Skeptic - 2008 - Vol 21 No 3

Magazine Overview

Title: The Skeptic
Issue: Volume 21 Number 3
Date: Autumn 2008
Publisher: The Skeptic
Country: United Kingdom
ISSN: 0959-5228

This issue of The Skeptic delves into various topics through a critical and skeptical lens, with a strong focus on UFOlogy, the nature of memory, and the commercialization of belief systems.

Editorial

The editorial, penned by Lindsay Kallis and Chris French, discusses the re-launch of the publication and the meaning of skepticism. They emphasize that skepticism is a method of critical examination rather than a fixed set of beliefs. The Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit (APRU) at Goldsmiths College is highlighted for its approach to studying paranormal phenomena through psychological and neurological lenses, often explaining them through non-paranormal means, though not ruling out genuine paranormal occurrences. The editorial also touches upon the psychology of false memory, noting its deceptive nature and its relevance to paranormal research, particularly UFO encounters. It announces an article by memory expert Dr. James Ost on false memory research and a review of UFO cases by Dr. David Clarke. The editors welcome new subscribers and direct readers to the magazine's new website and archived issues.

Hilary Evans' Paranormal Picture Gallery

This section features an engraving titled "Fervour and Faith in the Forest," depicting a large camp meeting in a forest clearing in the United States in 1852. The text describes how, in the absence of radio and TV, such gatherings were organized to bring religion to remote rural areas. These meetings involved immense crowds, fervent worship, and ecstatic experiences, including people falling to the ground and experiencing 'jerks' that spread contagiously through the congregation. The engraving is noted as being from the Leipzig Illustrirte Zeitung, and Hilary Evans is identified as the co-proprietor of the Mary Evans Picture Library.

Contents

The contents page lists the articles and features in this issue:

• Editorial: Lindsay Kallis and Chris French
• Hits and Misses: Mark Williams
• Skeptic at large...: Wendy M Grossman
• Making UFOlogy History: David Clarke
• Skeptical Stats: Mark Williams
• The Recovered Memory Debate: False Memories of the Memory Literature?: James Ost
• Profits of the New Age: Jon Cohen
• Philosopher's Corner: Julian Baggini
• Through a Glass Darkly: Michael Heap
• Reviews: (Page 25)
• Letters: (Page 27)

Making UFOlogy History

David Clarke reviews three books published 60 years after the birth of UFOlogy, focusing on classic UFO cases:

• *Witness to Roswell: Unmasking the 60-Year Cover-Up* by Thomas J. Carey and Donald R. Schmitt.
• *Encounters at Indian Head: The Betty and Barney Hill UFO Abduction Revisited*, edited by Karl Pflock and Peter Brookesmith.
• *Captured! The Betty and Barney Hill UFO Experience: The True Story of the World's First Documented Alien Abduction* by Stanton Friedman and Kathleen Marden.

Clarke notes that public interest in UFOs fluctuates with media coverage. He discusses the Roswell incident, which has spawned a significant industry, and critiques the book *Witness to Roswell*. He argues that the testimonies presented in the book, particularly those concerning alien bodies, largely date from after 1980 and are influenced by Jesse Marcel's account, rather than being contemporary evidence. These are described as 'contemporary legends' rather than 'oral histories'. Clarke points out that claims made by witnesses like Walter Haut, the press officer who issued the original Roswell press release, have evolved over time and that the new affidavit from Haut, published for the 60th anniversary, contradicts his earlier statements. He concludes that the Roswell incident, while central to UFO mythology, is based on self-delusion and faith rather than verifiable fact, and that its proponents are chasing a chimera.

Hits and Misses

This section covers several brief topics:

• Reagan, Clinton, Bush, Plait: Discusses the increasing vacuousness of political discourse and notes Phil Plait's appointment as President of the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF), succeeding James Randi.
• Denver, the most inviting place on Earth: Reports on an alleged alien visitation in Denver, Colorado, based on a videotape. The article critiques the media's frenzied reaction to poorly taken videos and highlights how hoaxes, like the Cottingley Fairies, can gain international attention with low thresholds of evidence. It questions the motivation behind remaining silent about other alleged alien encounters.
• The end of the world is pretty: Discusses developments with the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. It explains the LHC's function in accelerating protons to near light speed for collisions to study high-energy events. The article notes that results will take years to analyze due to the rarity and short duration of events. It also touches on the controversy surrounding the LHC's safety and the potential for its data to support the existence of the Higgs boson, which would validate the Standard Model of physics.
• Little Atoms: Introduces The Skeptic's official podcast, "Little Atoms," which discusses ideas related to freedom of expression, free inquiry, and skepticism.

Skeptic at large

Wendy M Grossman's column, "Spot the Ball," examines the electronic line-calling system Hawkeye used in tennis. She discusses a paper by Harry Collins and Robert Evans from the University of Cardiff, which questioned Hawkeye's reliability due to the manufacturer's lack of transparency regarding its system's inner workings. The paper argued that the system's reconstructions appear authoritative, misleading the public into believing they are seeing 'real reality' rather than virtual reality. While Hawkeye is more accurate than human judges, Collins and Evans suggest systems should emulate human error rates for minimal game disruption. The article also notes that the technology adds drama to the game but can remove elements of player-umpire interaction. The authors advocate for showing margins of error and confidence percentages for Hawkeye's calls. The article concludes that commercial interests are conflicting with scientific transparency.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue consistently promotes a skeptical approach to extraordinary claims, particularly in the realm of UFOlogy and paranormal phenomena. The magazine emphasizes the importance of critical thinking, scientific methodology, and evidence-based reasoning. It highlights the psychological factors, such as false memory, that can influence perceptions and beliefs. The editorial stance is one of open inquiry but with a strong demand for robust evidence, cautioning against accepting claims based on anecdotal testimony or media sensationalism. The magazine also touches upon the commercialization of beliefs, as seen in the "Profits of the New Age" article and the critique of how hoaxes gain traction.

Title: The SKEPTIC
Issue: Volume 21 Number 3
Date: Not explicitly stated, but context suggests around 2009.
Publisher: The SKEPTIC
Country: UK
Price: £4.50
ISSN: 1356-4777

This issue of The Skeptic features a prominent article on the debate surrounding recovered memories and false memories in psychology, using the Betty and Barney Hill UFO abduction case as a key reference point. It also includes a section of "Skeptical Stats" and two comic strips.

The Story of Betty and Barney Hill

The article begins by noting the decline in public fascination with alien abductions, attributing it to a lack of convincing proof and critical academic studies. It predicts that alien abductions may eventually be viewed as just another fad. The 60th anniversary of the modern UFO enigma provides an opportunity to revisit the Betty and Barney Hill case, which is considered a foundational stone of UFO mythology and the 'alien abduction craze'.

The Hills, a mixed-race couple from New Hampshire, reported an encounter in September 1961 while driving home from Canada. They observed a brightly lit UFO that seemed to follow them. Barney Hill stopped the car, saw humanoid figures in the UFO's windows, and drove off in a panic. They later found themselves 35 miles further down the road with 'missing time'. Betty Hill experienced dreams of abduction and medical examination, which were later explored through hypnotic regression by Dr. Benjamin Simon in 1964. Their story was published by journalist John Fuller in his 1966 book, *The Interrupted Journey*, which became widely syndicated, making the Hills celebrities and establishing the 'missing time' and 'medical examination' motifs as a template for future abduction stories.

The article reviews two books that revisit the Hill case: *Encounters at Indian Head* and *Captured!*.

• *Encounters at Indian Head* is described as a superior work, an edited collection of papers from a 2000 symposium. It is scholarly and reflects a range of viewpoints, with editors Karl Pflock and Peter Brookesmith holding opposing views on the case's reality. While Brookesmith, along with Hilary Evans and Martin Kottmeyer, adopts a skeptical, psychosocial approach, Pflock, known for his deconstruction of the Roswell myth, plays devil's advocate, arguing that a literal interpretation of the Hill's story, involving aliens from Zeta Reticuli, best fits the known facts.
• *Captured!* is characterized as a defense of the UFO case, largely a vehicle for Stanton Friedman and his associates. The article criticizes Friedman's contribution as a 'boorish and poorly-argued chapter' that attacks skeptics. It notes that Kathy Marden, Betty's niece and estate trustee, provides much of the content, offering new information about the Hills' lives and the events.

Both books are acknowledged as valuable contributions to the literature, though neither provides a definitive answer. The article suggests that the case is becoming more complex and that researchers are beginning to ask the right questions.

Barney Hill died in 1969, and Betty Hill became a UFO spotter, dying in 2004. The article notes the UFO industry's reluctance to let go of its 'sacred cows'.

The recovered memory debate: False memories of the memory literature?

This extensive article by James Ost analyzes the literature on false memory. It begins by explaining that memory is a reconstructive process, not a perfect recording.

Can people repress memories of trauma?

Sigmund Freud is credited with the idea of repression, where traumatic memories are blocked. Dissociative amnesia is another proposed mechanism, where consciousness 'splits' to keep trauma out of awareness. However, the article states there is a lack of evidence for repression and that dissociative amnesia and Dissociative Identity Disorder are subject to strong critiques regarding their iatrogenic and culture-bound nature.

Can people falsely remember events that did not happen?

Psychological research has shown that people are susceptible to memory errors. The article discusses:

• Infantile amnesia: The inability to recall memories before the age of three is considered normal due to brain development, not necessarily indicative of abuse.
• Suggestive questioning: Studies by Loftus and Pickrell, and others, demonstrate that participants can be led to 'remember' events that never occurred, such as being lost in a shopping mall or being attacked by an animal. Between 25-65% of participants have claimed to remember such suggested events.
• Imagination inflation: The act of imagining a false event increases participants' confidence that it happened. This effect is robust and has been demonstrated with both plausible and bizarre events.
• False feedback method: Participants given bogus feedback about past events (e.g., getting sick from a certain food) become more confident that the event occurred.

Limitations and concerns in false memory research

The article highlights several limitations:

• Difficulty in proving implantation: It's hard to be sure if false memories are truly implanted or if they arise from other factors like report bias or increased subjective confidence.
• Acceptance of beliefs: It's unclear if individuals continue to hold implanted beliefs after leaving the lab. However, studies show that false feedback can influence later behavior.
• Definition of 'false memory': The research body is growing, but a high proportion of studies focus on simple word-list paradigms (DRM effect) rather than 'rich' false memories of entire events.

Conclusion

The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of clear and accurate communication of research findings to avoid encouraging false memories about the memory literature itself, referencing the 'Can of Worms' example where a booklet contained serious misunderstandings about trauma and memory.

Skeptical Stats

This section presents a list of 25 diverse and often quirky statistics from various sources, covering topics such as historical calendar anomalies, Antarctic condom usage, Barbie's measurements, Steve Jobs' salary, animal euthanasia rates, and biometric records.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently adopts a skeptical stance towards extraordinary claims, particularly in the realm of UFOs and paranormal phenomena. The articles critically examine evidence, highlight psychological explanations for alleged events, and emphasize the importance of rigorous scientific methodology. The focus on false memory research underscores a commitment to understanding the fallibility of human memory and debunking unsubstantiated claims. The editorial stance appears to favor rational explanation and evidence-based reasoning over belief in unsubstantiated phenomena.

Title: The Skeptic
Issue: Volume 21, Number 3
Date: 2008

This issue of The Skeptic magazine delves into various aspects of belief, skepticism, and the intersection of science with pseudoscientific claims and religious doctrines. The main cover story, "Profits of the New Age" by Jon Cohen, offers a critical perspective on the commercialization and often unsubstantiated claims within the New Age movement, as observed at The Mystic Arts Exhibition.

Profits of the New Age

Jon Cohen reports on a skeptical visit to The Mystic Arts Exhibition in 2008, noting the hypersensitivity of believers to questioning and the organizers' briefing of security staff to watch out for "militant sceptics." He observes the mutually exclusive belief systems present, from crystal sellers to Scientologists, all adhering to a New Age commandment of avoiding mention of differences. Cohen highlights an asymmetry in reactions, with skeptics generally welcoming dialogue while believers are often closed off to opposing evidence. He describes encounters with "etheric weavers" sold for exorbitant prices and the concept of "The Law of Attraction" from the book "The Secret," which he finds to be a vacuous justification for life's misfortunes. The exhibition hall is described as being filled with incense and New Age commercialism. Cohen also visits an "AuraWorld" stand, where aura photography is offered, and notes that the aura photographer claims the 'life force energy' cannot be detected by science, yet photographs are sold. He also mentions a workshop on channeling dragons and the presence of Scientologists promoting their E-meters.

Cohen concludes that the New Age movement's survival mechanism is its reluctance to define terms and its misappropriation of scientific language, creating a spurious but hard-to-pin-down phenomenon. He suggests that the underlying driver for many exhibitors is profit, with the new prophet of the New Age being profit itself.

Philosopher's Corner

Julian Baggini's column, "Philosopher's Corner," addresses the limits of tolerance, using the example of the "South Park" episode "Tolerance Camp." He applies this to the UK debate on embryo research, arguing that from a secular and scientific perspective, proposals for limited embryo research are not inherently problematic. He contends that a 14-day embryo is a cell cluster, not a baby, and its use for developing cures should not be seen as a tragedy, especially since many fertilized eggs die naturally. Baggini contrasts this with the religious viewpoint, particularly that of Cardinal O'Brien, who views life as sacred from conception. He identifies a fundamental divergence in worldviews, with secularism based on physical evidence and religion on theological foundations. Baggini expresses pessimism about reconciliation due to these divergent starting points but hopes for constructive dialogue when clergy acknowledge that theology can learn from science.

Through a Glass Darkly

Michael Heap's article, "Through a Glass Darkly," explores the nature of hoaxes and the human tendency to believe in extraordinary phenomena. He recounts a story of a student-perpetrated "flying saucer" hoax that gained media attention. Heap discusses celebrated hoaxes like the Surgeon's Photograph of the Loch Ness Monster and the Cottingley fairies, noting how these illustrate the readiness of people, including experts, to accept unlikely events. He highlights the common feature of retracted confessions in some hoaxes, such as the Sheffield UFO hoax and the Cottingley fairies. Heap questions whether hoaxing is always wrong, citing Alan Sokal's spoof paper and the "dihydrogen monoxide" petition as examples of hoaxes with a serious purpose. He also touches on James Randi's critical stance on the Cottingley fairies hoax and ponders how much of the story's charm would be lost if the truth were revealed immediately.

Reviews

The magazine includes several book reviews:

• "Science and Religion: A Very Short Introduction" by Thomas Dixon, reviewed by John Radford. Radford finds the book informative and even-handed but notes it focuses on controversies rather than basic issues. He critiques Dixon's conclusion that maxims are fundamental within worldviews, suggesting Occam's razor separates scientific evidence from religious claims. Radford concludes the book is good but could be better.
• "The Satanic Scriptures" by Peter H. Gilmore, reviewed by Tom Ruffles. Ruffles notes that despite the title, the book propounds a secular creed based on rational self-interest, akin to a right-wing libertarian philosophy. He describes the essays, mostly reprinted from "The Black Flame," as entertaining but repetitive. Ruffles suggests the book offers a lifestyle attractive to teenage boys but poses no threat to society.
• "In God We Doubt: Confessions of a Failed Atheist" by John Humphrys, reviewed by Ray Ward. Ward notes Humphrys' exploration of religious doubt, influenced by interviews with religious leaders. The book covers topics like the problem of evil, critiques of religion, and the relationship between intelligence and belief. Ward finds Humphrys witty but believes he underestimates the significance of the Mensa study and the Royal Society's views on belief.
• "How to Be a Good Atheist" by Nick Harding, reviewed by John Radford. Radford describes the book as a clear and readable addition to the spate of anti-religion books. It covers the meaning, history, and justification of atheism, along with an attack on religion. The review notes the book's discussion of different subsets of atheism and its spirited defence against common criticisms.

Letters

The "Letters" section features correspondence on several topics:

• Einstein, Darwin and Religion by Nick Harding (London). Harding argues that scientists like Einstein and Darwin used the term "god" metaphorically and that their religious beliefs, if any, are irrelevant to their scientific contributions. He asserts that evolution has rendered religion obsolete.
• Sceptical Journals by Hilary Evans (London). Evans expresses a preference for skeptical journals that focus on "hard cases" rather than general discussions about skepticism. She praises the Australian journal for its tone and content, while finding "Skeptical Inquirer" to be somewhat preachy and "Skeptic" (American) to be overly focused on James Randi and social issues. Evans, approaching 80, remains open to new ideas and hopes the journal continues its excellent work, suggesting more of the same.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue of The Skeptic magazine consistently promotes a skeptical and critical approach to claims that lack empirical evidence. Recurring themes include the examination of pseudoscientific beliefs and practices, particularly within the New Age movement, and the critical analysis of religious doctrines and their relationship with science. The magazine emphasizes the importance of evidence, logical reasoning, and the scientific method. It also touches upon the ethics of hoaxes and the philosophical underpinnings of belief systems. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of rationalism and against unsubstantiated claims, encouraging readers to question and critically evaluate information presented to them. The "Skeptics in the Pub" section further reinforces the magazine's commitment to fostering a community of critical thinkers.