Science Indicators 2000: Belief in the Paranormal or Pseudoscience

CSICOP's mission includes taking advantage of opportunities to promote critical thinking, science education, and the use of reason to determine the merits of important issues."

The Council for Media Integrity, an educational outreach and advocacy program of CSICOP, was established in 1996. Its objective is to promote the accurate depiction of science by the media. The Council, which includes distinguished international scientists, academics, and members of the media, believes it is necessary to counteract the entertainment industry's portrayal of paranormal phenomena because:

* television has such a pervasive impact on what people believe;

* an increasing number of shows are devoted to the paranormal, and they attract large audiences;

* a number of shows use a documentary style to promote belief in the reality of UFOs, government coverups, and alien abductions;

* opposing views are seldom heard in shows that advocate belief in the paranormal; and

* some shows contribute to scientific illiteracy by promoting unproven ideas and beliefs as real, instilling a distrust of scientists [12] and fostering misunderstanding of the methods of scientific inquiry.

To promote media responsibility--particularly within the entertainment industry--and to publicize irresponsibility--the Council established two awards [13]:

* The "Candle in the Dark Award" is given to television programs that have made a major contribution to advancing the public's understanding of science and scientific principles. The 1997 and 1998 awards went to two PBS programs: Bill Nye The Science Guy and Scientific American Frontiers.

* The "Snuffed Candle Award" is given to television programs that impede public understanding of the methods of scientific inquiry. The 1997 and 1998 winners were Dan Akroyd, for promoting the paranormal on the show Psi-Factor, and Art Bell, whose radio talk-show promoted belief in UFOs and alien abductions.

In its efforts to debunk pseudo-science, the Council also urges TV producers to label documentary-type shows depicting the paranormal as either entertainment or fiction, provides the media with the names of expert spokespersons, asks U.S. newspapers to print disclaimers with horoscope columns, and uses "media watchdogs" to monitor programs and encourage responsibility on the part of television producers.

Finally, various skeptics groups and renowned skeptic James Randi have long-standing offers of large sums of money to anyone who can prove a paranormal claim. Randi and members of his "2000 Club" are offering more than a million dollars. So far, no one has met the challenge.

(*.) National Science Board, Science & Engineering Indicators--2000 Arlington, VA: National Science Foundation. 2000 (NSB-00-1). The report and its appendix tables can be found on the World Wide Web at: www.nsf.gov/sbelsrslstars.htm.

Notes

(1.) Pseudoscience has been defined as "claims presented so that they appear [to be] scientific even though they lack supporting evidence and plausibility." In contrast, science is a set of methods designed to describe and interpret observed and inferred phenomena, past or present, and aimed at building a testable body of knowledge open to rejection or confirmation" (Shermer 1997). Paranormal topics include yogic flying, therapeutic touch, astrology, fire walking, voodoo magical thinking, Uri Geller, placebo, alternative medicine, channeling, Carlos hoax, psychic hotlines and detectives, near-death experiences, UFOs, the Bermuda Triangle, homeopathy, faith healing, and reincarnation (Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal).