Tampa Bay Skeptics Report - vol 09 no 2 - INCOMPLETE

Magazine Overview

Title: TBS Report Online
Issue: Vol. 9 - No. 2
Date: Fall 1996
Publisher: Tampa Bay Skeptics
Focus: Skeptical analysis of paranormal claims and pseudoscience.

Noreen Renier's "Psychic" Reading and the Norman Lewis Case

The lead article by Gary P. Posner critically examines the case of Noreen Renier, a self-proclaimed "psychic detective," whose tips allegedly led Williston police to the missing body of Norman Lewis. Lewis had been missing for two years. The article details how the Lewis family, after a year of fruitless police investigation, suggested calling in a psychic. Investigator Brian Hewitt, familiar with Renier's past work, recommended her. The Lewis family reportedly paid Renier's $650 fee.

Renier performed a "psychic" reading, providing clues that included directions to an area with "water in something like a pit," surrounded by "metal," a "cliff wall," "loose bricks," a "railroad track," and a "bridge." She also provided numerical clues "45" and "21."

Based on these clues, police enlisted Navy divers to search a limestone quarry. The divers located Lewis' truck and skeletal remains submerged in water. The case was subsequently featured on the A&E Network's "Unexplained" series and reported by media outlets like Paul Harvey and the TV show "Sightings."

Posner, however, presents a skeptical counter-narrative. He argues that the location where the body was found was not the most logical site suggested by Renier's clues, particularly the numerical clue "21" which, after the fact, was interpreted as "2.1" miles from Lewis' home. The actual recovery site, the Whitehurst pit, was more than twice as far away and only adjacent to state route 45, not 121 as implied by the clue "21."

Posner suggests that Renier's clues could have been derived from common sense reasoning and information readily available in newspaper articles and maps, a process he terms "retrofitting." He points out that the "railroad track" clue was only confirmed after the fact when police discovered it, and the "bridge" clue might have referred to an old wooden truck scale. Posner concludes that the success of the psychic's involvement might be attributed to ordinary detective work and the police's own intuition, rather than supernatural abilities.

Chairman's Corner: Life on Mars

In his "Chairman's Corner," Terry A. Smiljanich addresses the media's coverage of potential evidence for life on Mars, stemming from the examination of a 13,000-year-old meteorite found in Antarctica. The meteorite reportedly contains carbon compounds associated with biological activity and structures possibly representing fossilized bacteria from Martian rock dating back 4.5 billion years.

Smiljanich contrasts this scientific approach with the sensationalism of pseudoscientists. He criticizes figures like Richard Hoagland and Bob Guccione for promoting unsubstantiated claims about Martian pyramids, faces, and aliens without the rigorous methodology of science, such as peer review and detailed fact-checking. He highlights the difference between science's cautious approach, which considers possibilities like earthly contamination, and pseudoscience's tendency to build elaborate theories on flimsy foundations.

He emphasizes that scientific evidence for ancient life on a potentially habitable planet is consistent with current scientific understanding, whereas pseudoscientific claims about ancient civilizations on Mars are not. Smiljanich concludes by posing a choice between the exciting prospect of scientific discovery and the less substantiated marvels of pseudoscience.

Snippets

This section contains brief news items:

• Home Shopping Network Settlement: HSN and former actress Ruta Lee settled with the Federal Trade Commission over deceptive advertising claims for health and dietary products, agreeing to cease airing unproven claims.
• Courtney Brown's Claims: A quote from Emory University professor Courtney Brown expresses the high stakes of his research into paranormal phenomena, particularly "remote viewing." A subsequent snippet elaborates on Brown's claims, including traveling through space and time, speaking with Jesus, and discovering Martian colonies and the origin of the "Star Trek" concept from aliens known as "The Grays."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The issue consistently promotes a skeptical viewpoint, critically examining claims of psychic abilities and paranormal phenomena. The article on Noreen Renier questions the validity of psychic tips and highlights the potential for "retrofitting" evidence. The "Chairman's Corner" strongly advocates for scientific rigor over pseudoscience, particularly in the context of extraterrestrial life. The overall stance is one of promoting critical thinking and evidence-based reasoning against sensationalism and unsubstantiated claims.