Thanks to the organizers, I had a front row VIP seat to watch this experiment. (I guess there are some advantages to being a D-list celebrity!!)  I was very impressed with how meticulous the experiment was conducted and even more impressed with how all the audience (estimated at about 500) was able to keep absolutely quiet and still – not a cough, not a chair squeak – throughout the duration of the challenge.  I can’t imagine a room full of skeptics – outspoken skeptics – watching this demonstration of psychic power not wanting to scream out some invective or irreverence comment.  But we were all very well behaved and the demonstration of psychic Sonne’s ability to dowse failed – failed spectacularly.

The honest truth is that while I sat watching her dowse, I somehow wanted her to succeed.  Yes, my rational-self knew she would fail. I understand the laws of physics and that the fundamental forces of nature as well as statistics are not in her favor.  But yet, deep down, and for very selfish reasons I wanted her to succeed.  If she could indeed dowse for the cards under such strict conditions, she would be on her way to proof there there possibly could be another force of nature hereto undiscovered – and I was in a front-row seat to witness it – how cool is that?

I am trained as a scientist and worked in applied science and engineering all my working life but I grew up in a culture where existence of unmeasurable, undetectable imaginary force fields are taken for granted.  Perhaps if Connie succeeded and dowsing is indeed a reality, we can set out to find the reality behind the phenomenon. If we can find the “dowsing force” can we not find the “chi force” and rehabilitate my fore-bearers pseudoscience and bad medicine?  Wishful thinking!

There is one observation I would like to share with you – and that is the noticeable absence of attendees and panel participants of Asian descent.  This is not the only skeptics movement events where I have noticed this dearth of Asian (especially Chinese and Koreans) participation. Go to any science, technology events or to any science and engineering departments in any major universities in North America and you will see people of Chinese, Korean and Japanese ancestry very well represented. Yet, they are all but absent from the skeptics movement.  I met a couple of “pale white guys” (their words!) from the skeptic society in Vancouver, BC, Canada and they brought up the same observation.  Vancouver, BC has the largest Chinese population or any cities outside China, after Singapore, yet they are conspicuously absent from their local skeptic movement. I find it impossible to belief that all the professors in physics, chemistry,  or astronomy of Chinese ancestry in our great universities and research centers believe in chi, animal astrology, feng shui and other woo-woo nonsense.  I cannot believe that all the pharmacology professors in our most esteem pharmacy and medical schools would accept all the Chinese herb remedies that have been tested and found to be a placebo at best and harmful at worst. So where are they in the skeptic movement – are they not interested in getting the message out?  Are they not willing to “rock the boat” when it comes to skewering the holy cows of their own culture?  Is there too much respect for their ancestors and filial piety prevents them from criticizing their ancestors cherished believes?

I don’t know, but I’ll be looking in it and see if I can do some outreach!

A MILLION dollars!

I think one of the coolest things — if not the coolest thing — the James Randi Educational Foundation does is the Million Dollar Challenge: if you can prove you have paranormal abilities (you can dowse, you’re psychic, you can make objects float or catch fire or turn into cheese just with the power of your mind), then we’ll give you a million bucks.

Of course, lots of people claim the money doesn’t exist (yes it does), or that the rules are unfair (no they’re not; we negotiate protocols with the claimant until both parties are satisfied), or that we’re out to disprove the paranormal (not true; or else why have the MDC in the first place?). Despite these complaints, there is a long list of people attempting to win the Challenge.

But first they have to pass a preliminary Challenge, a test run if you will. If they can pass muster, then they move on to the Megabuck test.

The latest person to take this test was Patrica Putt. She claims she can listen to a person’s voice and be able to tell all sorts of information about them, which, if true, would clearly be paranormal. She took the preliminary Challenge last week, tested by Professors Christopher French and Richard Wiseman.

The results? Well, read Professor French’s account of it at The Guardian. Or you could read Professor Wiseman’s account. Or you could read JREF staff member (and MDC Research Assistant) Alison Smith’s account on the JREF’s Swift blog (and an earlier quick post of the results right after the trial here).

All in all, it went pretty much as you’d expect… if you’re skeptical.

There are some things you still can do. They may not be the latest video game or a big plasma TV, but there are some good gifts left to give, and maybe you can do a good deed at the same time:

1) Donate to your favorite skeptic society: There are lots of skeptical groups out there who are trying to make the world a better place by promoting critical thinking. The James Randi Educational Foundation comes to mind (full disclosure: I’m President of the JREF), as well as fellow Skeptologists Michael Shermer’s Skeptic Society, Steve Novella’s New England Skeptical Society, and Brian Dunning’s Skeptoid. Some of those are tax-deductible, and the end of the year is coming… and most groups have membership plans that you can get for yourself, a friend, or a loved one. Why not help these groups achieve their goals of filling the world with critical thinkers?

2) Skepchick: The Skepchicks posted a skeptical holiday gift guide. It’s a bit late to get things shipped, but they have some cool ideas.

3) Skeptical charities: Both TechSkeptic and The Friendly Atheist have posted lists of non-religious charities, should you choose to remain secular but still be able to do good things.

The holidays are for everyone, even skeptics. Have fun, enjoy friends and family, and maybe you can even make the world a better place at the same time.

I am privileged to be the President of the James Randi Educational Foundation. I’m a skeptic, and I try to live my life that way (usually succeeding, I hope). Randi was one of the largest motivators for me to be a critical thinker, and my friendship and admiration for him go back many years.

Yet, as Randi himself has pointed out, he and I have very different backgrounds, both academically and in general. Randi comes into skepticism from his being a phenomenal conjurer, stage magician, and trickster. I come from the angle of being formally trained as a scientist, specifically an astronomer.

I don’t think anyone would argue Randi’s stature in the skeptical community. His knowledge of fakery, flim-flammery, and hoaxes is unparalleled, and his first-hand dealings with people who promote it have given him vast experience in dealing with it. I may have fewer face-to-face dealings with hoaxsters, but I have a pretty good supply of ideas in my toolbox as well.

Randi and me at TAM III

And yet, Randi and I are working together to do what we can to promote critical thinking and skepticism. His background and mine are very different, but our goals are the same.

And we want to make the base even broader. We support what is called “grass-roots” skepticism: people not necessarily trained in science in skepticism, but who have shown a special ability for it, and who have gone out and started their own work for it. This would include such people as Robert Lancaster, who on his own started the “Stop Sylvia Brown” website; Michael Feldman, who created a skeptic group in New York City and has been doing quite a bit of work to make sure that the group meets socially as well as formally; and Rebecca Watson, who started Skepchick and is now a recognized figure in the field.

We all started somewhere, unknown to others. Grass roots don’t stay roots forever.

My point is that skepticism is what we call a “big tent”: a large area where there is room for everyone. We need professional conjurers like Randi and Banachek who can point out hoaxes and con artists, as well as trained scientists who can spot where science is being twisted for some sort of agenda. And we also need others who have enthusiasm, time, and the desire to help spread the ideas of critical and rational thinking. All of us — those who started the skeptical movement, and those who carry on in this tradition as well as breaking new ground — are working together, with both young and old respecting each other and each
other’s positions.

Sometimes I hear about some divide or another in the field: scientists versus magicians, trained skeptics versus lay people, or some other sort of artificial schism. I don’t see it in the U.S., and I’m glad. “You do your thing and we’ll do ours” is not the best way to go about doing skepticism, and in fact may be harmful to the cause. Working together is far better than working apart.

One final thought: at our annual meetings (called “The Amaz!ng Meetings”, or TAMs), we have many different speakers. Scientists, magicians, journalists, educators, entertainers, and sometimes just regular people who have stood up and made a difference. I like to think that the TAMs are a microcosm, a small example of the skeptical movement itself. There’s room for everyone, and if we all help each other we’ll go much farther than if we don’t.