Quack Book, Shermer in Bethlehem, Naughty Psychic in Pennsylvania, Reason and Faith, Vets vs. Quacks, Contributions of the Supernatural, "Healing Prophet" in Atlanta, Teachers, and Steven Lee on the Run...

Reader/medical student Bruce Scott gives us a thorough discussion of a book that got his attention because it deals with his specialty. I've cut down his communication considerably for purposes of clarity and lack of space, but I believe he makes his point even in this truncated version. I'll present it to readers in sections, dealing this week only with some of the claims made in the book for crystals. Bruce writes:

I very much appreciate your work. I frequently use your Million Dollar Challenge as a sort of intellectual sledgehammer when arguing against anti-scientific ideas. I'm a medical student, and these arguments are frequently about alternative medicine. I've recently checked out a library book titled, "Clinician's Complete Reference to Complementary and Alternative Medicine" from a local library. Edited by Donald Novey, MD, a family practice attending physician at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois. He's Medical Director for The Center for Complementary Medicine there. He also lists in his qualifications, Instructor of Medicine, Finch University of Health Sciences/The Chicago Medical School, as well as Lecturer in Family Practice, Northwestern University Medical School. That is, he instructs medical students. He also instructs the resident physicians in the Family Practice program at his hospital.

Note: the fact that this man actually instructs students and fully fledged physicians, makes these observations even more important. Bruce gives us comments taken from the back cover of the book:

A reliable resource for both clinicians and consumers, [this book] features clear and factual information on more than 60 complementary and alternative treatment modalities... Evidence-based and best-evidence coverage of the biomedical and pharmacological mechanisms of action that assure you of effectiveness or alert you to the non-effectiveness of treatment types.

Bruce continues:

This might be a useful text — if it did what it advertises. I suspect that it would sell rather less well, however. This is an utter cowpat of a book. It contains numerous anti-scientific absurdities. There are multiple claims made in the book that seem to me like they would qualify for your [JREF] challenge. I was hoping you would give me a quick yes-or-no as to whether the following would likely be eligible, pending a specific claim being made.

In the chapter on Quartz Crystal Therapy by Eileen Nauman DHM(UK), FBIH, EMT-B, in a section called "Research Base," she admits that no formal research exists on crystal healing, but indicates that the following experiments "suggest that the presence of crystals affect their environment."

In 1985 the West Coast Conference of the American Society of Dowsers at the University of California in Santa Cruz drank regular and crystal-charged water. Crystal-charged water is made by placing a quartz crystal in water overnight, then removing the crystal and either drinking or using the charged water in some way. A test of each subject's energy fields using dowsing rods was taken beforehand. The fields on the test subjects were detected 12 inches from the body. A drink from regular water show [sic] little change after 1 minute. Drinking the crystal-charged water showed a dramatic change in the energy field. The detectable field expanded to 15 feet or more only 45 seconds after drinking the charged water.

Well, since we've always been open to any testing of dowsing claims, this certainly sounds to me like an ideal situation whereby a dowser can pick up the million! However, as I've mentioned before, the American Society of Dowsers has been very careful to inform their members that they should avoid taking the JREF challenge, and I think I know the reason for that unwillingness on their part. Bruce continues:

Splendid. Proving the effectiveness of quartz crystals by means of dowsing. There really is no point in parodying these people; they parody themselves. Another example of an "experiment":

Two saucers with seeds to sprout were used. One saucer contained plain water. The second saucer's water was charged with a 2-inch clear quartz crystal inside a 1-gallon jug for 24 hours. The charged water's seeds sprouted 1 day earlier with a deeper green color and grew to twice the height as the seeds in the regular saucer.

And:

Two roses were cut and placed in separate vases, one with plain water and one with crystal-charged water. The rose in plain water wilted in 5 days. The one in charged water lasted 21 days.

Another winner:

Crystal slices placed under milk cartons showed an average spoilage time of 27 days instead of the normal 7 to 10 days.

Presumably she meant that the milk spoiled slower, rather than the crystal slices. Or perhaps this is a claim about the ability of milk to prevent crystals from spoiling. Somehow, they seem to have omitted the reference for this claim. Perhaps we should point this out to Dr. Novey, so that he might be able to include it in the next edition of the book. More:

Crystals placed in a swimming pool or spa seem to inhibit algae growth and decrease the need for chemicals.

And:

At a booth at the New York State Fair in 1980, Dale Walker tested peoples' ability to heal themselves. A total of 234 people attempted the test of holding a quartz crystal over an area of claimed physical pain or stiffness. Of these, 227 said they had significant reduction in pain or stiffness.

These are some fine examples that can be used to refute the claims of the alt-med apologists about the prohibitive cost of studies. Properly blinded and controlled studies for milk spoilage or algae growth would be very inexpensive to conduct. If they applied for your prize, I expect that you would even design the study for them. After winning your million dollars, they could fund many other studies on their favorite alt-med modalities.

In my book, "Flim-Flam!", I outline several experiments of this type that I did in Italy many years ago. Needless to say, the experiments proved negative.

More on this next week, folks. And I'll tell Bruce here, that all of the claims made above are certainly eligible for the JREF challenge. But, at the same time, I know full well that neither Dr. Novey nor any of the others will present themselves for testing, since they know better and want to continue being believed and accepted by their students and their readers. Nothing is new.


Mr. Jody Garin, a teacher of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, writes about his correctly perceived debt to Michael Shermer of Skeptic Magazine — shown here in a shameless promotional photo — and how he informed Michael recently:

Just a note to inform you of a class I teach here at Liberty High School in Bethlehem, PA that I call "Skepticism and Logic." I thought you might be interested to know that indispensable critical thinking skills are being taught to our high school students (grades 10 — 12). Using your "Why People Believe Weird Things" as a textbook, in addition to a variety of other resources I have accessed from Skeptics.com, Phil Plait's web site, as well as the Amazing Randi's material and others, I must admit the class is one of the most popular electives here at Liberty for two years now. We get our share of "believers" in the paranormal and/or pseudoscience, but I usually do my best in skeptically evaluating their claims. Most students thank me for opening their eyes to "TV spirit speakers," Moon Hoax claims, and dozens of other questionable statements that are literally dumped upon them.

Many parents have also approached me stating how glad they are that a class like this is being taught at the high school level. Besides evaluating many of the topics listed in your book, we also examine marketing claims, urban legends, basic tenets of psychology, and of course — why people believe weird things!

Those of you who have registered for TAM2 will be hearing Shermer on Friday morning, January 16th as he kicks off the day. What? Not registered yet? Quickly....!

I hope that the generation being taught by Jody grows up quickly. Obviously, one woman in that state was not privileged to have been under his influence. There's only a certain amount of satisfaction to be had from the following story. Though she didn't see it coming, the future is now less hazy for psychic adviser Carol Stevens, who was tried in Pennsylvania's Bucks County Court on a charge of fortune-telling. She was accused — and convicted — of taking more than $40,000 from a woman in Doylestown "to rid her of negative energy." Stevens, who uses the name "Bianca" as her nom-de-deception, was forced to repay the money to her victim, and was also put on one year's probation.

Pennsylvania law says it's unlawful to take money for telling fortunes and predicting the future, though stock brokers are not often prosecuted under this statute. "If it's for entertainment purposes, and that's clear, it's not illegal," said a deputy district attorney. "This wouldn't be considered entertainment." How wise. However, that official would not say why Stevens, 37, was not charged with outright theft. Fortune-telling is a third-degree misdemeanour punishable by up to a year in prison and a $500 fine, listed under the "sports and amusements" section of the Pennsylvania state code along with pool-room licensing and horse-racing regulations. Seems Stevens got off lightly.

This was a "first" for the DA's department, as well as for the Doylestown Police Department, which seems odd. Surely Stevens and others have perpetuated this sort of action on many, many, others in that area?

It all started in April. The story and weird procedures that Stevens came up with are quite congruent with standard, classical, gypsy practice: she told her victim that she would need about $50,000 to create a "sponge" that would absorb the negativity in that woman's life. "Tiffany," an assistant working for Stevens, told the victim to drink hot lemon water, eat salad and yogurt, and add vinegar to her bath as a way to cleanse her "charkas." All that does is make you smell like a salad. Tiffany also told her not to watch the TV news and to beware of other psychic readers, "as they don't all tell the truth." How perceptive. And, very true.

Two days later, the victim met with Stevens herself, who told her — for starters — to take four paper bags and put three $100 bills and three rolls of quarters — $330 — into each, totalling $1,320. This, she said, would be the beginning of the magical "sponge." That sponge apparently needed heavy reinforcement within two days, however, since an additional $9,000 was called for, and the victim obliged. When $12,000 more was soon needed, that was thrown in, too. By the time the woman finally went to police at the end of May, she had given Stevens a total of $40,240.

By now, the victim had also given Stevens a journal that contained personal papers, her Social Security numbers, and credit card information. While we can wonder why anyone would trust a stranger with such material — let alone more than $40K — we cannot forget the fact that Stevens was allowed, by law, to advertise herself as being psychic and having these powers — and she is still listed, advertised, in that same capacity! The present conviction will soon be forgotten, the locals will again be free to be swindled, and the judge will have managed another "faith-based" situation to his total satisfaction.

Stevens is among six psychics listed in an advertisement in the Doylestown phone book. There, she claims to be "well known for her accurate and honest predictions." Well known by whom, may we ask?


In a recent excellent — December 20th — article in The New York Times by Edward Rothstein titled, "Reason and Faith, Eternally Bound," we find one statement that particularly got my attention:

Religious beliefs were fundamental to the abolition of slavery in the 19th century and to the civil rights movement in the 20th.

Yes, true. By why was an appeal to religion needed to make the logic and reason of such movements so acceptable? Don't these causes stand as real and attractive without reference to ancient writings that no longer apply — if they ever did — to the real world in which we live? As I've said before, blind faith — the kind of faith upon which religions are based and by which they are supported — does not serve us well. Ed Doer, who recently published an article on The Ten Commandments in Humanist Magazine, points out, among many other angles, that the "commandment" that tells the faithful to "honor" their parents, could result in the child of a mass murderer supporting that parent's criminal activity and bringing about numerous deaths. Can you say, "Branch Davidian," "Jonestown," and "Heaven's Gate"?


Reader Jamie Mulcahy in Queensland, Australia, writes:

I wonder if you have heard this before. During the course of my Veterinary degree one of my lecturers stated: "In both human and animal medicine, over 90% of the patients you will see, get better in spite of — and not because of — your treatment." The tongue-in-cheek add-on to this was that it's important to do something in order for you to claim the credit for the cure.

I've often thought of this statement in reference to rubbish like homeopathy and chiropractic, etc. Mammals — and indeed most other groups of animals — are equipped with a wonderfully complicated immune system that has been developed by natural selection for a long, long time. So we are all well equipped to cope with most diseases without much more help than a sensible diet. Could the utter belief that these quackeries actually work, be based on a real observation by the patient, i.e. "I was feeling unwell, I went to (insert favorite quack here) and after some time had passed, I was better?"

Our equine medicine lecturer summed it up well when talking about juvenile warts in foals. He said, "If you treat it with this foul-smelling potion that an old farm hand swears by, the warts go away in 12 weeks. If you do nothing, it takes 3 months."

Sadly, a large number of my classmates wanted to know the name of the ointment.

Jamie, no comment needed from me.... He continues:

Animals are good tools for pushing back the boundaries of ignorance. It often makes my day to clean up the mess made by the local army of Veterinary quacks in my area. Of course it is upsetting to see the harm that has come to innocent pets. Animals can't read the labels or listen to the drivel spouted by these fools. The animals don't know that they're supposed to be better after the magic potion has been put into their food bowl — even though some studies have shown a placebo effect. If they're really sick, they stay sick until somebody makes a correct diagnosis and administers the appropriate treatment. The sad part about it is that the owners of the pets won't hear a word against the quacks, no matter how much suffering has been caused. But you can bet that if I make a mistake they are on the phone demanding explanations right away. In a way, it reminds me of Munchausen's [Syndrome] by proxy, but instead should be called Irrationality by proxy.

This reminds me of something that's thrown up to me frequently: that certain homeopathic tests have been done using animals, thus ensuring that, since animals can't offer their opinions to skew the results of any tests, those tests must be free of any bias. My response to that has always been that it's the experimenters themselves who interpret the results, and unless it's absolutely certain that those human elements in the protocol were kept totally ignorant of the nature of any expected results, of all the details of the double-blinding used — if indeed, that was actually in place — and that they were incapable of adding or subtracting data, or "adjusting" it. More frequently than not, such information about the protocol is not made available to us, so the use of animals is essentially no different from the use of human subjects, in such cases.

Jamie, thank you for the contribution!


Reader Adam Marczyk shares with us some of his thoughts regarding a fundamental difference between science and superstition. He says very much the same sort of thing that I've been preaching for years, but it's good to hear another voice in the pulpit:

There are many things we can do today which we consider commonplace, but which the ancients would have believed miraculous. We can predict eclipses years in advance, right down to the day and the hour. We can turn a tap, or walk a few blocks to the store, and get clean, drinkable water and fresh food in essentially unlimited quantities. We can push a button and instantly be speaking to someone on the other side of the world, or watch and hear them in real time. We can cross oceans in peace and comfort and fly across the planet in a few hours. We can cure diseases and replace worn-out body parts. Most people in civilized countries take these things for granted, and we have achieved other things still more incredible. We can build weapons that can obliterate entire cities in an instant, though of course we all hope that such awful forces are never unleashed for destructive purposes again. We can build ships that have carried humans to the Moon and back again. We have cracked the code of heredity and unraveled the mysteries of human development. All these things have had a lasting effect on our society and the way we view the world.

This is how we know science works — because it has made a difference. For better or for worse (mostly for the better, thankfully), it has changed the world. Scientific theories are proposed, confirmed, and then become solidly established, leading to new innovations and providing a platform for the next advances to be built upon. In the wake of each major discovery, each important new invention, things are forever different in real, measurable ways.

I'll just comment: yes, those areas can be confirmed and then "solidly established," but we should add that they can also be dis-confirmed, modified, or discussed and doubted, without any penalties. That's one of the essential beauties of science itself, one not properly recognized — in my opinion — but exceedingly important. Adam continues:

By contrast, paranormal and pseudoscientific beliefs have never changed the world in any significant way. These beliefs arise, flourish among the credulous for a time, and then fade away without having any lasting impact. Their defenders make grand promises, but invariably never deliver.

Just think of the difference paranormalists could make if even a tenth of their claims were true. Thousands of engineers, using the discovery of the laws of electromagnetism, have built a telephone network that allows us to easily and reliably talk to someone even on the other side of the globe. Why don't the psychics do something like this? Why don't a few hundred or thousand "cold readers" or "remote viewers" all band together and try to reach the same target, averaging out the static in their individual findings to, together, reach a firm consensus? Why, by now, do we not have a psychic phone service that allows you to pick up the receiver and converse with your departed relatives as easily and reliably as calling someone in the next county over?

A brief correction: the term "cold reader" is not used, nor accepted, by the practitioners — except when they speak among themselves. This is the word used only within the trade to designate the art of appearing to be able to tell total strangers something about themselves with which they will agree, as though it's being done by some supernatural means. The term "hot reading" applies to a similar attempt made with advance knowledge about the person or persons being "read" — a much more advantageous position for the performer, of course. Most of the time, a performer will use a combination of cold-and-hot "readings," if they can. The term ha ha for him to him "remote viewing" is, however, in common use on both ends of the belief-spectrum. Mind you, it still doesn't work, but that doesn't seem to make a difference to either the performers or their victims.

Imagine the tremendous good this could do for the world. Political leaders could seek advice from the most august statesmen of the past; scientists trying to unravel the mysteries of the universe could have a conference call with the greatest minds throughout all of history; the most saintly philosophers and renowned peacemakers the human race has ever produced could work together in the world today to put an end to hatred and war. We could be listening to new symphonies composed by Bach, Mozart and Beethoven; we could be performing new plays authored by Shakespeare and reading new novels written by the likes of Dickens, Hemingway, Homer, or Tolstoy. We could find out once and for all what Fermat's own proof of his last theorem was. The potential for this talent, if it were real, is so vast that it would be a crime for the people who really have it to waste it on syndicated talk shows, where the greatest height they aspire to is to tell someone that their dear departed Aunt Ethel, who had brown hair and a connection to the month of February, is doing just fine in heaven, thank you very much.

We all know the reason why the psychics haven't tried to do this; it's because they know they can't. If they were for real, their visions should mesh and grow clearer and more specific the more of them you put together. Instead, I bet, if this were tried, the results would be just a meaningless cacophony, as each so-called psychic came up with a completely different set of "facts" about their target. They know they can't perform under controlled conditions, but as long as the hopeful, the desperate and the gullible continue to fork over the cash, they don't have to. What better example could there be of this than Sylvia Browne's continued flight from the mere mention of your challenge?

Damn! Howcum you knew all that about my aunt Ethel....?


Reader Courtney Bryant is angry:

I just wanted to thank you for waving the banner of rational knowledge in a world committed to the dismissal of critical thought in favor of fantasy and folklore. I suppose that in spite of the ineffectiveness of frog toe and newt eye to eradicate the problems to which they're applied, much of mankind will continue to keep buying the message of ignorance that passes for beliefs.

I'm writing because about a month ago in Atlanta, I saw an ad in the newspaper announcing a gathering by a "healing prophet." He was to be in town for two nights, and inside of those two nights there was going to be a lot of purging of demons, faith healing, mind reading, future forecasting and the like. I shook my head in disgust and decided to take a trip out there to see what type of show would be taking place that night. Upon pulling into the driveway, I made a note of the people that were walking inside. I also took a look at the small questionnaires that they were asked to fill out up front. Supposedly this was done so as to make it easier for the prophet to channel his healing energies towards whatever group of afflictions troubled the members of his captive audience for the evening.

I'll skip a bulk of the frog toe and snake oil sideshow that passed for a menagerie of miracles and get to my favorite part of the evening: payday for the man. After a series of suspect faith healings had taken place, the prophet was able to, somehow, convince the audience members who were really sick that they were all healed. He explained to them that the healing comes in waves of sevens. This meant that seven days from then, they would awaken with their bodies purged of the evil spirits that were standing between them and solid health. He told them that in order for this healing to take place each of them would need this "prayer patch" — which was nothing more that a cheap plastic patch with a cross stamped on the front. Over the course of the next seven days he would continue to pray for their healing and they were to keep the patch close to their bodice at all times. The bottom line was that in order to get a patch, you needed to make a spirit donation. Of course you would receive the healing with the patch, but the date of your recovery would be dependent on the channeling and augmentation powers of the patch.

The rush for the patches made for sorry viewing, and realizing that rationalism could not prosper that night in an atmosphere flush with misguided hopes, desperation, spiritual nonsense and blind faith, I went home a hurt and disturbed man.

I understand all too well what drove most people to attend and participate in that festival of fraud. Mankind, at times, seems to be more attuned to escapism rather than the drudgery of reality. Fear of death, the desire to be free from pain, and an unrivaled fear of that of which we don't know, or merely do not understand, drives many towards concepts that, looked upon in a rational sense, reek of unreality. I feel that we might be making some headway, but when I see events like that (or events like what [took] place on December 12th in Atlanta, where there [was] a block-wide distribution of holy water), it worries me. I have a co-worker who has questioned me about evolution and my belief in it. He doesn't believe it is credible, but he refuses to read an easy-to-read " text written on that subject. He has also turned down several other books I have offered him. He finally admitted that he was afraid because he didn't want to shatter any of his traditional teachings. Anyway, I just wrote to tell you you're doing a great job and I hope that I can make contributions to the cause in the future.

Courtney, I'll tell our readers about an event that happened to me quite a few years ago, when I was pursuing TV evangelist Peter Popoff and his wife Elizabeth. I thoroughly exposed their scam on the Carson Show, which did not please them at all. By means that I will not describe you, I obtained access — at least semi-legally — to the warehouse area in which Popoff was assembling the various "gifts" that he promised to send out to his donors. One of these items was described by him as, "olive oil from Iz-rull." I saw there a machine that was used to prepare tiny flexible-plastic tubes of liquid that could be sent out as perfume samples, for example. Well, there were some loose ones lying around, and when I returned to New York I submitted them to a family friend, an analytical chemist. It turned out that this "olive oil from Iz-rull" wasn't even olive oil, nor was it from "Iz-rull" at all: it was simply domestic Mazola cooking-oil mixed with what appeared to be a trace of shaving-lotion.


Science teacher/reader Michael McRae from Australia comments:

A common question amongst the skeptical and incredulous is "Why do people persist in choosing the irrational over the evidential?" When you have the skills to be critical in your approach, it is difficult to understand how somebody else could dismiss flaws in their own way of thinking. As a science teacher, I am constantly aware of this question, and try to address it in my classes at every opportunity.

To me, we are not the perfect organisms we like to think we are. That's not to say we're imperfect — we have evolved to suit our environment quite successfully, and continue to do so. Our brains are amazing machines. However, like any machine, they are only as good as the purpose they are "designed" for. The pattern-making skills we once used to find food, fend off predators and (arguably most importantly) change behavior with any change in circumstance, are not very useful for negotiating the invisible world of quantum mechanics. At least, not on its own. Using the scientific method, we can fix some of the problems associated with our systems of logic, but ultimately our base tools are flawed. Our eyes deceive us, our assumptions fail us, and our imagination is often indistinguishable from objective belief.

As I said, as a teacher I try to remain aware of all of this. However, I am also constantly aware that I am fighting an impossible battle, not against the students, who are often curious and rather open-minded, not against society, which I have accepted will never be without the crackpot and woo-woo elements, and not necessarily against the media, which can be a weapon for our cause as much as against.

This is a battle against none other than other teachers. In my time I have become aware not just of the problems in our own Australian system, but of most systems worldwide. I've worked in the UK and have seen it evident there as much as at home. I have encountered science teachers who are against immunization, who have no concept of the scientific method, who make statements such as "can't you just believe what your eyes tell you for once?" These are not unintelligent people, indeed the are often the opposite. They are some of the best "pattern makers" around, yet lack the tools to be able to use that skill when it comes to scientific thinking. And worse still, they see nothing wrong with that failing.

So this is my dilemma. When science is taught to the masses by people who themselves have little grasp of critical thought, who entertain the notion of "energies" when they aren't talking about Newton's laws, of "vibrations" without mentioning particle physics, and "homoeopathy" without discussing the lack of evidence for "water memory," what hope do we have? The very core of science depends on humility, on admitting that you could be wrong if shown enough evidence. Unfortunately, this is perceived as a "weakness" in an individual — the admittance that you might be wrong with a- and is easily corrupted when it's in the hands of another educator. I might be wrong about ESP being impossible, but another teacher is not wrong when they state the opposite. I will admit there is something to explore when shown the facts about acupuncture, but another teacher will never admit that there are no facts yet available.

I still count my occasional blessings when I hear a student say "anecdotal evidence is a good place to start, a bad place to finish," but when "Sir" next door, a physics teacher, teaches that "water swirling down the plughole is due to Coriolis forces," I can do nothing but blanche.

So I have to ask, who is educating the educators? Until this is addressed, I fear ignorance and plain bad thinking will forever impede our quest to unravel the mysteries of the universe.

Okay, Michael, I understand your frustration. However, I must tell you that as a child I was very fortunate to have a number of really excellent teachers — people who in the were more interested in informing me on the techniques of thinking, rather than on how to memorize the textbooks that we carried about with us. Running off a list of names would serve little purpose, but I must mention one teacher who served me very well and perhaps was one of the most influential forces in my young life. That was Mr. Tovell, a physics teacher at Oakwood Collegiate Institute in Toronto. Since we addressed all our teachers as "Mr." or "Miss," I don't think I ever discovered his first name. He was gaunt, tall, gray, and baggy-kneed, had a wonderful deep voice which said sooth to at least several generations of juvenile Canadians, and I recall that he had great patience with the constant "why's" and "howcum's" with which I pestered him. There were even several occasions on which he had to admit that he simply could not answer my inquiry, but when he returned the next day he was fully equipped to accomplish that. He was a real teacher.


Reader Derek Heron shares with us this exchange:

You may recall that on 31st October, your website ran the story about the "Resonance Key." I received a rather cheeky email from Steven Lee [vendor of the quack device], who had obviously read the article:

Hi Derek, Thanks for all the publicity to our site — its great. If you want any more information about our great products you don't need to lie and misrepresent yourself, just ask, however you do it so well. Regards, Steven Lee

www.electronichealing.co.uk Cutting-edge health products

One item on his website intrigued me, The Water Enhancer, at http://www.electronichealing.co.uk/products/waterenhancer.htm The "Electronic Healing" website offers a "Live Help" facility that allows the reader to ask questions about products live, on-line, so I asked some questions. A week went by and no reply. As he had indicated in his personal email to me that he was happy to answer questions, I sent the following email;

Hi, glad you liked the publicity. The only reason I pretended to have a PhD in Electrical Engineering was simply to get an informed response. As a skeptic, I like to make my own decisions on things that interest me. When I e-mailed you I was hoping for an answer that would at least indicate the use of a plausible technology. To reply using phrases like, "We're talking worm holes here" is very thoughtless.

I have worked with computers in a professional capacity for many years. I would not purchase a computer without knowing exactly what was inside the box. Likewise I would be wary of a salesman who could not tell me about the computer I wished to purchase. As you are unable to tell me anything about the technology behind the Resonance Key, I am naturally skeptical of your product. If you are selling a health care product, I think it is vital that you are able to respond to queries with an educated and informed answer.

In your recent email you said. "If you want any more information about our great products you don't need to lie and misrepresent yourself, just ask, however you do it so well." Okay. I'll ask. I recently sent another question to your site. I'll repeat it here. I'd like a more in-depth answer, no worm holes please.

Water Enhancer: Your site describes this item in the following manner: "The Water Enhancer™ is a passive, non-electronic device designed to enhance water. The Water Enhancer™ is in a rugged rich blue polypropylene case 125mm in diameter and contains highly programmed media capable of holding and transmitting the energy resonance patterns of minerals, vitamins and enzymes into the water in a fully interactive manner."

If this device is non-electrical, how does it "transmit" the "energy resonance patterns" to the water? The act of transmission will require energy (basic physics) and an energy output first requires an input. Where is the energy source to power the transmission of "energy resonance patterns"?

You say that the Water Enhancer™ contains a "highly programmed media." What (physical) form does this media (medium) take? How is this media programmed? How can the program (data) be converted into transmission without power?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Six weeks on, and I'm still waiting. I wonder if Steven Lee has read Mark Twain, who once said "It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt."

I have a shock and a disappointment for you, Derek. I honestly suspect that you won't be hearing from Mr. Lee, at least in this incarnation. These fakers get away with all of the pseudoscientific claptrap that they can invent, knowing that their average reader will never ask questions or make any inquiries, anywhere, about the supposedly technical terms used by people like Lee. He's safe, he knows he's safe, and questioners like you are only a minor nuisance. Of course, if you could get some federal or state authorities interested in going after this man and his racket, that just might do the job. Ah, but I'm fantasizing again....


I've received many inquiries about the very scarce "Levitation" poster — see my December 12th page — that I used to use in my touring "magician" days. I rummaged about and found 18 more of them that I can offer for sale. I lost the majority of them in a flood a few years ago, and these remaining few are essentially pristine, measuring 18" X 24". They'll be offered for sale at The Amaz!ng Meeting 2, January 15 to 18, in Las Vegas, to the first who ask. The price will be $30 each — personally signed on-the-spot. You can reserve yours by e-mailing Linda at linda@randi.org if you wish.

You may have noticed that we're into a new year. Wow. We made it. To all, our best wishes for a rational, happy, productive and busy 2004 C.E. And, come next November, VOTE!