Subscribe now or log in to read this article. The best way to defend science from science deniers is by giving scientists and science communicators some better tools to push back. Of course, what could be a better tool than scientific evidence? But here’s the problem: You don’t convince someone who doesn’t hold their beliefs based on ...A scientific concept is one derived from converging evidence; critical thinking demonstrates that type of convergence (evidence from various theoretical underpinnings and research). Critical thinking is a concept-complex (it involves various concepts, connections, and interactions). To reiterate, critical thinking is synonymous with …After that, the addition of the false etymology created an aura of scholarship about the article (to be fair, procedures for creating and adding to Wikipedia articles have tightened since then; see “Skepticism One Wikipage at a Time: Talking with Wikiskeptic Susan Gerbic-Forsyth” in the March/April 2012 Skeptical Inquirer).Benjamin Radford, M.Ed., is a scientific paranormal investigator, a research fellow at the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, deputy editor of the Skeptical Inquirer, and author, co-author, contributor, or editor of twenty books and over a thousand articles on skepticism, critical thinking, and science literacy. His newest book is America the ...On the Origin of Skeptical Inquirer. Craig A. Foster. “The Time Warp: Skepticism Revisited—from the Future” is the first of an occasional series examining skepticism by looking back on early issues of the Skeptical Inquirer. Welcome aboard, amigos! In “The Time Warp,” we aren’t limited to present-day examination.Joe Nickell. Joe Nickell, PhD, is senior research fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) and “Investigative Files” columnist for Skeptical Inquirer.A former stage magician, private investigator, and teacher, he is author of numerous books, including Inquest on the Shroud of Turin (1983), Pen, Ink and Evidence (1990), Unsolved History …Skeptical activism emerged, at least in part, to challenge such malevolent messaging. In a recent article for Scientific American , Dr. Peter Hotez wrote: Antiscience has emerged as a dominant and highly lethal force, and one that threatens global security, as much as do terrorism and nuclear proliferation.We were privileged to publish an article in the Skeptical Inquirer last year (Sharps et al. 2013) concerning the psychological factors that made it possible for modern human beings, even with modern access to scientific information, to believe in this type of baseless nonsense. We found that disturbingly high numbers of university students ...A new film, dedicated to CSI Fellow and Skeptical Inquirer columnist Harriet “SkepDoc” Hall, describes the rise of the anti-vaccination movement from long before COVID-19 to the present day. The film’s executive producer is Academy Award–winning documentarian Mark Jonathan Harris, and the film is produced by Laura Davis and directed and ...The President is one of countless people who have come to believe that there is a “97% consensus” on anthropogenic global warming (AGW). Since it is inconceivable that any climate scientist today could have no opinion on the subject, if 97 percent accept AGW it follows that 3 percent reject it. To those outside of science, 3 percent may ...Letters – Vol. 46, no. 4. Afloat in Misinformation As a former teacher of undergraduate and graduate students, I appreciate Melanie Trecek-King’s excellent articles in Skeptical inquirer (“Teach Skills, Not Facts,” January/February 2022, and “A Life Preserver for Staying Afloat in a Sea of Misinformation,” March/April 2022).Joe Nickell. Joe Nickell, PhD, is senior research fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) and “Investigative Files” columnist for Skeptical Inquirer.A former stage magician, private investigator, and teacher, he is author of numerous books, including Inquest on the Shroud of Turin (1983), Pen, Ink and Evidence (1990), Unsolved History …Joe Nickell. Joe Nickell, PhD, is senior research fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) and “Investigative Files” columnist for Skeptical Inquirer.A former stage magician, private investigator, and teacher, he is author of numerous books, including Inquest on the Shroud of Turin (1983), Pen, Ink and Evidence (1990), Unsolved History … Skeptical Inquirer Volume 47, No. 2. March/April 2023. Susan Blackmore. Deepak Chopra, Ayurvedic practitioner and famous promoter of mind-body medicine, is among the richest spiritual leaders in the world with ninety-five books to his name and a thriving, and very lucrative, alternative therapy business. In an article in the Skeptical Inquirer (Nickell 2014) and in the book American Hauntings (Bartholomew and Nickell 2015, 57–77), I analyzed the Perrons’ claims of demonic activity and showed that they were consistent with the effects of strong winds, misperceptions, schoolgirl pranks, vivid dreams, simple suggestion, role-playing, and other …Any one of the above twenty-one facts destroys the idea that Noah’s flood was a worldwide occurrence. Nevertheless, a local large flood in Mesopotamia in biblical times could have been possible (Collins 2009). Young-Earth creationists commonly point out that Jesus supported the existence of Noah’s flood (Luke 17:27; Matthew 24:38–39), but ...Skeptical activism emerged, at least in part, to challenge such malevolent messaging. In a recent article for Scientific American , Dr. Peter Hotez wrote: Antiscience has emerged as a dominant and highly lethal force, and one that threatens global security, as much as do terrorism and nuclear proliferation.The President is one of countless people who have come to believe that there is a “97% consensus” on anthropogenic global warming (AGW). Since it is inconceivable that any climate scientist today could have no opinion on the subject, if 97 percent accept AGW it follows that 3 percent reject it. To those outside of science, 3 percent may ... The modern skeptical movement is a grassroots phenomenon that aims at helping the public navigate the complex borderlands between sense and nonsense, science and pseudoscience. Skepticism does so by way of investigation of alleged extraordinary phenomena, mindful cultivation of critical thinking, and an honest attitude toward intellectual inquiry. The President is one of countless people who have come to believe that there is a “97% consensus” on anthropogenic global warming (AGW). Since it is inconceivable that any climate scientist today could have no opinion on the subject, if 97 percent accept AGW it follows that 3 percent reject it. To those outside of science, 3 percent may ...Susan is also founder of the Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia (GSoW) project. She is a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, and writes for her column, Guerilla Skepticism, often. You can contact her through her website. Harriet A. Hall was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on July 2, 1945, and died on January 11, 2023, in Puyallup ...Update Subscription Information. Fields marked with an * are required. Help us locate your current subscription. Fill out the following with your existing information, then let us know what information you need to update. Full Name *.Founded in 1976, Skeptical Inquirer is a bimonthly American magazine published by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) with the subtitle: The Magazine for Science and Reason. According to their about pa ge they “promote scientific inquiry, critical investigation, and the use of reason in examining controversial and extraordinary claims.”.Joe Nickell. Joe Nickell, PhD, is senior research fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) and “Investigative Files” columnist for Skeptical Inquirer.A former stage magician, private investigator, and teacher, he is author of numerous books, including Inquest on the Shroud of Turin (1983), Pen, Ink and Evidence (1990), Unsolved History … Harriet Hall, MD, a retired Air Force physician and flight surgeon, writes and educates about pseudoscientific and so-called alternative medicine. She is a contributing editor and frequent contributor to the Skeptical Inquirer and contributes to the blog Science-Based Medicine. She is author of Women Aren’t Supposed to Fly: Memoirs of a Female Flight Surgeon and coauthor of the 2012 textbook ... Description. The Skeptical Inquirer is the world’s renowned, go-to publication to investigate, evaluate, and analyze extraordinary claims.It draws upon the world’s best scientists, scholars, skeptical investigators, and science journalists to find out what the facts and evidence show and then let you know the results in clear, readable prose.I know Skeptical Inquirer has largely remained aloof from partisan controversies, but it seems to me that what’s going on in the country these days needs a good, heathy dose …The documentary, financed with the help of the Y-12 uranium enrichment facility, begins with yet another telling of Robinson’s version of the story, with actor Bruce Born reading the part of John Hendrix. Whatever credibility the Hendrix story has rests on details of the location of the city and the railroad.The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry ( CSI ), formerly known as the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal ( CSICOP ), is a program within the …Talk 4: The Great Australian Psychic Prediction Project by Rob Palmer, retired aerospace engineer, Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia (GSoW) team member, Skeptical Inquirer columnist As mentioned above, this year was the third time in a row I had the privilege of being a speaker at the Sunday Morning Papers session. Volume 46, No. 1. From Russia’s Stalin to Climate Change—The Irrational World of Motivated Reasoning. January/February 2022. Logo of the Skeptical Inquirer. CSI publishes the magazine Skeptical Inquirer, which was founded by Truzzi, under the name The Zetetic. The journal was under Truzzi's editorship for the first year, until August 1977. The magazine was retitled to Skeptical Inquirer with Kendrick Frazier, former editor of Science News, serving as its editor. In ... Skeptical Inquirer Magazine. PO Box 703 Amherst, NY 14226 800-634-1610 or (716) 636-1425. Center for Inquiry – Headquarters. PO Box 741 Amherst, NY 14226 (716) 636 ... From: Volume 41, No. 6. November / December 2017. The seventieth anniversary of the so-called Roswell Incident came and went this past summer with a refreshing lack of fuss. One might even hope to think the passions it evokes among believers that a flying saucer crashed on a ranch in south-central New Mexico back in July 1947 have, over time ... Joe Nickell. Joe Nickell, PhD, is senior research fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) and “Investigative Files” columnist for Skeptical Inquirer.A former stage magician, private investigator, and teacher, he is author of numerous books, including Inquest on the Shroud of Turin (1983), Pen, Ink and Evidence (1990), Unsolved History …After that, the addition of the false etymology created an aura of scholarship about the article (to be fair, procedures for creating and adding to Wikipedia articles have tightened since then; see “Skepticism One Wikipage at a Time: Talking with Wikiskeptic Susan Gerbic-Forsyth” in the March/April 2012 Skeptical Inquirer).Feb 28, 2023 · Founded in Washington, D.C., by G. Marion Pettie, the Finders were described as a school that “operates on the principle that life is a series of games. To play the games, a person must follow the rules by acting a certain way in every situation” (Bentley 1987). The actual date of the group’s founding seems to be a matter of dispute ... Conservative justices appear skeptical federal law requires emergency abortion care. 3 hours ago. States where abortion is on the ballot in the 2024 election. …Skeptical Inquirer, Amherst, New York. 148,282 likes · 344 talking about this. I know of no greater antidote to pseudoscience than the contents of...Logo of the Skeptical Inquirer. CSI publishes the magazine Skeptical Inquirer, which was founded by Truzzi, under the name The Zetetic. The journal was under Truzzi's editorship for the first year, until August 1977. The magazine was retitled to Skeptical Inquirer with Kendrick Frazier, former editor of Science News, serving as its editor. In ...The BFMS was founded in 1993, in the wake of Britain’s 1988–1991 Satanic panic. The government report eventually issued in 1996 examined sixty-two of the many cases of alleged ritual abuse that had been reported by police and welfare agencies and concluded that in the cases that could be substantiated the main event was sexual abuse ...—A post on Wikipedia complaining about material from a Kyle Polich Skeptical Inquirer article used to critique the Missing 411 claims. I have a love-hate relationship with conspiracy theories. I find it endlessly fascinating to explore the non-reality-based evidence used to support the nuanced, well-thought-out, ...Mar 19, 2018 · Promotional image for The Blackwell Ghost. The Blackwell Ghost is a film promoted as a real-life documentary which follows a filmmaker-turned-ghost hunter as he investigates an alleged haunted house. The description on Amazon Prime, which seems to be the only place this film is available, states “A filmmaker tries to prove that ghosts are ... Conspiracy theories in particular are notoriously resilient to criticism (Goertzel 2011). Many people remained convinced of Pizzagate and—as is typical with conspiracy theories—public disconfirmation only served to convince diehards of a cover-up in the works. To believers, it seems the media doth protest too much. From: $ 16.99. If you prefer to read online, a digital subscription to the Skeptical Inquirer is for you. You’ll get new issues on their publication date and online access to the full archive. On a bimonthly basis, Skeptical Inquirer publishes critical scientific evaluations of extraordinary claims of all sorts that may or may not be true. One of my best friends is a skeptic. And yet for years he has been trying to convince me not to use the S-word. You see, every time he talks to someone about the activities of our local group, New York City Skeptics, tries to promote the Skeptical Inquirer, or our former podcast Rationally Speaking, he runs into the same problem: people are immediately …Susan is also founder of the Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia (GSoW) project. She is a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, and writes for her column, Guerilla Skepticism, often. You can contact her through her website. Harriet A. Hall was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on July 2, 1945, and died on January 11, 2023, in Puyallup ...One of my best friends is a skeptic. And yet for years he has been trying to convince me not to use the S-word. You see, every time he talks to someone about the activities of our local group, New York City Skeptics, tries to promote the Skeptical Inquirer, or our former podcast Rationally Speaking, he runs into the same problem: people are immediately …June 24, 2015. Paul McCartney was twenty years old when the Beatles came to fame, and only twenty-four when, as legend has it, he was killed in a car accident in 1966 and replaced with a lookalike. Now, nearly fifty years later, if today’s McCartney is not the same man as the Beatle who recorded Help! and A Hard Day’s Night, he would still ...On this voyage, we travel to Fall/Winter 1976 to examine the original Skeptical Inquirer (Vol. 1, no. 1). Some cultural context to summon your late 1976 zeitgeist: “Disco Duck” became a number 1 hit (October 16). Jimmy Carter defeated Gerald Ford in the United States presidential election (November 2). Classic horror film Carrie brought ...Peter Popoff says he’s a healer and a prophet of God. His former employee says he’s something quite different. A sixty-eight-year old German American minister, Popoff’s biggest claim to fame is that in 1986, he was taken down by arch skeptic James Randi on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show.Randi, along with a private investigator, …Conservative justices appear skeptical federal law requires emergency abortion care. 3 hours ago. States where abortion is on the ballot in the 2024 election. …In an article in the Skeptical Inquirer (Nickell 2014) and in the book American Hauntings (Bartholomew and Nickell 2015, 57–77), I analyzed the Perrons’ claims of demonic activity and showed that they were consistent with the effects of strong winds, misperceptions, schoolgirl pranks, vivid dreams, simple suggestion, role-playing, and other …Lee first unveiled his plans last fall to allow families to access public money for private schooling, regardless of income. At the time, he was surrounded by the state’s …First as a young science journalist, I became editor of Science News and stayed at the helm there for seven full years. I went straight from SN to SI. I became editor of Skeptical Inquirer in August 1977 and have had the good fortune to edit the world’s leading magazine of science and reason for all that time.Sagan went back to the librarian and explained that he meant real stars. “She thought this was funny,” Sagan remembered. But this time she got him what he was seeking, an act that helped launch a future astronomer. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the delight Sagan held for Skeptical Inquirer magazine.In an article in the Skeptical Inquirer (Nickell 2014) and in the book American Hauntings (Bartholomew and Nickell 2015, 57–77), I analyzed the Perrons’ claims of demonic activity and showed that they were consistent with the effects of strong winds, misperceptions, schoolgirl pranks, vivid dreams, simple suggestion, role-playing, and other …We were privileged to publish an article in the Skeptical Inquirer last year (Sharps et al. 2013) concerning the psychological factors that made it possible for modern human beings, even with modern access to scientific information, to believe in this type of baseless nonsense. We found that disturbingly high numbers of university students ...Harriet ‘SkepDoc’ Hall (1945–2023) Stuart Vyse. On January 12, as this issue of the magazine was being finalized, we received word that Harriet Hall, MD—the “SkepDoc” and longtime author of the “Reality Is the Best Medicine” column for Skeptical Inquirer—had died. Hall was an astonishingly prolific writer, a sought-after ...In an article in the Skeptical Inquirer (Nickell 2014) and in the book American Hauntings (Bartholomew and Nickell 2015, 57–77), I analyzed the Perrons’ claims of demonic activity and showed that they were consistent with the effects of strong winds, misperceptions, schoolgirl pranks, vivid dreams, simple suggestion, role-playing, and other … From: Volume 41, No. 6. November / December 2017. The seventieth anniversary of the so-called Roswell Incident came and went this past summer with a refreshing lack of fuss. One might even hope to think the passions it evokes among believers that a flying saucer crashed on a ranch in south-central New Mexico back in July 1947 have, over time ... In an article in the Skeptical Inquirer (Nickell 2014) and in the book American Hauntings (Bartholomew and Nickell 2015, 57–77), I analyzed the Perrons’ claims of demonic activity and showed that they were consistent with the effects of strong winds, misperceptions, schoolgirl pranks, vivid dreams, simple suggestion, role-playing, and other factors—including one child’s having had an ... Polls and surveys have found that about a quarter of Americans are superstitious (e.g., Moore 2000; Orth 2022). At the high end of the scale, there have occasionally been …SKEPTIC App Whether at home or on the go, the SKEPTIC App is the easiest way to read your favorite articles. Within the app, users can purchase the current issue and back issues. Download the app today and get a 30-day free trial subscription.Scullion also presents artifacts apparently produced by lens flare as evidence of ghosts, referring to them as orbs. Scullion ignores the fact that in many of the images a line can be drawn (with a ruler) from the “orbs” straight back to an overexposed light source (such as a porch light or street lamp). Another clue attributing the ...On the Origin of Skeptical Inquirer. Craig A. Foster. “The Time Warp: Skepticism Revisited—from the Future” is the first of an occasional series examining skepticism by looking back on early issues of the Skeptical Inquirer. Welcome aboard, amigos! In “The Time Warp,” we aren’t limited to present-day examination.Mar 19, 2018 · Promotional image for The Blackwell Ghost. The Blackwell Ghost is a film promoted as a real-life documentary which follows a filmmaker-turned-ghost hunter as he investigates an alleged haunted house. The description on Amazon Prime, which seems to be the only place this film is available, states “A filmmaker tries to prove that ghosts are ... Skeptical Inquirer Volume 47, No. 2. March/April 2023. Susan Blackmore. Deepak Chopra, Ayurvedic practitioner and famous promoter of mind-body medicine, is among the richest spiritual leaders in the world with ninety-five books to his name and a thriving, and very lucrative, alternative therapy business. Polls and surveys have found that about a quarter of Americans are superstitious (e.g., Moore 2000; Orth 2022). At the high end of the scale, there have occasionally been …—A post on Wikipedia complaining about material from a Kyle Polich Skeptical Inquirer article used to critique the Missing 411 claims. I have a love-hate relationship with conspiracy theories. I find it endlessly fascinating to explore the non-reality-based evidence used to support the nuanced, well-thought-out, ...Bjorn Lomborg. Bjørn Lomborg, PhD, is an adjunct professor in the Copenhagen Business School and organizer of the Copenhagen Consensus, a conference of top economists who come together to prioritize the best solutions for the world’s greatest challenges. He is author of The Skeptical Environmentalist and, most recently, Cool It!Joe Nickell. Joe Nickell, PhD, is senior research fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) and “Investigative Files” columnist for Skeptical Inquirer.A former stage magician, private investigator, and teacher, he is author of numerous books, including Inquest on the Shroud of Turin (1983), Pen, Ink and Evidence (1990), Unsolved History …Rob became a skeptical activist when he joined the Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia team in 2016, and began writing for skepticalinquirer.org in 2018. Rob can be contacted at [email protected] Like Rob's Facebook page to get notified when his articles are published. See more articles.Skeptical Inquirer, Amherst, New York. 148,282 likes · 344 talking about this. I know of no greater antidote to pseudoscience than the contents of Skeptical Inquirer magazine. Neil deGrasse TysonConspiracy theories in particular are notoriously resilient to criticism (Goertzel 2011). Many people remained convinced of Pizzagate and—as is typical with conspiracy theories—public disconfirmation only served to convince diehards of a cover-up in the works. To believers, it seems the media doth protest too much.A critical driver of the politicization of science is the perception of threat to religious beliefs, and the school choice issue brings this into sharp focus. For example, many evangelicals feel that tax-supported vouchers should be used to promote anti-science religious dogmas such as creationism.August 22, 2022. Nick Tiller. Kinesiology tape, also known as Kinesio Tape, KT Tape, or just K-Tape, is made from 100 percent cotton fiber and “specialized elastic cores” that stretch in length but not width, allowing it to move and flex with muscles and joints. The Skeptic’s Guide to Sports Science.It was a “road to Damascus” experience for the Mad Men era. In 1966, the respected astronomer J. Allen Hynek had gone—seemingly overnight—from a. determined debunker to an ardent apostle of the UFO gospel. A longtime consultant to Project Blue Book noted for his skeptical stance toward UFOs, Hynek.Rob became a skeptical activist when he joined the Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia team in 2016, and began writing for skepticalinquirer.org in 2018. Rob can be contacted at [email protected] Like Rob's Facebook page to get notified when his articles are published. See more articles.Joe Nickell. Joe Nickell, PhD, is senior research fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) and “Investigative Files” columnist for Skeptical Inquirer.A former stage magician, private investigator, and teacher, he is author of numerous books, including Inquest on the Shroud of Turin (1983), Pen, Ink and Evidence (1990), Unsolved History …Dictionaries, encyclopedias, Google, textbooks, Skeptical Inquirer—these are all static texts that someone wrote to convey individual concepts. The text is written once for a …
The second day got more scientific, examining various efforts to rigorously search for anomalous phenomena. Various approaches were described, including an update on the Galileo Project (which I discussed in the November/December 2021 Skeptical Inquirer).. Free walking plan to lose weight
Skeptical Inquirer Presents. Center for Inquiry. 64 videos 2,231 views Last updated on Aug 22, 2023. Play all. 1:00:57. Science Education: What We Get Wrong and How to Do It …The Skeptical Inquirer published Rawlins’ account of these matters in his ascerbic commentary “Remus Extremus,” together with an editor’s introduction and responding statements by the Executive Council and Kurtz and Abell (SI, 6[2]:58-67, Winter 1981-82).Skeptical Inquirer. Annual Digital Subscription $16.99 billed annually. $2.83 / issue. BUY NOW. “The Time Warp: Skepticism Revisited—from the Future” is the first of an …Founded in 1976, Skeptical Inquirer is a bimonthly American magazine published by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) with the subtitle: The Magazine for Science and Reason. According to their about pa ge they “promote scientific inquiry, critical investigation, and the use of reason in examining controversial and extraordinary claims.”. In an article in the Skeptical Inquirer (Nickell 2014) and in the book American Hauntings (Bartholomew and Nickell 2015, 57–77), I analyzed the Perrons’ claims of demonic activity and showed that they were consistent with the effects of strong winds, misperceptions, schoolgirl pranks, vivid dreams, simple suggestion, role-playing, and other factors—including one child’s having had an ... Letters – Vol. 46, no. 4. Afloat in Misinformation As a former teacher of undergraduate and graduate students, I appreciate Melanie Trecek-King’s excellent articles in Skeptical inquirer (“Teach Skills, Not Facts,” January/February 2022, and “A Life Preserver for Staying Afloat in a Sea of Misinformation,” March/April 2022).Leo Kanner (1894–1981), the first person to identify autism as a childhood disorder. (Source: Wikimedia) In 1930, Austrian psychiatrist Leo Kanner opened the first psychiatric clinic devoted solely to children at Johns Hopkins University, and in 1943 he first identified the disorder of autism, borrowing one of Beuler’s “A’s” (Adler et ...A new film, dedicated to CSI Fellow and Skeptical Inquirer columnist Harriet “SkepDoc” Hall, describes the rise of the anti-vaccination movement from long before COVID-19 to the present day. The film’s executive producer is Academy Award–winning documentarian Mark Jonathan Harris, and the film is produced by Laura Davis and directed and ...There’s another reason athletes are ice bathing; it does reduce muscle pain. As alluded to in the prologue, cold water numbs the skin and partially blocks pain signals that would otherwise race back to the brain. If you have sore and dilapidated muscles, an ice bath might help. But pain is a subjective phenomenon.I know Skeptical Inquirer has largely remained aloof from partisan controversies, but it seems to me that what’s going on in the country these days needs a good, heathy dose …There’s another reason athletes are ice bathing; it does reduce muscle pain. As alluded to in the prologue, cold water numbs the skin and partially blocks pain signals that would otherwise race back to the brain. If you have sore and dilapidated muscles, an ice bath might help. But pain is a subjective phenomenon.First as a young science journalist, I became editor of Science News and stayed at the helm there for seven full years. I went straight from SN to SI. I became editor of Skeptical Inquirer in August 1977 and have had the good fortune to edit the world’s leading magazine of science and reason for all that time.In September 2021, the head of the Biden panel overseeing Havana Syndrome, Pamela Spratlen, was forced to resign after she refused to rule out mass psychogenic illness as a possible cause (Lederman and Breslauer 2021). This was a clear signal that the government’s investigation was being driven by politics instead of science.The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal was the forerunner of the current CSI, the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, that publishes the very magazine you are reading. CSICOP was launched by Paul Kurtz, Marcello Truzzi, and others on April 30, 19 ...Skeptical Inquirer Volume 38, No. 5. September / October 2014. Josh Zepps. Carl Sagan Collection. We present a condensed version of an earlier interview about Ann Druyan’s experience with the first and the new Cosmos series by Josh Zepps for our Center for Inquiry’s Point of Inquiry podcast. This article is available for free to all..