Short Takes from CSICon 2017

The Wars on Science and Knowledge

When CSICOP and the Skeptical Inquirer were founded, in 1976,

Interstellar Visitor: The Strange Asteroid from a Faraway System

A staple of science fiction has always been aliens from

Newly Revealed Secret DoD ‘UFO’ Project Less Than Meets the Eye

In December 2017, The New York Times reported on the

‘Sonic Attack’ in Cuba Caused ‘White Matter Damage’? The Facts Don’t Add Up

It resembles a scene from a James Bond film. Between

Cuban Science Panel Blames ‘Psychogenic Disorder’

A committee of twenty Cuban scientists tasked with examining the

Six New Fellows Elected by Committee for Skeptical Inquiry

Six new fellows have been elected to the Committee for

FDA to Regulate Some Homeopathic Products; CFI Hails Move

It’s finally happened. Homeopathic remedies are going to come under

Canadian Governor General’s Defense of Science ‘A Breath of Fresh Air’

Julie Payette is far from your usual bureaucratic official. Even

New Mexico Scientists, Teachers Stop Attempt to Taint Science Standards

New Mexico has a vibrant scientific co mmunity, with two

In Troubled Times, This Is What We Do

I have often written in the Skeptical Inquirer about how

CSICON LAS VEGAS 2017

A Festival of Scientific Skepticism or a Theme Park for Science and Reason? CSICon Las Vegas 2017 Had It All

Hawking ‘Ghosts’ in Old Louisville

David Dominé is author of a series of three books

Ambassadors for Science

Harnessing the Power of Opinion-Leaders across Communities

Do Superstitious Rituals Work?

Let us stipulate that there is no magic. Sleight-of-hand, deception,

Just Asking Questions

Q: “I enjoyed your recent investigation into the 2016 Mall

The War on Science, Anti-Intellectualism, and ‘Alternative Ways of Knowing’ in 21 st-Centuray America

The decades-long academic assault on science has bewildered the American public about the role and function of science, promoted anti-intellectualism, and politically empowered purveyors of supernaturalism and paranormal beliefs

Drug Therapy Hype: The Misuse of Data

There are several flagrant examples of hype from cancer and cardiac therapy. The drugs Avastin and Opdivo, which have serious problems, have been greatly overhyped. Statins, which are effective in saving lives from heart attacks and stroke, have been subjected to negative hype meant to discourage their use

Twenty-One Reasons Noah’s Worldwide Flood Never Happened

Here’s a geologist’s critical analysis of false perceptions held by many creationists about the origin of the Grand Canyon and the age of the Earth

Colin Wilson’s Idiosyncratic Literary Legacy

Rather than creating a glorious new literature of positive art, Colin Wilson delivered an odd mix of dodgy philosophy, pulp novels, and paranormal studies—the latter often downright silly

The Riddle of Consciousness

For most of human history, people have assumed that some

Strange Songs from the Fringe

When odd birds sing their strange songs, does it change

NEW AND NOTABLE

Listing does not preclude future review

Yet Another Title on ‘Quantum’ Consciousness

You Are the Universe: Discovering Your Cosmic Self and Why

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

In Jeffrey Debies-Carl’s conspiracy legends article in the November/December 2017

David vs. Whatsisname

I’m not sure I get the point of the story