Committee for Skeptical Inquiry

[Barry Karr <SkeptInq@AOL.COM>]

Joe Nickell and CSICOP featured in the current issue of The New Yorker

The current (December 23 & 30, 2002) issue of The New Yorker features Joe
Nickell and CSICOP in an article titled "Waiting for Ghosts: The many
careers of a paranormal investigator" (pp. 86+).  

Staff writer Burkhard Bilger follows CSICOP senior research fellow Joe
Nickell in the field at the Upstate New York Spiritualist community Lily
Dale, and at the June 2002 World Skeptics Conference in Burbank, California.

In addition to sketching out the biography of Nickell and CSICOP, Bilger
quotes Paul Kurtz, Ray Hyman and other skeptics about skepticism, and the
problems faced both in the U.S. and around the world. 

The article is not online so check it out at the newsstand.

CONTACT: Kevin Christopher, CSICOP Public Relations Director,
mailto:press@csicop.org


Articles of Note - Thanks to Joe Littrell (and welcome back!)

Cities give psychics license to entertain, not exorcise
By Edgar Sanchez
Sacramento Bee
http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/scam_alert/story/5449685p-6434585c.html

"Believers in the occult and thrill-seekers are the bread and butter of 
psychic parlors."


Bermuda Triangle: Behind the Intrigue
by Hillary Mayell
National Geographic News
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/12/1205_021205_bermudatriangle.html

"On a sunny day 57 years ago, five Navy planes took off from their base in 
Florida on a routine training mission, known as Flight 19. Neither the 
planes nor the crew were ever seen again."


To Spite the Face
BY QUETTA CARPENTER
Phoenix New Times
http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/issues/2002-12-05/news.html/1/index.html

"Under the surface of Mars lies an ancient, nuclear-powered city left by 
Martian citizens. At least, that's what a group of space researchers think. 
And they're trying to prove it by invoking a little-known remnant of 
President Clinton's last days called the "Data Quality Act" that went into 
force in October of this year. The filing, dated October 31, 2002, gives 
NASA 40 days to address the complaint that there is faulty data on Arizona 
State University's THEMIS Web site."


Are We Being Taken by Spielberg?
by Leon Jaroff
TIME
http://www.time.com/time/columnist/jaroff/article/0,9565,398945,00.html

"The Sci-Fi Channel is best known for programs that contain very little Sci 
and an abundance of Fi. Its most popular show until now, John Edward's 
"Crossing Over" (which I savaged last year in TIME) remains devoid of 
science, let alone truth. Edward, you recall, claims to be a medium who can 
transmit messages from the dearly departed to their bereaved relatives. 
That's nonsense, of course, and lacks even the kind of scientific 
credibility and measurability that I have, for example, when my response to 
questions about my shirt size is "I'm a medium.""



Is the animal psychic a great practical joke?
By Baxter Black
Amarillo Globe-News
http://www.amarillonet.com/stories/121402/fea_blackisthe.shtml

"I have been asked my thoughts about the animal psychic that appears on the 
TV channel Animal Planet. What can I say that would not seem unkind or less 
than professional, other than...Do you think that Eddie Murphy in Dr. 
Dolittle is historically accurate?"



Superstition takes toll, 8 kids die
by Nirmala Ganapathy
Indian Express
http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=14744

"An eerie silence pervades the village of Dariyapur at Bihta in Bihar. 
Superstition and a reluctance to seek medical attention has led to the 
death of eight children in this village of Musahars — a Schedule Caste 
community that comes at the bottom of Bihar’s caste set-up."


Ohio School Board OKs Science Standards
by LIZ SIDOTI
Associated Press
http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/nation/4711080.htm

"The state school board unanimously approved science standards Tuesday that 
more strongly advocate the teaching of evolution while allowing students to 
fully critique the theory's legitimacy."


Board rejects disclaimer in biology books
By WILL SENTELL
The Advocate [Baton Rouge]
http://www.theadvocate.com/stories/121302/new_rejects001.shtml

"The state's top school board rejected a move Thursday to add a disclaimer 
to high school biology textbooks that said evolution is only a theory."


Evolution disclaimer is struck down
By Laura Maggi
The Times-Picayune [New Orleans]
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/capital/index.ssf?/newsstory/evolution13.html

"Louisiana's state school board on Thursday rejected a proposed disclaimer 
for school science textbooks that would have instructed students learning 
about evolution to "keep an open mind" about the prevailing scientific 
theory of the creation of species."


Group Claims to Make Energy from Water
By Tonya Papanikolas
KBCI
<http://www2.kbcitv.com/x5154.xml?ParentPageID=x5157&ContentID=x32329&Layout=KBCI.xsl&AdGroupID=x5154>

"Can you imagine a day when your home or business could be powered on 
nothing but water?  Sound impossible?  A group called Genesis World Energy 
says they've learned how to do it."


Presentation by Genesis Project has few details
by Julie Howard
Idaho Statesman
http://www.idahostatesman.com/story.asp?ID=27402

"A mysterious technology touted to end reliance on fossil fuels and other 
traditional energy sources was unveiled in Boise Thursday, but its 
cloak-and-dagger public launch left attendees puzzled and curious."


For More Stories Visit:  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/skepticsearch/