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Mr. Phelps: The following 548 words are excerpted from a mass of gibberish published by a quack group who promise relief from arthritis, migraines, hypertension pain (back, shoulder, knee, etc.), allergies, asthma, emotional illnesses, Retts syndrome, Parkinson's disease, stress, manic depression (bipolar disorder), tendonitis, sports injuries, chronic fatigue syndrome, autoimmune diseases, fibromyalgia, menopause, PMS, vertigo, and digestive disturbances. This is accomplished by a machine connected to your computer, they say. Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Some of what follows actually is from these people, as they reveal the "secrets" of how their system works. Some of it I created, myself, as total nonsense. Sort it out. There are seven paragraphs, one or more of them mine….
When life is formed, there is a coexistence: the physical body appears in the world we observe as our physical reality, and our mind and subconscious reside in a place called the Aphysical. Hence, our coexistence occurs in two dimensions: the Physical and the Aphysical.To establish a communication between the Physical Dimension and the Aphysical Dimension requires the ability to open a Portal within a Dimensional Rift. This Portal is not singular in nature, but a complex array of doors. The reason that the Portal has evaded science is that there are no recognizable active energies. The entrance and exit through the Portal is based on vibrations. These vibrations (Phonons) occur at an atomic level that differs from, but does not disagree with, the standard accepted physical model. Furthermore, this Phononic State does not rely on the energetic state or charge of the atom.
The Phonon state is a quiescent model that relates to the diameter of the atom and/or molecule. As we all are aware, molecules expand with temperature. To simplify this for the moment, let us observe this reaction in a singular element. In a singular element, we can calculate the mechanical spacing by using two formulas. First we have to calculate the quantity of a given atom for a specific distance.
An element (or molecule) can open the Portal between the Dimensions only under the following select conditions. This occurs only when it reaches the Phonon Resonance of another element (or molecule). This occurs only by heating or cooling of the starting element/molecule. Every element and molecule has a distinct Phonon Resonance. However, it is not required that the second molecule be present in order to open the Portal. In fact, there are cases wherein a new element will form from the Phonon Resonance. This is dependant on the side of the Portal where the energies are focused.
Hence, the portal is totally energy (temperature) dependant. To determine how an atom [or molecule] changes its Phonon Resonance with temperature, you must apply certain standards. For, as a group of like elements are heated or cooled, they will expand and contract at a given rate. This rate is known as the Expansion Coefficient [EC]. Another standard is the Standardized Temperature [St]. Thus, as the temperature rises, the Phonon Resonance will decrease. This is explained in the following formula.
The opening of a Portal as it relates to the Human Body is applied from Phononic Constant of an individual's DNA Code from the Cell Universe. When the Operator of the ADAM Technology connects with the patient by telephone, a Physical connection is established. Once this occurs and instructions are established within the computer, a communication can be established between the Operator, ADAM and the Patient. This connection requires the willingness of a Patient and the concentration of the Operator.
The Portal reacts to the DNA Code by reflecting, via Resonance generated by a temperature change, a unique DNA-encoded image of the Patient, and admits those patterns to the Gateway, which then triggers a Portal Release. Thus, a temperature rise, independently of any single-element Phononic variance, establishes and reacts to the introduction of a second element, and the starting element pattern is maintained. Heating or cooling will focus on the Portal Release and provide the necessary instructions.
NOTE: I ask you to read the above, and then seriously consider the problem of sorting out the nonsense. Obviously, a computer search will quickly solve the puzzle for you, but I urge you to actually consider the content above by simply reading it, and see if you can decide which part(s) is/are mine. And please: do not send me the answer — I'll post it next week. This is merely an exercise to demonstrate that it is not possible to sort out pseudoscientific gibberish from purposely invented gibberish. We're on the honor system here; trying this small project will strongly illustrate to you just how trashy such "science" is, and how ruthless are the purveyors of the scam.
As expected, the usual legal disclaimer appears at their web site, dictated by expensive lawyers in an attempt to buffer against any lawsuits:
The scientists at Galaxy Wave Group are not medical doctors. The operators of the ADAM technology do not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical, psychological or emotional condition. These statements and the ADAM Technology have not been reviewed or approved by the FDA or any other government agencies or authorities.
Part of their pitch is:
We reverse the symptoms of autism, autism spectrum disorder, Aspergers, ADD, ADHD, delayed development disorders and many learning disabilities. We have a proven program that returns normalcy to autistic children and adults. We have brought speech back to many who have not communicated since their vaccinations.
They claim to do this with the application of
. . . an organic module attached to a computer that communicates through a visual C+ language. The computer is called ADAM: Aphysical Dimensional Access Manager.
And:
This program is an educational program delivered via the Internet, in conjunction with a new form of telepathic communication.
Note that vaccination is assigned the blame for autism — a popular quack notion. They go on at great length, from which the following is excerpted:
ADAM, Quantum Mechanics and Metaphysics. . . The ADAM machine opens a dimensional rift allowing direct communication between the machine and the other dimension. A liquid plasma that is at the center of the ADAM machine facilitates the communication between the dimensions. A unique electro-magnetic field that surrounds the plasma allows for some portion of the plasma to become "non-local" through the dimensional rift. The communication between the local and the "non-local" plasma is the communication link between the dimensions. One platinum and several gold probes inserted into the plasma measure changes in frequency and voltage several thousand times per second. The frequency and voltage measurements from the plasma are fed into the computer program that performs monitoring and control functions in the plasma cell.
The communication link established between the dimensions allows for bi-directional communications. Information is sent and received across the dimensional rift. . . .
. . . instructions are given to locate and communicate with the "non-local" portion of the subconscious mind of an individual. . . . The information being sent from the computer contains instructions for the physical improvement of the individual. The information being received is converted through a complicated mathematical algorithm into numbers and a graphic representation of the strength and effectiveness of the connection with the "non-local" subconscious.
This is simply concentrated crapiola. It's juvenile, irrational, Buck Rogers, nonsense. Their "liquid plasma" does not exist, and is in itself a conflict of terms. The "Dimensional Rift" is fictional, an imaginary invention. "Phonons" and the "Portal" are juvenile twaddle from comic books. As if to prove their deep knowledge of my reaction to all this mumbo-jumbo, they go on to say:
The method of operation of the ADAM technology interface may appear to many people to be some kind of metaphysical doublespeak.
Then they quote — out of context, of course — recognized celebrities:
While you are attempting to make some sense of this, keep in mind the famous quotation from Arthur C. Clark: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." In writing about Quantum Mechanics and "non-local" phenomena in physics, Dr. Richard Feynman wrote: "You see my physics students don't understand it... That is because I don't understand it. Nobody does."
Dr. Nataliya Dobrova, listed as the Director of Parapsychology for the Galaxy Wave Group, tells us that with their system:
Diagnostics and corrections are made to the person's bio-energy balance on four different levels: Emotional State, Cellular, Energy, and Bio-energy. . . . Currently, the ADAM Autism Program consists of both telephone-based and Internet-based programs. Also, it is useful to note that ADAM Technology combines well with other treatments, such as pharmacological therapy, massage, homeopathy, etc.
How reassuring. It appears that this form of quackery is supported by another more-established form of quackery! And, in case the potential suckers are bowled over by their gibberish, they assure the reader:
You can take some solace from knowing that there is no requirement that a person understands or believes that the explanation of the operation of ADAM technology is true or even possible.
Well, I don't understand it nor believe it, and I know that this is sheer nonsense, pseudoscience, science fiction, and quackery. Damn it, prove it to me, just one case, and you'll get the JREF prize: ONE MILLION DOLLARS! No, you won't react to this, because you're quacks. WHY WON'T FEDERAL AUTHORITIES DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS? AND WHY AM I WASTING MY TIME AND MONEY ASKING SUCH FRUITLESS QUESTIONS? THEY DON'T CARE, AND THEY WON'T RESPOND!
Readers can see all this claptrap at www.galaxywave.com/
Reader Chris Pitcher of Nottingham, England, clears up a problem:
It's possible to believe in psychics, homeopathy, God, dowsing, reincarnation and probably much else besides. It's all a matter of finding the correct definitions:
Psychic: Someone skilled at hot and cold reading.Homeopathy: A combination of spontaneous remission and the placebo effect.
God: The anthropomorphizing of nature.
Dowsing:
- The ability to find something when you know where it is.
- The ability to read the body language of somebody else who knows where it is.
- The ability to find something that is ubiquitous.
Reincarnation: The process whereby two separate bodies with no shared memories are referred to as the same person.
And Chris throws in a joke for the same price:
Q: How many homeopaths does it take to change a light bulb?A: 0.0000000000000000000000000000000000001
A Canadian reader makes a disturbing discovery. He refers us to www.weeklyworldnews.com/news/index.cfm?instanceid=61473.
At first when I started to read the above article I couldn't help but smile. After all, this is the same magazine that features "breaking news" like "Your Spouse Could Be a Space Alien," and "Belgium Destroyed by Rogue Asteroid." But then it slowly started to dawn on me that the author of this article, whether he sincerely believes what he's writing or not, is expressing the exact same sentiment that millions, perhaps hundreds of millions, of others share.What has really brought all this home for me though, is a conversation I had with my 18- year-old brother-in-law recently. I have to admit I have always felt fairly smug about living in Canada, where the evolution/creation debate has never, to my knowledge, been an issue. But when I spoke with him about it, he couldn't actually remember evolution ever really being explained in his science class, and he's taking Biology!
This got me to wondering, so I took a small poll of friends and family to see how much the people around me really know about this scientifically-accepted phenomenon. The answer is embarrassing. While pretty much everyone I know accepts that evolution is basically true, with a few notable exceptions, not one person could tell me anything about it. And when I took the "devil's advocate" position and raised some of the more prevalent creationist arguments, the response I got suggested that at least most of them could be easily swayed by a convincing, but false, suggestion. It seems that Canada has avoided the debate by simply not taking part in teaching our high school students where we come from. After all, isn't that when we start asking?
Through my science teachers in high school in Canada, I was made very well aware of evolution, Darwin, natural selection, etc. Friend, you've been short-changed, if not outright robbed.
Reader Denis O'Leary in Ireland gives us some welcome tech talk explaining some common hauntings….
Your recent (April 16th) commentary about the man "demagnetizing" computers reminded me of a similar query one of our customers had. I work in a small computer repair shop and we had installed a new computer in her home. She called a few days later concerned that the computer was turning itself on, even though she had definitely switched it off and had seen it power down. She asked, somewhat jokingly, if it was haunted.After a few minutes of head scratching we figured it out. There is a setting used by network administrators to start the computer by dialing in, and it is activated whenever there is a phone call made to the telephone line. For the technically savvy, it's a BIOS setting called "Wake on Modem." It's normally turned off, but a few must have been dispatched with the setting turned on, as we had another case of it the following week.
But it is amusing how some people will blame the supernatural for problems with electronic equipment when the reality is far more boring. I read a discussion on the Internet blaming spooks for a printer turning out full pages with only a single letter on each page. Loading the wrong printer software will do exactly the same thing, but won't get you half as much attention. If you get a flickering screen — blame the local ghost rather than the mobile phone lying on top of the computer. Getting strange email from yourself? Sounds like the Klez virus rather than any message from the spirit world.
However, the joke was on me late one night. I was reading through websites about ghosts when I heard an unearthly moaning cry coming from the computer. Several seconds later when the goose-bumps were fading I realized the source of the noise. The web page had a small sound file that loaded every time the page was displayed. Just goes to show that even skeptics can get a fright now and then.
And even well-informed skeptics, I see. The wee folks are out and busy….!
Reader Chris Duff, in London, UK, suggests a possible solution to that same "magnetic man" problem, as did several other readers:
A few decades ago, damage to computer equipment and to magnetic media was quite common and was usually tracked down to static electricity discharges in poorly-designed offices. This could well be causing the effects that "magnetism man" (April 16/04) is observing. One classic case (at IBM?) identified the "lethal" combination of nylon carpets and ladies wearing nylon underwear as a particular problem! I suggest if your anonymous reader is concerned with how to handle clients with odd beliefs, it would be best to avoid the situation completely by enquiring of them the material composition of their underwear before taking them on as clients!
Chris, are you suggesting that Magnetic Man wears lingerie….? Of some limited interest, perhaps, but not specifically pertinent to the work of the JREF….
GIVEN ENOUGH TIME AND SOME SMARTS…
Reader Tom DeZego of Richmond, Virginia, had his own epiphany, and hasn't turned back since:
I was in the Heritage Bookstore in Virginia Beach last week; it's a new-age/holistic health/astrology/etc. store with all the usual tarot cards, angel books, yadda yadda. Seems at least one of these establishments is becoming a little more open-minded: In the magazine rack were the latest issues of Free Inquiry magazine and Skeptic magazine. I was totally surprised by my discovery, and a little impressed. I never thought a store such as this would ever sell these magazines. I didn't notice if they also had skeptical books, such as yours and Michael Shermer's, but I doubt that they did. One step at a time.On a previous visit (the store also sells food and the like), I joked with my girlfriend that I should go up to the counter and ask them if they had Skeptical Inquirer magazine, Michael Shermer's latest tome, or your books. Of course I didn't. But, as I noticed a tarot reading going on at one table, I did joke quietly to my girlfriend that "I predict you will be about $20 poorer very soon," referring to the person receiving the reading. One of the psychics there heard me and snipped at me that I was cynical. I just made light of it and said, "That's me...Mr. Cynic." (I'm originally from Brooklyn, NY, so I do have a natural cynical streak.)
I have good reason to be cynical, and wary of psychics, etc. I was once one of them. I studied under a mystical teacher: astrology, tarot, Kaballah, and so on. I did so until something in me told me to get out.
I've been meaning to write to you about it, but you've probably heard it all before. The one thing I didn't like was the subtle mind control. In our last conversation, my "guru" told me I was too independent and would go down the tubes by leaving his tutelage. The latter bothered me for a while, but now I see it as just more of his mind control, and I'm glad I left. After 9/11, I sought out skeptic websites, books, and magazines, having had my fill of religious nonsense, psychism, and magical thinking. I've read your books and frequently read skeptic magazines and books in an effort to educate myself on what's really going on in the human experience, and what some people shamefully get away with — Sylvia Browne, John Edward, and all the others.
Welcome home, Tom. But next time, ask about Skeptic Magazine and Skeptical Inquirer in such shops! If only to hear them snort and bellow….
While I'm on the subject of bookstores, good friend Donald Simanek (www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/) sent me this photo he took at the Sancturary Antique Center in Marion, Iowa. Bookseller Gary L. Wallin arranged this reality-check display to alert his customers. Go, Gary!
A reader in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, writes:
I recently bought the DVD set "Penn and Teller: Bullshit!," I have your book "Encyclopedia . . . ," I'm subscribed to Skeptical Inquirer, and who can forget your appearance on "Happy Days"? In other words, I really appreciate the work you do. I'm glad for the opportunity to e-mail you and ask you a couple of questions.My mom, who's 70, has been a fan of Sylvia Browne for a little while and believes the crap she feeds. I have found when I bring up the lies of psychics and SB, it seems to bother her in a more personal way. I guess when I criticize SB, I'm hurting her beliefs, and to discredit SB makes all her emotion and time invested in this nutcase, hurtful. I don't know if it's really necessary for me to change her mind, since I don't think she spends money on psychic readings, just on the occasional SB book.
No one wants to be proven wrong, especially when they have outwardly defended a belief. It could be embarrassing and depressing. I do not condone ignorance, but maybe at her age, she doesn't need to be taken to task. I know you don't know me or my family, but your opinion is important to me. I'm sure you have personally had to deal with this kind of thing many times before.
I responded:
At 75 myself, I don't look upon 70 as dotage, but I think you've probably made the right decision. I hate to see a nickel go to Browne, but at least much of that goes to others before she gets what's left. Please make every effort to ensure that Mom doesn't invest in a reading. It's not only the US$700+ that is wasted, but the emotional involvement and dependence that ensues that could really cripple your Mom, and cause much family damage.Thank you for asking.
Reader Chris Burnett of Colchester, England, comments on the TV show we discussed here recently:
Further to your article about Most Haunted, I thought I'd share my favorite moment from the (surprisingly watchable) show. Mr. Derek Acorah [the "medium"] was shown a skull that had been found in an old pub, with a hole in the top of it. He then went into a frenzied routine, explaining how a girl from the Middle Ages had been murdered with a metal spike, and proceeded to recreate her death through the medium of dance. A little caption then popped up at the bottom of the screen saying that the skull had been carbon-dated, and was found to date back to Viking times.Talk about losing all respect for a man in one second….!
Next week, we'll have a report from diligent correspondent Jez Wood on the "progress" of this faltering series….
I ask you to visit www.nasa.gov/vision/space/travelinginspace/no_ufo.html to experience just how satisfying a proper, responsible, investigation can be. This puts to rest yet another cause célèbre that the UFO zealots have been celebrating. It's delicious….!
Reader Robert Matthews of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, tells us:
I suppose this counts as a small irony: I was sitting in a doctor's office today leafing through a recent issue of Maclean's (a Canadian newsmagazine not unlike Time or Newsweek) when I came across a shockingly uncritical piece on a Vancouver, B.C., "healer" named only Adam. The article, in the form of an interview, simply seemed to take it for granted that this 17-year-old could do what he claims, which is to heal anyone, anywhere, of any disease. It seems to be the same tired old Edgar Cayce mumbo-jumbo dressed up in new-age quantum-physics mumbo-jumbo. (It also seems to me that if even one person on Earth could do what this Adam claims, then I wouldn't have been sitting in a doctor's office.)On his web site www.dreamhealer.com is a sternly legalistic disclaimer, which must be signed and dated by anyone who wants to receive treatment. (I couldn't help but notice that this presumably legal document contains several typos, which for all I know — I'm not a lawyer — invalidate it.) Here's the final paragraph of what the patient has to sign:
I, the undersigned, for myself, my heirs, successors, executors, administrators and assignees, hereby release and forever discharge Adam, his associates, their heirs, and his heirs, successors, executors, administrators and assignees, from any and all actions, causes of action, claims and demands for or by reason of any damage, loss or injury, to person and property which heretofore has been or hereafter may be sustained in consequence of any medication, substance or treatment which I may use or consume in any respect of and for any attempts by myself or anyone on my behalf to cause temporary or permanent relief from the symptoms of any injury, ailment or disease with which I have been or will be diagnosed.
Well, that's a mouthful of a sentence, but if I may paraphrase:"If I get better, Adam did it. If anything else happens, it's my fault."
Robert, you'll be astonished to hear that this Adam has decided not to apply for the JREF million-dollar prize. That seems strange, n'est-ce pas?
Reader William Rentfrow tells us his own "glowing tombstone" story. This account was received the day before last week's page was posted….!
In your commentary of April 16th you mention the glowing tombstone near the end, saying it will be covered in the next commentary. I thought it might be relevant to tell my own glowing tombstone story.When I was in junior high it was considered very fun to go see "The Glowing Grave." It was located in the cemetery of small country church in far northern Minnesota, near my hometown of Roseau. The grave itself was a spectacular old piece of granite. The base was a cube about 2 feet on each side. A column about 8" around ran up from this to a height of 7 or 8 feet. It was dark gray granite and highly polished.
Many stories abounded about why the grave would glow — there are too many to list here but they ran the usual gamut of restless spirits, etc. Skeptics were quickly silenced when they were taken out there at night. The graveyard had a circular road through it and if you were immediately across the circle from the grave it did glow very brightly in the spookiest green you have ever seen. It scared the crap out of me then — even now I'll take people out and show them the effect and they get freaked out. I've had people start praying and one girl even started crying and was so scared she was screaming "Let's go! Let's go!" Luckily after high school I got more skeptical and decided to take a good look at it. There were several facts that I decided to check:
1.) The stone itself appeared to be normal granite. If you walked right up to it at night it did not glow.
2.) The glow was only visible from one spot in the graveyard. If the grave was the center of a circle, perhaps only 5 degrees of an arc allowed someone to see the "glowing."
3.) The glow was green — the only visible lights at night at the church were a blue lighted cross and a white yard light.
That last bit was key — we (I had a couple of friends along) happened to stop by once during a thunder storm when the local power was out. It was then that we deduced that what actually happened had nothing to do with the church's lights at all. Instead, about a quarter mile off was a farm with a mercury light — powered from another electric source — that glowed a whitish green. The highly polished granite reflected this diffused light perfectly but only in the one direction due to the angles of the grave and the placement of the lights. Mystery solved.
What is sad is that I'm 100% sure kids today still drive out there and still think it's a huge mystery. If I'd been more skeptical in the beginning it might not have taken 10+ years to learn the truth.
One final thought — now that I've re-lived this I really wish I'd have been taught to examine situations critically while growing up. Instead, I had to grow into it on my own. It's sad that people (myself included when I was young) are inclined to believe the fantastic when a thorough examination of the available evidence will probably explain the mystery.
Well, you made it anyway, William. Stay with us!
Reader "Lisa" writes:
I thought I would share an experience I had recently, although I'm sure it's a rinse and repeat of stories you've heard many times before. . . . On Friday, April 16th I happened to be driving in my car listening to the syndicated show "Mancow's Morning Madhouse." One of the guests that morning was James Van Praagh. A caller phoned in wanting to know what had happened to her brother who she said she thought might have been murdered in the 1980's, though the police decided it was a suicide.
James took what I call a WAG (wild-ass guess). "I see a car," he said. The caller said, no, she didn't know about any car. James insisted he saw a car but quickly moved on to, "I see a gun." The woman was amazed and said yes, her brother had been shot. From my perspective, judging from the age of the caller (she sounded like she was in her forties) combined with the info she'd already provided, I would have guessed "gun" first, as young men have a penchant for shooting themselves in suicide attempts.
Randi comments: note, please, that Van Praagh uses the "hint" technique here, saying that he "saw" a car, and then a gun — as he says up ahead that he "sees" the letter M. That's a suggestion that the victim identify the situation and make a connection. Any color or size of car, at any time, in any location, a police car or a personal vehicle belonging to anyone, any make or year, would satisfy such a hint — and the same applies to the gun. The victim is expected to provide a connection….
Van Praagh then said — no lie! — "I see the letter M." Since I had seen this exact same line used as an example of cold reading techniques on your site, I laughed, knowing that James was no more psychic than I am. When the sister said the letter M meant nothing to her, Van Praagh quickly recovered and said something like, "It's one of your brother's friends, a Mike or Michael. That's who you need to look for." Basically James implied that a fictional "Mike" had killed the brother, instead of the death being a suicide, as police had already determined.Van Praagh used a ton of WAGs, and only one of the many statements he made was correct. He fumbled around, insisted that the caller was wrong, he was right, etc…ad nauseam.
I'll admit that before I gave this topic some serious thought — after finding your site — I figured it was possible that psychics could exist. Now I don't think so, and the more I read up on Van Praagh, Browne, Edward, and their ilk, the angrier I become for the families who are given false hope and downright lies in missing persons, murder, and other criminal cases.
You and I may disagree philosophically in some areas and I find my beliefs being challenged by your web site frequently. I won't complain. In fact, I very much enjoy reading your work which has led me to reexamine beliefs I previously held "just because." I am definitely a more critical thinker thanks to the work you and your fine staff do on a daily basis. Thanks so much, and keep at it!
Reader Sérgio Gilberto Taboada of Brazil reports (my slight corrections made to the original):
I've discovered a new "science": geobiology. Its aim is to study the interaction between the planet and living beings. According to the news I read, in France, land analyzed by a geobiologist is now considered worth 15% more than before. The Earth and living beings interact, they say, and since the planet is a much larger organism, its natural alterations influence favorably — or not — its inhabitants. A person exposed to unfavorable factors for a long time can have his/her health and life quality impaired. It doesn't matter whether you live in a house or on the 30th story of a building. Vibrations in the soil reverberate vertically and go further than you can imagine.
But don't be distressed: Even if you don't live in a strong area, your property can be healed by "Earth Acupuncture," done with bamboo sticks instead of metal needles — it makes sense, after all. The magazine where I read this does not say how much the Earth Doctor will charge you, but since your property will be worth 15% more, it's fair that the geobiologist should charge you that much.In less extreme cases, a rock called menhir (surprise!), strategically placed, can dispense concentrated energy to all your property. Isn't this all wonderful?
Yes, I have to admit that I did not suspect land could be so easily healed! I've got two acres here in Florida infested with crabgrass. Bring me that menhir, please.
(A menhir is a sort of northern European variety of the stela, an ancient upright stone or pillar serving as a monument, and accepted by the credulous as being generally mystical. Menhirs are found in Cornwall and Brittany.)
Last week, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) announced through the UK National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) — that's not the US NBC, nor is it affiliated with our NBC — that Nigerian broadcasters are no longer allowed to show "miracles" on television in a way which is not "provable and believable." Any TV stations failing to abide by this ruling will be fined, and their equipment could be confiscated, said the Commission. Nigerian TV, in common with dozens of other systems around the world — and here in the USA! — is full of Pentecostal services which emphasize claimed healing miracles. Many of the preachers claim to cure diseases, others to bring domestic harmony, wealth, and happiness.
"But," said the BBC report, "the question of how a miracle can be verified has not been answered." What? Is there a real problem here? This is easily and definitively resolved through simple observation, requiring no revolutionary breakthroughs in medicine, science, or forensics. This Foundation is ready and able to investigate such matters, folks…. Let's have a look at that broken arm, please….
The bottom line here, of course, is the fact that many broadcasters rely on revenue from Christian Pentecostal programs, and they're not too interested in finding out whether or not those miracles are real. In this country, we have Paul Crouch and the Trinity Broadcasting Network, who have a similar disinterest in the answer to that question.
Then, too, it's still not clear why the NBC decided to enforce a code which has until now been lying dormant in the law books. However, a strong rumor that it was a part of a "Muslim conspiracy to prevent Christians from stealing their members," has been denied. Did we doubt for a moment that such a rumor would be born?
Reinhard Bonnke was one of the Nigerian scam-artists we handled two years ago. See www.randi.org/jr/032902.html. A Bible site in Canada has actually posted a list and discussion of fakers and their M.O.s at www.bible.ca/tongues-encyclopedia-pentecostal-preachers.htm. They list 84 of the fakers, including the familiar Peter Popoff, W.V. Grant, and Benny Hinn, though Bonnke is not among them. It makes pretty depressing reading, to see how Nigeria has suffered from these cruel frauds.
Re Nick Jarvis, who wrote the piece two weeks ago about his job at the Clark Planetarium in Salt Lake City, Utah, we now find out through his father, Seth, that he is just 16 years old! Father Seth was involved with his friend, John Sohl, in testing the Indonesian "Vibravision" hucksters in Ogden, Utah a few years ago. See www.randi.org/jr/10-16-2000.html. Says Seth about his son:
[JREF] did a nice write-up about that. It was that experience that fascinated Nick and stimulated his early interest in skepticism and rationality. You and your organization have been and continue to be an important resource in helping Nick grow into a fine young man with fully functional brain. He'll go far in this world, and you should take some pleasure in your contribution to the quality of his life.
Guys, that's what we're in business for. These are the rewards.
