Tampa Bay Skeptics Report - vol 16 no 3 - INCOMPLETE

Magazine Overview

Title: TBS Report Online
Issue: Vol. 16, No. 3
Date: Winter 2003-04
Publisher: Tampa Bay Skeptics
Document Type: Magazine Issue

Court TV Guilty of Hyping "Psychic Detectives"

This article, written by Gary P. Posner, criticizes Court TV's "Saturday Night Solution" theme programming, specifically the "Psychic Detectives" segment. Posner notes that the first two hours of the programming often featured episodes of "Forensic Files" and "Body of Evidence" that were not directly related to psychic detectives. The actual "Psychic Detectives" program, hosted by Andrea Thompson, aired from 10-11 p.m. and presented "pro-psychic stories" that Posner found to be "unworthy of comment" due to the "credulous nature of those police officers and detectives featured."

During the "Saturday Night Solution" theme-chats, hosts Kristen Eykel and Dave Holmes mentioned psychic detective Noreen Renier. They highlighted her credited success in solving mysteries and her prediction of the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan. The article recounts a dialogue where Renier allegedly envisioned Reagan having a sharp pain in his chest, which was not fatal, two months before the attempt. Dave Holmes then humorously points out that Renier also predicted Reagan's demise in a machine gun assault, but suggests she might have been referring to Anwar Sadat, implying a lack of specificity in her predictions. The hosts also referenced Renier's prediction of Jimmy Carter's reelection and subsequent assassination, and Walter Mondale's supposed suicide, which did not occur.

Posner suspects that Court TV may have drawn anecdotes for these segments from his own chapter on Renier in his book, "Psychic Sleuths: ESP and Sensational Cases." He notes that the Court TV website also hosted a transcript of an online chat with Renier from 1999, which discussed her Reagan prediction but not the Sadat one.

The article points out that if the hosts had included more context from Posner's chapter, viewers might have learned about Renier's incorrect predictions regarding Carter's reelection and assassination. The "Saturday Night Solution" programming directed viewers to a website, "saturdaynightsolution.com," which provided a summary of the "Psychic Detectives" program, describing it as a show that revisits crimes solved by psychics and shares "uncanny tips and unexplainable clues."

Posner also mentions that Court TV's "Crime Library" article on "Psychic Detectives" acknowledges his book, with chapters 7 and 11 referencing "skeptics" and including quotes from him and "Psychic Sleuths" editor Joe Nickell.

CHAIRMAN'S CORNER

Title: "All men are Socrates (or something like that)"
Author: Terry A. Smiljanich

This section explores the relationship between skepticism and humanism. Smiljanich uses a Woody Allen syllogism to introduce the topic. He discusses the two main subdivisions of the Center for Inquiry -- International: CSICOP (skeptical inquiry of paranormal claims) and the Council for Secular Humanism (promoting secular values). Smiljanich posits that while secular humanists should be skeptics, not all skeptics are secular humanists.

He argues that a true skeptic cannot accept supernatural explanations for the natural world. However, he believes one can be skeptical about physical world claims while still holding certain moral views not derived from religion. Smiljanich identifies himself as a "nonsecular humanist" who believes in "transcendent universal truths" not dependent on human invention, such as justice, love, and mathematical truths. He finds comfort in the fact that others, like Martin Gardner and Steve Allen, shared similar views, being skeptics who "believed in God."

The conclusion drawn is: A. All secular humanists are skeptics. B. All skeptics share some secular humanist values. Therefore, C. The author is a nonsecular humanist and must be right because Martin Gardner agrees.

Snippets

This section presents brief, diverse news items:

• UFOs in Stockholm: Astronomer and photographer Tom Callen is curating a display called "UFO: The Truth is Here" at the Swedish Museum of Natural History. Callen aims to help people understand that most UFO sightings are misidentified objects and emphasizes the importance of critical thinking.
• Traditional Chinese Medicine: Tampa software engineer Mary Hansen conceived after a fertility specialist prescribed a herbal concoction from Dr. Jian Zhong Xue, a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine. Skeptics, including Dr. Sandy Goodman and Dr. Steven Zeitzew, were interviewed for the article.
• Crystal Freqs: Jennifer and Jerry Huffman opened a New Age shop in Plant City specializing in healing crystals. Jerry Huffman's epiphany came at an American Indian burial site, and Jennifer believes in the science of crystals amplifying the body's electrical current.
• "Coffee Free. Welcome Saucers.": George George, owner of the Charcoal House restaurant in St. Petersburg, painted this slogan on his roof in 1952 as a publicity stunt for his "UFO welcome station." His son Rick stated his father did not believe in flying saucers.

TBS in the Media

This section details the media appearances and mentions of Tampa Bay Skeptics members:

• Terry Smiljanich was a guest on Ch. 13's "Your Turn" discussing Tribulation and End Times.
• John Walsh Show contacted Noreen Renier and Gary Posner for a program on "Psychic Phenomena: An Inside Look," but ultimately featured clairvoyant Dougall Fraser.
• Posner criticized the show's choice, suggesting it prioritized titillation over educating viewers about psychic phenomena, especially given John Walsh's own "America's Most Wanted" program.
• Gary Posner was quoted (loosely) in a St. Petersburg Times article on "firewalking" by Leonora LaPeter. The article inaccurately substituted "psychiatrist" for "psychologist" in his quote. Posner had also explained the physics of firewalking to LaPeter, detailing factors like ash, foot wetting, walk length, coal temperature, and speed, using an analogy of baking a cake. A letter to the editor by TBS member Alan Soli explaining these concepts appeared in the Times.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are skepticism towards paranormal claims, media criticism (particularly concerning the sensationalism of psychic phenomena on television), and the philosophical underpinnings of humanism and skepticism. The editorial stance is clearly skeptical, aiming to critically examine claims and expose what the publication views as media hype and pseudoscience. The articles advocate for critical thinking and rational evaluation of evidence, contrasting these with credulity and sensationalism.