Georgia Skeptics - Vol 05 No 05

Magazine Overview

This issue of the Electronic Newsletter of the Georgia Skeptics, Volume 5, Number 5, from September/October 1992, features a range of articles focusing on skepticism, pseudohistory, and the challenges to scientific thinking. The newsletter is published by the Georgia Skeptics, a non-profit group aligned with CSICOP, dedicated to promoting critical thinking and scientific inquiry.

Contents

The issue includes:

• PSEUDOHISTORY, by L. Sprague de Camp
• FDA CLINIC RAID PANICS MAVERICK MEDIC'S COMMUNITY, Reprinted from NCAHF Newsletter
• THE STUDY OF PSEUDOSCIENCE AND THE PARANORMAL IN THE UNIVERSITY CURRICULUM, by Keith M. Parsons
• THE LOST CONTINENTS OF MU AND LEMURIA, by Hugh Trotti

Georgia Skeptics Organization

The Georgia Skeptics is described as a non-profit local group sharing a common philosophy with CSICOP. They aim to promote critical thinking and scientific inquiry as the most reliable means to understand the world and universe, encouraging the investigation of paranormal and fringe-science claims from a responsible, scientific viewpoint. Material from their newsletter can be used by anyone provided attribution is given. For more information, they can be contacted via the Astronomical Society of the Atlantic BBS or by mail to Becky Long, President, at 2277 Winding Woods Dr., Tucker, Georgia 30084. Membership dues are $17.50 for individuals, $21.00 for families, and $12.50 for full-time students.

Pseudohistory by L. Sprague de Camp

L. Sprague de Camp's article, excerpted from the September 1981 issue of *Amra: Swordplay & Sorcery*, addresses common misconceptions and 'tain't-so stories' in history. He posits that if survival depended on correct beliefs, humanity might have perished long ago, suggesting that people manage as long as false beliefs don't lead to dangerous actions. He lists several widely-held historical inaccuracies:

1. Ancient Egyptians as Solemn Mystics: This tradition, arising in the 18th century, was popularized by figures like Count Cagliostro and Madame Blavatsky. De Camp argues that ancient Egyptians, like any people, had diverse temperaments, but their culture likely leaned towards the jovial and extroverted.
2. The Aryans as Tall, Blond Nordics: De Camp states that the Indo-European speakers who spread across vast areas in the second millennium B.C. were likely semi-nomadic cattle-raising barbarians from Poland or Ukraine, who owed their success to the horse-drawn chariot. Their racial type is unknown, possibly Alpine, and they soon disappeared through intermarriage.
3. Classical or Graeco-Roman War Galleys Rowed by Slaves: This belief, popularized by Lew Wallace's novel *Ben-Hur*, is challenged. De Camp explains that galley rowing was a job for free, well-paid men, with slavery only being an exception in dire city-state circumstances. Galley slavery itself is presented as a Renaissance invention.
4. The Picts as Small, Dark People Conquered by Big, Blond Celts: Originating from a medieval Norwegian history describing pygmies, this idea was used by authors like Kipling. De Camp suggests the opposite may be true: the swarthy Picts may have beaten the blond giants, as seen with the Beaker Folk and the Romans. He notes that the Picts were likely racially similar to modern Scots.
5. Rome Fell Due to Decadence and Orgies: De Camp refutes this, noting the Empire thrived for two centuries after Marcus Aurelius. He argues that when Romans were most 'decadent' (by disapproval), they conquered the Mediterranean; when they reformed, barbarians overcame them.
6. Saxons Conquered England Because Britons Were Unwarlike: De Camp compares the swift conquests of Teutons, Alans, and Huns in the fifth century with the slower Saxon conquest of Britain. He points out that Britain experienced a greater population replacement, indicating a fierce British resistance.
7. Vikings Wore Horns or Wings on Their Helmets: This fantasy likely stems from the term 'Winghats' in Dark Age literature and misinterpretations of prehistoric rock carvings and bronze helmets. De Camp suggests these helmets were likely Celtic or Greek, not Viking, and that Viking helmets were simple steel caps, with projections being impractical.

De Camp is also noted for his non-fiction works on Atlantis and ancient engineers, and his contributions to science fiction, including promoting Robert Howard's 'Conan' stories.

FDA Clinic Raid Panics Maverick Medic's Community

This section, reprinted from the NCAHF Newsletter, details an FDA raid on an alternative-medicine clinic in Kent, Washington, owned by Jonathan Wright, MD. The raid, which occurred on May 6, involved FDA agents and the King County Sheriff's office, who seized illegally imported drugs and unapproved medical devices. The incident, captured on videotape, has angered advocates of alternative medicine, including Hollywood celebrities. The article criticizes Alexander Schauss, Executive Director of Citizens for Health, for his credentials and calls the raid a response to the growing 'quackery'. The NCAHF's stance, communicated to Sam Skinner, was that the FDA should not be interfered with, as it was finally enforcing regulations.

The Study of Pseudoscience and the Paranormal in the University Curriculum by Keith M. Parsons

Keith M. Parsons examines the prevalence of pseudoscientific and paranormal beliefs, questioning whether we truly live in an 'Age of Science' in terms of attitudes and habits of thought. He cites a Gallup poll showing significant percentages of Americans believe in ghosts, telepathy, communication with the dead, UFOs, and astrology. Beliefs are also high among university students, with studies indicating high percentages believing in ESP, UFOs, astrology, and psychic phenomena. Furthermore, a significant number of high school biology and life-science teachers would rather teach creationism than evolution, and many believe in a literal Noah's Flood and divine creation within the last 10,000 years.

Parsons notes that these beliefs persist despite a lack of scientific support. He questions the concept of a singular, universal 'Scientific Method,' suggesting that 'scientific thinking' should focus on scientific attitudes and goals, such as the assumption of universal, intersubjective validity. He argues that pseudoscientists often crave scientific respectability and claim their doctrines are scientifically superior, likening themselves to Galileo. However, he asserts that pseudoscientists should be judged by the standards scientists uphold. The article concludes by questioning the authority of scientific methods if they cannot be epistemically grounded and warns against universities becoming apologists for a 'scientific ideology'.

This issue of The Skeptical Inquirer, Volume 15, Issue 2, published in Winter 1991, focuses on the critical examination of paranormal and pseudoscientific claims, particularly those associated with the New Age movement. It argues for the integration of such analysis into university curricula, especially within critical thinking courses, to foster scientific reasoning and combat gullibility.

Critique of New Age Claims and Relativism

The issue begins by addressing the challenge of critiquing claims that reject scientific standards. It posits that those who wish to engage with scientific inquiry must either adhere to its current standards or justify new ones. A philosophical critique is deemed more appropriate for radical relativism, such as a New Ager's claim that reincarnation is 'her reality.' However, if the claim is limited to personal experience, a scientific critique is problematic as it would beg the question by demanding intersubjective verifiability from a claim that repudiates it.

The author notes that New Agers often move beyond personal claims to assert their 'reality' as objective reality, especially in the context of marketing New Age techniques. Media critic Jay Rosen is quoted, drawing a parallel between the New Age movement's promise of instant transformation and American consumer culture's advertising strategies, where personal change is offered through products or techniques.

The Value of Scientific Skepticism in Education

Instruction in the scientific evaluation of paranormal and pseudoscientific claims is presented as a valuable form of consumer education, particularly for individuals facing situations where such beliefs might lead to harmful decisions, like a cancer patient abandoning chemotherapy for homeopathy or police hiring a 'psychic investigator.'

The article asserts that teaching scientific criticism of pseudoscience does not equate to intellectual imperialism or intolerance. Instead, it utilizes the very standards that pseudoscientists claim to endorse. This approach serves as an antidote to gullibility and cultivates more educated consumers in the marketplace of ideas.

Pedagogical Approaches to Critical Thinking

The ideal place for addressing paranormal and pseudoscientific beliefs in a university curriculum is identified as a critical thinking course, encompassing informal logic and scientific reasoning. Such courses, often housed in philosophy departments but also suitable for English, Rhetoric, Psychology, or natural sciences, typically cover topics like inductive logic, scientific reasoning, argument construction, informal fallacies, and rhetoric.

These topics provide avenues to examine paranormal and pseudoscientific beliefs and the reasoning employed by their advocates. Several texts already adopt this approach, using examples like 'psychic surgery' and 'remote viewing' experiments to teach hypothesis evaluation and illustrate how coincidence can be mistaken for causation.

Pseudoscience as Negative Examples

Paranormal and pseudoscientific beliefs are deemed useful in critical thinking courses primarily because they offer numerous negative examples of fallacious reasoning and misinterpretation of principles. The article details how proponents of shaky hypotheses often insulate them from empirical falsification using ad hoc auxiliary hypotheses. Examples are drawn from parapsychology, citing the work of J.B. Rhine and S.G. Soal, where experimenter attitude, subject 'burnout,' and phenomena like 'forward or backward displacement' are used as excuses or explanations.

Similar tactics are observed in astrology, as illustrated by the candid confession of a professional astrologer who uses various astrological placements and concepts ('Pisces Ascendant,' 'Sun conjunct Saturn,' 'ruler in the twelfth house,' 'Aries potential,' or suppressing characteristics) to explain away contradictory evidence about aggression in individuals with planets in Aries.

Engagement and Scientific Reasoning

The article argues that using examples from pseudoscience and the paranormal makes learning scientific thinking more interesting for students. For instance, the debate between creationists and evolutionists is more engaging than an abstract discussion of Darwinism. The principles of scientific reasoning become more tangible within such controversies.

Therefore, the critical scientific examination of pseudoscientific and paranormal claims should be a significant part of the university curriculum. This study, far from promoting intolerance, equips students with critical thinking skills that act as a powerful antidote to dogmatism and bigotry.

Bibliography of Works Cited

The issue includes a bibliography listing numerous works relevant to the topics discussed, including books and articles on objectivism, relativism, astrology, pseudoscience, paranormal phenomena, scientific reasoning, and critical thinking. Notable authors cited include Richard J. Bernstein, Geoffrey Dean, Raymond A. Eve, Dana Dunn, George H. Gallup Jr., Frank Newport, Martin Gardner, Ronald Giere, Duane T. Gish, Henry Gordon, Thomas Gray, Frederick Grinnell, J.W. Grove, Philip Kitcher, Philip J. Klass, Paul Kurtz, D. Marks, R. Kamman, Kathleen Dean Moore, Richard Rorty, and Harvey Siegel.

The Lost Continents of Mu and Lemuria

A separate, lighter piece by Hugh Trotti discusses the mythical lost continents of Mu and Lemuria. It humorously recounts a tale of cattle herders who discovered a paradise named 'Moo,' which eventually sank due to the weight of its cattle. They then migrated to a new land named 'Le-Moo-Ria.' The author playfully suggests that Madame Blavatsky and others might have mistaken cow horns for geological crystals and that the similarity in pronunciation between 'Mu' and 'Moo,' and 'Lemuria' and 'Le-Moo-Ria,' lends credence to these occult performances.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme throughout the main articles is the importance of scientific literacy and critical thinking in navigating a world increasingly filled with pseudoscientific and paranormal claims. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of rigorous scientific evaluation, viewing skepticism not as intolerance but as a vital tool against gullibility, dogmatism, and the manipulative marketing of unsubstantiated beliefs. The magazine advocates for educating individuals to become discerning consumers of information and ideas. The inclusion of the 'Lost Continents' piece adds a touch of historical curiosity and light-hearted speculation, contrasting with the main analytical thrust.