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Category: Swift
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Recently a friend of the JREF emailed us with a question about a product being sold by a non-profit corporation based in Boulder Creek, California. The non-profit’s name is The Institute of HeartMath, and by chance I actually worked with this company a few years back when I was working with a Chinese software developer in Beijing, China. I have first-hand experience with the folks at HeartMath and let me start by saying that they are not charlatans in my opinion. These people really believe in their mission and what they call the ‘science’ behind it. Unfortunately, during my time with them it didn’t appear that critical thinking is a core component of their philosophy and the science isn't exactly something worth staking your life on. That said, the message from HeartMath is certainly a positive one.

A Little Background on HeartMath

The founder of HeartMath is a guy by the name of Doc Childre (who is not a doctor) and his philosophy is basically that the heart is at the center of the human experience and the heart as an organ is much more interactive and important in our lives than just being a muscle that pumps blood around our bodies. He founded The Institute of HeartMath (IHM) in 1991 and as his website says, IMH’s HeartMath System “entails practical, heart-based tools and technologies that people of all ages and walks of life can use to enhance health, performance and well-being. “ Frankly I’m not sure why a ‘heart-based’ tool would help improve performance or enhance overall health.

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Category: Amazing Meeting
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In an effort to make our extensive video library available online free of charge, The James Randi Educational Foundation is posting high quality digital video lectures and sessions from previous Amaz!ng Meetings and other events on randi.org. Check back often to see the latest video content.

Joe Nickell, from The Amaz!ng Meeting 3, describing several of his many paranormal investigations.  Nickell covers the The Flatwoods Monster, Camp Chesterfield, The Nazca Lines, The Shroud of Turin, and more.

Last Week at Science-Based Medicine

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Category: Newsflash
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Here is a recap of the stories that appeared last week at Science-Based Medicine, a multi-author skeptical blog that separates the science from the woo in medicine.

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Category: Swift
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Predicting the end of the world is never easy.

At least, that's what Johannes Stoeffler quickly came to realize.  Born in 1452 in which is now Germany, Stoeffler excelled as a scholar and later established himself as the parish priest for his native town of Justingen.   In addition to his religious duties, Stoeffler became famous for his learning in such diverse fields as astronomy, mathematics and astrology as well as designing and constructing complex astronomical instruments, clocks, and orreries.  He also wrote a manual on the construction and use of the astrolabe and corresponded regularly with some of the leading intellectuals of the 15th century.

In 1499, when Stoeffler confidently predicted that a universal flood would cover the world on February 24, 1524, people paid attention.   Stoeffler based his prediction on the various planetary conjunctions that would happen in that year.  While only six planets were known at the time, almost all of them (including the sun) would be in conjunction in the constellation of Pisces and, given that this was the sign of the fish,  it surely meant that the world would be drowned.  While he was hardly the only doomsday prophet of his time, he was certainly the most prominent.  By 1507, Stoeffler occupied the first-ever chair of astronomy and mathematics at the University of Tubingen and was eventually elected rector in 1522.

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There have been a lot of studies on the subject of horoscopes, astrology, and astrological predictions in general and as Wikipedia so succinctly tells us: “Studies have repeatedly failed to demonstrate statistically significant relationships between astrological predictions and operationally defined outcomes.” In short, when put to the scientific test horoscopes succeed as much as chance alone in predicting whatever parameter they are purported to predict.
horoscoped

A chart showing the most common words used

in horoscopes on Yahoo.com's horoscope web pages.

Of course, believers in Astrology usually repeat the same old tired explanations for the inability of science to confirm astrological predictions. These include a lack of scientific equipment or theory capable of measuring or understanding the mystery of astrology, and of course simple lack of belief. As former JREF President and Bad Astronomer Phil Plait has pointed out many a time and in great detail: “Astrology is wrong.” Seriously, if you want to know why Astrology and Horoscopes can’t possibly make any sense, read Phil’s take on it here at his Bad Astronomy website (www.badastronomy.com).

  1. James Randi from the 2010 Singularity Summit: Is there Such a Thing as Scientific Consensus?
  2. Last Week at Science-Based Medicine
  3. Teleportation Magic Established By Science, At Last!
  4. We want you! Call for submissions to the Randi.org blog