Tampa Bay Skeptics Report - vol 21 no 1 - INCOMPLETE

Magazine Overview

Title: TBS Report Online
Issue: Vol. 21 - No. 1
Date: Summer 2008
Publisher: Tampa Bay Skeptics and Center For Inquiry Tampa Bay

This issue of TBS Report Online presents a collection of articles and reader contributions focused on skepticism and the debunking of paranormal claims. The publication features a primary article detailing a failed telepathy challenge, alongside discussions on human lie detection, a critical review of a 'psychic detective's' memoir, and explanations for alleged UFO sightings and photographic anomalies.

TBS "$1,000 Challenge" Aspirant Fails to Demonstrate Telepathy

This article, authored by Gary P. Posner, recounts the Tampa Bay Skeptics' (TBS) attempt to test the telepathic abilities of 19-year-old William A. Blake III. The challenge, which also served as a pre-test for the James Randi Educational Foundation's $1,000,000 prize, involved Blake attempting to telepathically transmit one word from twenty pre-determined two-word sets to a receiver. The protocol was negotiated via email between Blake and Posner. Blake initially suggested his father as the receiver, but it was stipulated that the receiver must be someone with no possible way of covertly receiving information. Blake ultimately agreed to select a receiver from the attendees, acknowledging they would likely be skeptics. TBS assured Blake that they would be pleased to be the first scientific group to prove a paranormal phenomenon. Blake's initial choice was a first-time attendee, deemed unacceptable due to potential bias. His second choice was Gary Posner himself, which Posner notes, in retrospect, could have raised concerns about a potential scheme, though his reputation for honesty dismissed this notion. The test involved Blake flipping a coin to determine which word in a pair to transmit, with a 50% chance of guessing correctly for each set. To win the challenge, the receiver needed to match all 20 transmissions. Posner's selections matched Blake's transmissions for 9 out of 20 sets, which was described as "almost exactly as expected by chance alone." Blake failed the challenge, and TBS encouraged him to continue testing with his father and to contact them for a retest if successful.

Human Lie Detectors

Written by Valerie Grey, this article examines the common misconceptions surrounding the ability to detect deception in individuals. Grey shares an anecdote about a woman who lied about her location, highlighting how stress can mimic signs of deception. The piece discusses how body language, voice quality, speech content, micro-expressions, and inconsistencies are often used as indicators, but notes that these are not infallible and can be influenced by stress unrelated to lying. Interrogation consultant Stan Walters is cited for describing common folklore-based misconceptions taught even to police officers, such as avoiding eye contact. The article also touches upon magician James Randi's experiences, where people's inability to fathom his tricks leads them to believe he is lying about not having paranormal powers. Grey questions the certainty people have in "gut feelings" and intuition, noting that even experts like Walters admit anomalies can occur. The article concludes with a historical anecdote about children who were believed to bend spoons psychically, but were later caught physically bending them when unobserved, leading to the remark, "Atoms don't lie, but people do."

Noreen Renier's Book Republished -- With Extremely Revealing Alterations

This section announces the republication of Noreen Renier's memoir, "A Mind for Murder," which had been withdrawn following a lawsuit by skeptic John Merrell. The new edition, published by a different publisher, is largely the same but replaces Renier's two chapters about Merrell with two new ones. Crucially, alterations have been made to key "clues" in her famous "missing plane" case to align with the facts, unlike the first edition. The article poses the question of whether these changes constitute "smoking guns" regarding Renier's credibility and promises a full report and an update on her bankruptcy dispute with Merrell in the next issue.

Snippets

This section presents brief news items:

• Hypnosis-Assisted Theft in Rome: Police in Rome, Italy, are seeking a man who allegedly used hypnosis to steal money from banks and retail stores. Victims reported being told to "Look into my eyes" and later found their tills empty, with no memory of handing over the cash. Surveillance video captured the suspect working on a supermarket cashier.
• UFO Sightings in St. Augustine Beach: Several residents reported seeing two round objects, appearing to be on fire, passing overhead in formation. While some speculated they were extraterrestrial craft, others identified them as sky lanterns lit at a wedding. Notably, similar flaming orbs were reportedly seen in Germany on the same night.
• Tampa Electric Power Plant Image: A radiant image visible on the eastern side of the Tampa Electric Company's power plant in Apollo Beach was interpreted by some as a four-pointed star or a "robed figure." However, a USF physics professor suggested it was likely a "standard property of reflections."

Letters to the Editor

This section includes correspondence from readers:

• Deborah Hall, identifying herself as a psychic medium, expressed interest in the $1,000 Challenge and requested information. The editor's note indicates a previous unanswered reply asking her to explain specifically how she could prove her alleged psychic ability, stating that methods like those used by TV psychic mediums would not suffice.
• Allen from Leesville, South Carolina, claims to be a sensitive who communicates with the dead and has collected EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) and photos/videos as evidence. He offers to take the challenge to prove life exists after death and provides links to his YouTube and Putfile pages. He asserts his evidence is "100 percent authentic."

Analysis of Allen's Paranormal Evidence

TBS photo/video consultant Guss Wilder analyzed Allen's submitted evidence, including videos and still shots. Wilder offered explanations for several phenomena:

• "Orbs": Wilder explains that orbs are typically caused by the camera's flash reflecting off microscopic dust or smoke particles very close to the lens, appearing as white blurs because they are out of focus. He notes that larger cameras with external flashes do not usually exhibit this effect.
• "Ghost" Image: The EXIF information for a picture of a grandmother with a "ghost" indicated a long shutter exposure. Wilder suggests the streaked blur above the grandmother was likely the result of the camera being moved during the exposure after the flash fired.
• "Reaper" Image: Similar to the "ghost" image, this was also exposed for over a second, with the flash going off weakly and the camera being moved, resulting in a weak image and a different direction.
• White Light on Wall: Wilder states this appears to be just white light on the wall and suggests checking the source.
• Fuzzy Jesus Ghost: This is described as likely something very near the lens, such as a camera strap, picking up light.
• Outdoor Winter Pictures: The orange reflections are attributed to the environment.
• Videos: Wilder briefly mentions a "weird orb" video that could be explained by a flying insect. A "dark ghost" video is suggested to be something on the lens, possibly a flying bug. A shadow moving across the ceiling is thought to be the shadow of a bird passing the window.

Wilder concludes that he is "not seeing anything even vaguely paranormal here."

Allen's Rebuttal: Allen responded, defending his evidence. He argued that his Nikon Coolpix 3200 camera has fixed settings and that the "angel" and "reaper" pictures were not affected by bright light. He insisted that the object flying across his living room was half see-through, made a "tick tick tick noise," and moved too fast and erratically to be a bug. He also claimed an EVP occurred immediately after the "shadow thing." Regarding the "dark ghost," he stated it could not be an insect on the lens due to the timing and lack of residue. He also mentioned a dimming of hallway light and a contestant winning on "The Price Is Right" during the event. Allen accused the analysis of trying to explain away easy videos and pictures and insisted there was no way for the phenomena to be explained by simple reflections or other mundane causes, urging a closer look.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are skepticism towards paranormal claims, the importance of rigorous scientific testing, and the debunking of alleged supernatural phenomena. The editorial stance is clearly that of a skeptical organization, aiming to critically examine evidence and provide rational explanations for events that are often attributed to the paranormal. The publication emphasizes the need for verifiable proof and highlights common logical fallacies and misinterpretations that lead people to believe in the supernatural. The TBS Report Online actively engages with reader claims, providing detailed analyses and explanations from a scientific perspective, while also acknowledging the public's interest in such topics.