SI DIGEST 12-24-98
SkeptInq@aol.com
Thu, 24 Dec 1998 10:29:39 EST
SKEPTICAL INQUIRER ELECTRONIC DIGEST
December 24, 1998
SI Electronic Digest is the biweekly e-mail news update of the Committee for
the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP.) Visit
<A HREF="http://www.csicop.org/">http://www.csicop.org/</A>. Rated one of
the Top Ten Science Sites on the Web by HOMEPC magazine.
The Digest is written and edited by Matthew Nisbet and Barry Karr. SI Digest
has over 2500 readers worldwide, and is distributed via e-mail from the
Center for Inquiry-International, Amherst NY, USA.
To subscribe for free to the SI DIGEST, go to:
<A HREF="http://www.csicop.org/list/">http://www.csicop.org/list/</A>
PERMISSION IS GRANTED TO REPRINT OR REPOST ON THE WEB. WE ENCOURAGE
TRANSLATION INTO OTHER LANGUAGES.
PLEASE FORWARD TO YOUR SKEPTICAL FRIENDS.
Send comments, media inquiries and news to:
SINISBET@aol.com (716-636-1425 x219)
CSICOP publishes the bimonthly SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, The Magazine for Science
and Reason. The Nov./Dec. issue features articles on gaps in the fossil
record and the on-going Margaret Mead controversy.
To subscribe at the $17.95 introductory Internet price, go to:
<A HREF="http://www.csicop.org/si/subscribe/">
http://www.csicop.org/si/subscribe/</A>
In this week's SIDIGEST:
--RELEASE: Failed Psychic Predictions for 1998
--NEW BOOK: Secrets of a Telephone Psychic
--NOW AVAILABLE: Crime Science by Joe Nickell
--MEDIA ALERT: Alien Autopsy Secret Finally Revealed?
RELEASE: FAILED PSYCHIC PREDICTIONS FOR 1998
For Immediate Release
Contact Matt Nisbet at 716-636-1425 X219
SINISBET@aol.com
PSYCHIC REPORT CARD DUBIOUS ONCE AGAIN
[ Follow the link to read the release. ]
____________________________
BOOK: SECRETS OF A TELEPHONE PSYCHIC
By Frederick Woodruff (Beyond Words) 150 pages, $9.95
Review from the Toronto Star 12/20/98:
"a sometimes confused hybrid of sociology, pop psychology, the occult and
autobiography....Woodruff's credentials are more credible than most, however.
He claims that over a year of telephone toiling as a genuine psychic, he gave
3,287 readings, keeping notes on each one. From this less-than-scientific
sample, we learn that 78 percent of callers are women, with an equal
percentage of calls based around the topic or romance....Cultural commentator
Camille Paglia tells the author that she believes 'telephone psychics function
as populist psychiatrists for the lower-middle and working classes.'...Given
that this book costs the equivalent of about four minutes of a phone psychic's
time, those interested in the topic might want to make the connection."
[ Order On-line ]
________________________
NOW AVAILABLE: CRIME SCIENCE BY JOE NICKELL
Crime Science: Methods of Forensic Detection
Joe Nickell and John F. Fischer
University Press of Kentucky
Call 1800-839-6855.
(Nickell is CSICOP Senior Research Fellow and investigative columnist for
SKEPTICAL INQUIRER magazine)
Nationally respected investigators Joe Nickell and John Fischer explain the
science behind the criminal investigations that have captured the nation's
attention. Crime Science is the first comprehensive guide to forensics.
Without being overly technical or treating scientific techniques
superficially, the authors introduce readers to the work of firearms experts,
document examiners, fingerprint technicians, medical examiners, and forensic
anthropologists. Each topic is treated in a separate chapter, in a clear and
understandable style.
Nickell and Fisher describe fingerprint classification and autopsies, explain
how fibers link victims to their killers, and examine the science underlying
DNA profiling and toxicological analysis. From weapons analysis to hand-
writing samples to shoe and tire impressions, Crime Science outlines the
indispensable tools and techniques that investigators use to make sense of a
crime scene. Each chapter closes with a study of a well-known case, revealing
how the principles of forensic science work in practice.
Joe Nickell, author of Pen, Ink, and Evidence, Detecting Forgery, and Camera
Clues, is Senior Research Fellow for the Committee for the Scientific
Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. John F. Fischer, president of
Forensic Research and Supply Corporation, worked for many years as a forensic
analyst in a Florida crime laboratory and has lectured at the FBI Academy.
"The case studies clearly highlight the subject being discussed and bring to
life the application of that particular forensic science."-- Gideon Epstein,
Forensic Document Analyst, Immigration and Naturalization Service.
PRICE: $25.00 Available from the University Press of Kentucky
CALL 1800 -839-6855.
[ Order On-line ]
___________________
THE ALIEN AUTOPSY SECRET FINALLY REVEALED?
(The people that brought us the infamous FOX Alien Autopsy special now
include the autopsy in a special on greatest hoaxes.)
Reviews can be posted at <A HREF="http://www.csicop.org/cmi">
http://www.csicop.org/cmi</A>
THE GREATEST MYTHS ON EARTH TO BE EXPOSED IN THE ALL-NEW SPECIAL WORLD'S
GREATEST HOAXES: SECRETS FINALLY REVEALED'
December 28, 8-9pm EST
Lance Henriksen ( MILLENNIUM') Narrates An In-Depth Look At Bigfoot, The Loch
Ness Monster, The Alien Autopsy And UFO Sightings
Never-before-seen footage and new technological evidence will expose the
truths behind the most sensational of legends -- Bigfoot, the Loch Ness
Monster, the Alien Autopsy and Flying Saucers -- in the original special
WORLD'S GREATEST HOAXES: SECRETS FINALLY REVEALED Monday, Dec. 28 (8:00-9:00
PM ET/PT) on FOX. Lance Henriksen (MILLENNIUM) narrates.
For many years, believers and skeptics have debated the fact or fiction
behind films and videos supposedly showing legendary beings and unexplained
phenomena -- on earth and in space. This special details the who, why and how
of the most sensational material ever caught on tape. In each case,
informants, experts and modern technology expose the truths behind these
myths.
Bigfoot -- for more than 30 years, this creature allegedly spotted in the
Pacific Northwest has captivated the world. Skeptics, however, now believe
that amazing footage of the seven-foot-tall legendary beast caught
disappearing into the woods in 1967 was actually created by a film company to
gain interest in other nature movies it was making. In an exclusive interview,
a man with inside knowledge breaks three decades of silence to reveal
compelling reasons why this film is thought to be an elaborate hoax. In
addition, experts also explain why two more recently shot Bigfoot videos are
also blatant frauds.
The Loch Ness Monster -- a 1936 newsreel of a dinosaur-like creature seen in
the waters of Scotland started this legend and has held the world in fright
for more than 60 years. In 1977, new pictures of the sea monster provided
evidence of its existence that seemed too good to be true. The special reveals
why these startling pictures are fake and offers insight on how easy it is to
create a hoax, simulating a
modern-day sea monster video.
The Alien Autopsy -- In 1995, footage of an alien autopsy supposedly taken at
Roswell in 1947 came to the public's eye and was showcased in the highly-rated
FOX special ALIEN AUTOPSY: FACT OR FICTION? Now, for the first time anywhere,
one of the actors who took part in staging the alien autopsy ruse steps
forward, and all-new footage and NASA-type video enhancements shed new light
on how one of the biggest hoaxes of all time was actually accomplished. Also,
other inside sources and top professionals dispute the authenticity of the
famed autopsy, exposing further secrets about the origin of the footage.
UFO Sightings -- These are the most frequent and universally believed
phenomenal occurrences. The special reveals how the most incredible footage of
flying saucers ever shot -- filmed by Swiss farmer Billy Meier, the best-known
advocate of the sightings -- constitutes the longest-running UFO hoax on
record. Top experts, and Meier's own ex-wife, explain how the sharp, daylight
films were created -- using
models and everyday household items. Also featured is a rare interview with
Meier himself, who defends his world-famous footage despite the massive
evidence against him.
Robert Kiviat, executive producer of ALIEN AUTOPSY: FACT OR FICTION?, is
executive producer of WORLD'S GREATEST HOAXES: SECRETS FINALLY REVEALED for
Kiviat Productions, Inc.
___________________