Bay Area Skeptics Information Sheet - 1987 11

Magazine Overview

Title: "BASIS", Newsletter of the Bay Area Skeptics
Issue: Vol. 6, No. 11
Date: November 1987
Editor: Kent Harker

This issue of the Bay Area Skeptics' newsletter, "BASIS," features several articles critically examining claims of pseudoscience and fraud, alongside a report on a local skeptical meeting.

Dousing Those Dowsers by Don Henvick

The lead article details an investigation by Bay Area Skeptics into a non-credit course on "Dowsing, The Art of Finding" offered by Santa Rosa Junior College. Don Henvick, along with Bill Bennetta and hydrologist Gene Boudreau, enrolled in the course to expose its lack of scientific basis. The instructor, Greg Thompson, is described as rambling and providing incoherent explanations for dowsing, which he claimed was a 'sixth sense' that could be programmed. Thompson presented a history of dowsing, citing its prevalence as evidence of its validity, and suggested that scientists couldn't even figure out how sparrows return to Capistrano. He also claimed to have found water during a drought and gold deposits in Cameroon using map dowsing.

During the practical session, students were given dowsing rods, wires, and pendulums to find water in the classroom. Henvick observed that the rods moved downward due to the way they were held, with slight wrist movements causing the apparent 'finding' of underground streams. The instructor also claimed to be programmed to find water but not objects, despite demonstrating map dowsing for gold. A final exercise involved hiding jewelry items for students to find. However, most items were not located by dowsing, and the instructor himself struggled to find a hidden crystal pendant, eventually admitting defeat and paying the owner for the lost item. The article concludes that the course peddled 'junk' and that the instructor's methods were suspect, possibly influenced by his presidency of the Redwood chapter of the American Society of Dowsers.

Lotto Bunco by Richard Cleverley

This article exposes a scam involving purported psychic lottery number predictions. Cleverley explains how promoters use mass mailings, often advertising for a small fee, to create the illusion of psychic ability. The scheme involves sending out numerous letters with different numbers, ensuring that some recipients will receive a 'correct' number by chance. These 'successes' are then used to solicit more money for further predictions. Cleverley argues that if psychics truly possessed such powers, they would use them for personal gain or to solve major world problems, rather than engaging in such schemes. He criticizes the lack of replicable experiments in parapsychology and highlights the prevalence of fraud, citing Uri Geller as an example of a psychic caught cheating.

September Meeting by Michael Sorens

This section reports on a presentation by Jim Wheeler to the Bay Area Skeptics in Campbell. Wheeler, a videotape engineer and amateur archaeologist, discussed 'Ancient Astronauts,' focusing on the theories of Erich von Daniken. Wheeler compared von Daniken's claims with evidence he gathered from sites like the Polenke sarcophagi, Nazca lines, and Easter Island. He concluded that von Daniken possessed an 'incredibly active imagination' and embellished facts to support his theories, though Wheeler acknowledged that these theories have sparked interest in archaeology. The article provides details about the construction and placement of the statues on Easter Island, noting the competition between tribes and the technical challenges involved in moving the massive stone figures. Wheeler also demonstrated simple techniques for carving the statues, using small rocks as hammers.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently promotes a skeptical and critical approach to extraordinary claims. The articles in this issue focus on debunking pseudoscience, exposing fraudulent schemes, and encouraging critical thinking. The editorial stance is clearly against unverified claims, particularly those presented in the fields of dowsing and psychic phenomena, and advocates for evidence-based reasoning. The publication aims to educate its readers about common scams and to foster a scientific mindset.

BASIS, November 1987 issue, published by Bay Area Skeptics. This monthly publication focuses on critical examination of paranormal claims and pseudoscientific beliefs.

Editor's Corner: The Nature of Perception and Cognition

The "Editor's Corner" critically examines Extra Sensory Perception (ESP) and its contemporary term, 'psi,' labeling them as empty constructs that fail to explain how information is acquired. The author argues that negative definitions, like defining a horse as 'not a tarantula,' are unhelpful. The piece posits that our understanding of perception and cognition is rudimentary, even for ordinary processes like recall. The availability of memory, such as recalling the first U.S. president, is not fundamentally understood. Mental processes are likened to filters and mirrors, sifting and reflecting information based on cultural and educational experiences, leading to potential distortions of reality. The author emphasizes that we are often unaware of the thinking process itself, only experiencing its result. Modern psychology and brain physiology offer some clarity, with J. E. Alcock's book "Parapsychology: Science or Magic" cited as a significant resource.

A study by psychologists Brown and McNeill is presented, showing that students could provide partial information about words they couldn't fully recall, and that the correct information often surfaced later, suggesting unconscious information processing. This phenomenon is linked to intuition or 'gut reactions,' which the author finds suspect given our limited understanding of cognition. The piece suggests that rational processes might operate unconsciously, citing examples of physicists and programmers experiencing 'intuition' about complex problems. The idea that the unconscious mind is the seat of rational and creative power is explored.

Further evidence comes from a study by N. Maier, demonstrating how subjects were unaware of the solution to a problem involving tying two strings together, even when given subtle hints. This highlights our lack of awareness of available sensory channels and how we process information. More striking evidence is drawn from split-brain surgery patients. Brain physiology indicates that the left hemisphere controls rational processes (language, math) and the right controls non-verbal skills (art, face recognition). In normal individuals, these hemispheres communicate constantly. Studies of epilepsy patients with severed corpus callosum fibers reveal intriguing results, suggesting that one hemisphere might perceive something without the other's awareness, impacting verbalization and conscious perception.

The article discusses how the left brain may impose itself on experiences, retrospectively justifying actions even without causal connection, fitting information into existing belief systems. This emotional versus rational aspect has been tested, showing that when hemispheres cannot communicate, individuals may experience something without left-brain awareness and invent explanations consistent with their beliefs.

The author qualifies the adage that senses are not to be trusted, stating that our senses are all we have, but untrained and uncritical senses can be untrustworthy. Sensory information is filtered through the brain, and while raw data may be objective, our biological processing unit acts as a filter. Therefore, awareness and training of this filter are essential. The piece concludes by urging parapsychologists to first understand normal brain function in assimilating sensory information before resorting to non-sensory hypotheses for anomalous events, invoking Occam's razor.

Ramparts: Irrationality in California

The "Ramparts" section, a regular feature, invites readers to submit examples of local irrationality. This installment questions why such phenomena often occur in California, suggesting a link to the 'Yuppie' demographic's money. It highlights an article from "IMAGE" magazine about a new body treatment called the "kosoburo," an 'enzyme' bath made from fermented cedar or fir fiber and rice bran. The treatment is claimed to raise consciousness and cure sciatica. The author expresses skepticism about the medical claims, particularly the idea that it 'helps draw out toxins,' and notes the claim that 'no one really understands how it works.'

Editor's Note: The Acronym LATRUTH

The "Editor's Note" addresses comments about the hotline acronym LATRUTH, defending its use as a mnemonic device that is amusing and effective, even if it ruffles opposition. The editor clarifies that BAS does not claim to have all the answers and aims not to appear arrogant. The note suggests finding a less arrogant acronym for the phone number.

Animal Language

This section discusses the topic of animal intelligence and language, which was addressed at a recent CSICOP conference. BAS is presenting an opportunity to hear from Ms. Mitzi Phillips, who worked with Penny Patterson and her famous protege, Koko the gorilla. The piece notes Koko's international reputation and media attention, particularly a "National Geographic" cover story. Readers are invited to a skeptical examination of the work at the Gorilla Foundation.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue of BASIS consistently promotes a skeptical and rational approach to understanding phenomena. The editorial stance is critical of unsubstantiated claims, particularly in the realm of parapsychology and pseudoscientific treatments. The publication emphasizes the importance of rigorous scientific inquiry, understanding normal psychological and neurological processes, and the limitations of current knowledge. It encourages critical thinking and the questioning of claims that lack empirical evidence. The "Ramparts" section specifically targets local instances of irrationality, while the "Editor's Note" addresses the tone and perception of the organization itself, advocating for a balanced approach that avoids arrogance.