M.: GENDER ISSUES IN SCIENCE AND PSEUDOSCIENCE Moderator: James Alcock, professor of psychology, Glendon College, York University, Toronto Susan Blackmore, psychologist, University of Bristol, U.K. Carol Tavris, social psychologist, author of The Mismeasure of Woman Steven Goldberg, professor of sociology, City College, City