Committee for Skeptical Inquiry

[Barry Karr <SkeptInq@AOL.COM>]

Happy Old Year

When it comes to the media's human cloning coverage, we're still in 1997. Chris Mooney; January 9, 2003
With each minute that passes, it becomes more and more astonishing that anyone ever though the Raelian cult's alleged human cloning was, um, real. Indeed, with each new turn in this story—the most recent being journalist Michael Guillen's decision to give up on corroborating the cloning claim—the supposed birth of "Eve" looks more and more like a publicity stunt timed for just after Christmas, one of the slowest news weeks of the year. Skeptics have seen plenty of hoaxes in the sphere of the paranormal, but when there's a serious scientific issue at stake the result is in many ways much worse. The Raelians have received far more attention for their alleged cloning than they ever did for their longstanding UFO claims.

To read more go to:  http://www.csicop.org/doubtandabout/cloning/


Independent Publisher
http://www.independentpublisher.com/index.lasso?-database=18news.fp3&-layout=iparticle&-response=art.lasso&-recordID=38949&-search

Celebrating a Third of a Century of Independence and Progress
A Conversation with Paul Kurtz of Prometheus Books Paul Kurtz founded Prometheus Books in 1969 while a professor of philosophy at the State University of New York at Buffalo, "to offer an alternative." From the beginning, Prometheus Books were written from a rationalistic, naturalistic and scientifically oriented perspective, examining the intersection of science and religion. Prometheus is now established in several original niche subjects: applied philosophy, religious criticism, skepticism of the paranormal, atheism and humanism.


The Starr Report
By Michael Starr
New York Post Jan 6, 2003

Yes, but did he see it coming? Tribune has canned the low-rated "Beyond with James Van Praagh," which airs here on Ch. 11 (1 p.m.). Tribune had hoped "Beyond," hosted by psychic James Van Praagh, would pose some tough competition in the "talking to the dead" genre versus"Crossing Over with John Edward."

http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/66212.htm



Skeptical Inquirers own Ben Radford quoted by Fox News

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,74647,00.html

The New Year Is in the Stars               
Monday, January 06, 2003
By Amy C. Sims

NEW YORK - The Times Square ball may have dropped, but many people are still
looking up to the stars for guidance in 2003.
       
While some make New Year's resolutions, year-ahead astrological predictions
are a must-read for many people...

"You can't put too much stock in this," said Benjamin Radford, managing editor of Skeptical Inquirer magazine. "The idea that you can tell future events by where planets are at a specific time … there's just no scientific evidence of that. Any of us can guess to some degree what will happen, like I predict in the next 10 years the Pope will die."


From  Center For Inquiry Alum Tim Madigan:

Hi, Barry - I thought you'd enjoy this dig at Kreskin:

http://www.povonline.com/News010103.htm

THIS IS kinda funny.  I was just over at www.amazingkreskin.com -- and you don't have to be The Amazing Kreskin to guess that that's the official website of The Amazing Kreskin.  It still displays his fearless predictions for 2002, such as "If [Gary] Condit chooses to run for re-election, he will win."  There are clippings and current U.F.O. predictions and all sorts of nonsense, and I also love Kreskin's Photo Gallery in which "the bona fide mentalist" cannot seem to even identify many of the people with him in the photographs.  There's a picture of Kreskin with George Kirby, but no one seems to have been able to remember George's name, so the caption is "Kreskin with famous impressionist."  There's another one of him with "one of New York's leading weathermen" and one of him with "an actor from Law and Order" but he couldn't divine the names of these people.  But the real winner is this announcement...



UFO Skeptic Robert Sheaffer sends along this note from the Histroy Channel regarding his appearance on their program on UFOs.

Subject: History Channel UFOs show:

Hi,
We finally have an airdate for "UFO Hot Spots" (I believe that's the only
one you were involved in). It will air on 1/29 at 9:00 PM Eastern &
Pacific on the History Channel. FYI, the other two shows in the
series "UFOs in the Bible" and "When UFOs Arrive" will air on
1/28 at 9:00 PM and 1/30 at 9:00 PM respectively.

Thanks,
Best,

Nathalie Neurath
Weller/Grossman Productions