Skeptical Inquirer THE MAGAZINE F O R SCIENCE AND REASON Volume 27, No. 1 • January / February 2003 How Not to lest Mediums Critiquing the Afterlife Experiments 4t, :,,., ,*" -*•*« : _ :: := 25 2t . PL£¥ •SSfiS? . ^«MWr t-~ '# n CTL 00:28:08.23 THE PL£¥ AFTERLIFE EXPERIMENTS Beliefs on Trial and lift ifiiB.gc Pliny the Elder: the Standard of Credulist, Skeptic, Reasonableness or Both? S2HWARU. Pk.l. Placebos, Nocebos, Mark Twain Debunks and Chiropractic a Mesmerizer Published by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal THE COMMITTEE FOR THE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION of Claims off the Paranormal AT THE CENTER FOR INQUIRY-INTERNATIONAl (ADJACENT TO THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO) • 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 Massimo Polidoro, Research Fellow Richard Wiseman, Research Fellow Lee Nisbet. Special Projects Director FELLOWS James E. Alcock* psychologist, York Univ., Sciences, prof, of philosophy. University of Miami Loren Pankratz, psychologist. Oregon Health Toronto C E. M. Hansel, psychologist, Univ. of Wales Sciences Univ. Jerry Andrus, magician and inventor, Albany, Al Hibbs. scientist. Jet Propulsion Laboratory John Paulos, mathematician, Temple Univ. Oregon Douglas Hofstadter, professor of human Steven Pinker, cognitive scientist, MIT Marcia Angell, M.D., former editor-in-chief, New understanding and cognitive science, Massimo Polidoro, science writer, author, execu­ England Journal of Medicine Indiana Univ. tive director CICAP, Italy Robert A. Baker, psychologist, Univ. of Kentucky Gerald Holton, Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics Milton Rosenberg, psychologist. Univ. of Stephen Barrett M.D , psychiatrist, author, con­ and professor of history of science, Harvard Chicago sumer advocate, Allentown, Pa. Univ. Wallace Sampson, M.D.. clinical professor of Barry Beyerstein,' biopsychologist, Simon Ray Hyman,' psychologist, Univ. of Oregon medicine, Stanford Univ., editor, Scientific Leon Jaroff, sciences editor emeritus, 77me Fraser Univ., Vancouver, B.C., Canada Review of Alternative Medicine Sergei Kapitza, former editor, Russian edition. Irving Biederman. psychologist. Univ. of Amardeo Sarma. engineer, head of dept Southern California Scientific American at T-Nova Deutsche Telekom, executive Susan Blackmore, Visiting Lecturer, Univ. of the Philip J. Klass,* aerospace writer, engineer director, GWUP, Germany. Lawrence M. Krauss, author and professor of West of England, Bristol Evry Schatzman, former president, French Henri Broch, physicist, Univ. of Nice, France physics and astronomy. Case Western Reserve Physics Association Jan Harold Brunvand, folklorist, professor University Eugenie Scott physical anthropologist, executive emeritus of English, Univ. of Utah Edwin C. Krupp. astronomer, director, Griffith director. National Center for Science Education Vern Bullough, professor of history, California Observatory Robert Sheaffer, science writer State Univ. at Northridge Paul Kurtz." chairman. Center for Inquiry Elie A. Shneour, biochemist, author, Mario Bunge, philosopher, McGill University Lawrence Kusche, science writer John R. Cole, anthropologist, editor. National Leon Lederman, emeritus director, Fermilab; director, Biosystems Research Institute, La Jolla, Calif. Center for Science Education Nobel laureate in physics Dick Smith, film producer, publisher, Terrey Hills, Frederick Crews, literary and cultural critic, pro­ Scott Lilienfeld, psychologist. Emory Univ. fessor emeritus of English, Univ. of California, Lin Zixin, former editor, Science and Technology N.S.W.. Australia Berkeley Daily (China) Robert Steiner, magician, author. F. H. C. Crick, biophysicist. Salk Inst, for Jere Lipps, Museum of Paleontology, Univ. of El Cerrito. Calif. Biological Studies, La Jolla, Calif; Nobel Prize California, Berkeley Victor J. Stenger, emeritus professor of physics laureate Elizabeth Loftus, professor of psychology, Univ. and astronomy, Univ. of Hawaii; Visiting fellow Richard Dawkins. zoologist. Oxford Univ. of Washington in philosophy, Univ. of Colorado Cornells de Jager. professor of astrophysics Paul MacCready, scientist/engineer, Jill Cornell Tarter, astronomer. SETi Institute, Univ. of Utrecht, the Netherlands AeroVironment, Inc.. Monrovia, Calif. Mountain View, Calif. Paul Edwards, philosopher, editor, Encyclopedia John Maddox, editor emeritus of Nature Carol Tavris, psychologist and author, Los of Philosophy David Marks, psychologist, Oty University, London. Angeles, Calif. Kenneth Feder, professor of anthropology. Mario Mendez-Acosta, journalist and David Thomas, physicist and mathematician, science writer, Mexico City, Mexico Central Connecticut State Univ. Peralta, New Mexico Marvin Minsky, professor of media arts and sci­ Antony Flew, philosopher, Reading Univ., U.K. Stephen Toulmin, professor of philosophy, Univ. ences, M.I.T. Andrew Fraknoi, astronomer. Foothill College, of Southern California David Morrison, space scientist, NASA Ames Los Altos Hills, Calif. Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and director, Research Center Kendrick Frazier,* science writer, editor. Hayden Planetarium. New York City Richard A. Muller, professor of physics. Univ. of SKEPTICAL INQUIRER Marilyn vos Savant Parade magazine contribut­ Calif., Berkeley Yves Galifret, vice-president. Affiliated ing editor and CBS News correspondent H. Narasimhaiah. physicist, president. Bangalore Organizations: France Steven Weinberg, professor of physics and Science Forum, India Martin Gardner,* author, critic Dorothy Nelkin. sociologist. New York Univ. astronomy, Univ. of Texas at Austin; Nobel Prize Murray Gell-Mann. professor of physics, Santa Joe Nickell,* senior research fellow, CSICOP laureate Fe Institute; Nobel Prize laureate Lee Nisbet* philosopher, Medaille College Richard Wiseman, psychologist. University of Thomas Gilovich, psychologist, Cornell Univ Bill Nye, science educator and television host, Hertfordshire Henry Gordon, magician, columnist. Toronto Nye Labs Marvin Zelen, statistician. Harvard Univ. Saul Green, PhD, biochemist, president of ZOL James E. Oberg, science writer * Member. CSICOP Executive Council Consultants, New York. NY Irmgard Oepen. professor of medicine (retired), Susan Haack, Cooper Senior Scholar in Arts and Marburg. Germany (Affiliations given for identification only.) Visit the CSICOP Web site at http://www.csicop.org The SKEPTICAL INQUIRER (ISSN 0l°-4-6"30) is published bimonthly by the Committee for the Ankles, reports, reviews, and Icttcn published in the SKEJTKIAI INQUIRER represent the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. 1310 Sweet Home Rd.. Amherst. NY view, and work of individual authors Their publication does not necessarily constitute an 14228. Printed in U s. V Periodicals postage paid at Buffalo. NY. Subscription prices: one year endorsement by CSICOP or its members unless so stated. (sue issues). $35; two yean. $60; three year-.. S84; single issue. $4,95. Canadian and foreign orders: Copyright ©2003 by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the laymcni in U.S. hinds drawn on a U.S. bank must accompany orders; please add USS10 per year Paranormal. .All rights reserved. The SKEFIICAI INQUIRER b available on 16mm microfilm. for shipping. Canadian and foreign customers are encouraged to use Visa or MasterCard. 35mm microfilm, and 105mm microfiche from Univcnity Microfilms International and is Inquiries from the media and the public about the work of the Committee should be made indexed in the Reader's Guide to Periodica) Literature. to Paul Kurtz. Chairman. CSICOP. Box 703. Amherst. NY U226-0703. Tel: ^16-636-1425. Subscnptions and changes of address should be addressed to. SKlMit.u INQUIRE*. Box FAX: 716-636-1733. 703. Amherst. NY' 14226-0703- Or call toll-free 1-800-634-1610 (outside U.S. call 716-636- Manuscripts, letters, books for review, and editorial inquiries should be addressed to Kendnck 1425). Old address as well as new are neccssarv for change of subscriber's address, with -.n Frazier. Editor. Swr-noAl INQUIRER. 944 Deer Drive NE, Albiiquctque, NM 87122. Fax 505- weeks advance notice. SKFPTKAI INQI 1RER subscribers mav not speak on behalf of CSICOP 828-2080. Before uibmitting any manuscript, please consult our Guide for Authors for format and or the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. references requirements, ti is on our Web site at http://wsvw'.csicop.c^si»'guidc-for-authors.html Postmaster Send changes of address to SKEPnCAl INQUIRER. Box ?03. Amherst. NY and on page 60 of this issue. Or you may send a (ax request to the editor. 14226-0-0 V Skeptical Inquirer COLUMNS EDITOR'S NOTE January/February 2003 • VOL 27, NO. 1 Death of the Afterlife Experiments? 4 NEWS AND COMMENT ARTICLES National Academy of Sciences Report Says Polygraph Testing Too Flawed for Security Screening / Sandia Tests MOLE 20 How Not to Test Mediums Detector, Finds Only Chance Performance / Pop Singer's Death Reveals Visits to New Age 'Miracle Worker' / Baraka Buys Critiquing the Afterlife Experiments Bunk: Furore Over Poet's Conspiracy Paranoia / Brain Site Professor Gary Schwartz makes revolutionary claims that he Located that Induces Illusory Out-of-Body Experiences 5 has provided competent scientific evidence for survival of INVESTIGATIVE FILES consciousness and—even more extraordinary—that medi­ Amityville: The Horror of It All ums can actually communicate with the dead. He is badly JOE NICKELL