I'm informed that my good friend Piero Angela, a leading Italian television host, is being sued by two homeopathy organizations for failing to include their views in a broadcast of his prime-time science program "Superquark." They complain that Piero, who produces his own show, selected only interviewees who were critical of homeopathy for a show that was broadcast last month. As expected, Piero has received strong support from the scientific community, including Nobel prizewinners Renato Dulbecco and Rita Levi-Montalcini.

Examination of the Italian public television archives show that 14 times more programs have been broadcast advocating homeopathy than criticizing it. Piero says that it is not his job to tell viewers what they want to hear: "Science is not like philosophy, where viewers can listen to both sides and decide for themselves. Science cannot be decided on by the vote of viewers."

One scientist guest on Piero's show was Antonio Cassone, head of the department of bacteriology at Italy's national health institute. "I would have had no objection to a homeopathist sharing the show," he says, "because it would have been even more convincing to the viewers that arguments of homeopathists against providing information are untenable." He fully supports the way Angela produced his program. We will follow this lawsuit with great interest! Perhaps Piero Angela should be asked to join PBS to inspire them to pursue this farcical quack medicine in earnest here in the USA....!

Reader Jim Boskus dug out his copy of "The People's Almanac #2" by David Wallechinsky and Irving Wallace, from 1978. Under "Predictions by Present-Day Psychics," he found evidence of just how accurate these "psychics" were. Here are some highlights for you from prophecies made in 1978:

Psychic Frederick Davies wrote, "In the early 1980s, a cure for various types of cancer will be discovered. The main element of the drug will be found in the sea." He went on to predict that "a manned landing on the planet Mars between 1983 and 1985 will prove that life of some sort once existed there." Also, "By 1990, private automobiles will be banned from the centers of all major cities. . . . Life will be found on Jupiter, and communication with another planet will be achieved by 1990. The origin of the UFOs seen around the earth [sic] will be determined by the turn of the century."

Did prophet Maris De Long do better? "There will be greater fear of an Ice Age approaching. The years 1980-2000 will confirm this." (How much more wrong could she be?)

The famous Jeane Dixon, making predictions for the years 1979-2000, wrote: "UFOs will give us the knowledge to harness the sun's energy, making earth [sic] a better place to live. . . . The papacy will cease to exist. . . . People will communicate through telepathy and use faith healing to cure themselves. . . . Canada and Brazil, rich in food and energy, will become powerful countries.

Predictor Tenny Hale confidently declared, "Most diseases, if not all, that we fear today will be eradicated by the turn of the century. Color and sound-wave therapy will revolutionize the healing profession. . . . The economic outlook is for 21 years of poverty, in terms of what we have now."

Interesting. She failed to see the economic boom of the 80's and 90's.

The ever-present Irene Hughes affirmed that "[In 1980] Russia will be on the moon [sic] testing nuclear weapons, strife will break out, and there will be bloodshed on the moon [sic]. . . . Mr. [President] Carter will be reelected with a black vice-president. The greatest earthquake in history for California. And it will happen in January, 1980. Texas wants to secede, and if it does not, another state will in 1980-1982. 1981: the president of the US will die of natural causes in or near Russia."

Way to go, Irene!

Kebrina Kinkade made predictions for 1979-2000: "The UN will be abolished. Psychics will be used for espionage. They will also be accepted as expert witnesses in court rooms. The use of oil and gas will be outlawed owing to air pollution. Gas masks will be necessary in major cities."

Daniel Logan, zooming ahead in his mind, told us that "Lucille Ball will become an ambassador to an Asian country. Marlon Brando will leave the US and his career to set up his own country on a South Pacific island. In the 1980s the US will no longer have one man as president. Instead, a five-man consortium will preside as "executive leaders." Before 1996 we will meet with superior beings from outer space, who will give us ways of solving the energy crisis. By 2000 cures for most major illnesses, including cancer, will have been discovered. By 2000 New York City will no longer exist."

Jim Boskus observes:

I find it interesting that not one of these "psychics" could foretell such major events as the collapse of the Soviet Union, the reunification of Germany, Ronald Reagan, the Challenger disaster, "global warming", the Gulf War, peacekeeping operations in Beirut, Kosovo, etc., the splitup of Yugoslavia, and on and on.... They foresee nonsense such as UFOs, psychics in courtrooms, "pyramid power," and telepathic communication. I'll bet these "psychics" want you to forget about these prognostications, but I'm sure if they were somehow correct they would trumpet that fact from the mountaintop.

I post here the following information because I want to bring home to you just how difficult things can get for persons who are trying to live rationally in present-day society. We sometimes forget that not all communities are as sophisticated as we might need them to be. Reader Debra Jones wrote me:

Dear Mr. Randi . . . I was a big fan of Carl Sagan, and recently read "Universe," which I got a huge kick out of, especially your lecture. How fortunate you were to have known him! I'm just your average middle-aged woman, no super brain, but I wanted you to know how pleased I am that there are people like you out there, at least making an effort to educate . . . . I moved to the mid west (Wisconsin) (huge error) two years ago, I am hoping (not praying!) that somebody buys my farm soon so I can get out of here! Got a job at a solar power store....wow....never DREAMED people could be so crazy, it scares . . . me. The latest craze here is what could only be deemed "the war of the channelers." We have one that channels an Atlantian (Nedimous) her competition channels Adonis, wasn't that a Greek myth? The new guy on the block channels his "Pleidian Friends." We have "breath workers," certified, of course, sacred earth ceremonies that do "stone healing" (with a loon that used to work with me), and a horrid assortment of other crazy folks! All in a place with a population of under 4,000! This disturbs me no end. I grew up in San Francisco and rural Wisconsin is nothing short of a nightmare. I have hunched behind my computer monitor at work and listened to these loons talk about seeing aliens in their bathroom mirrors, watching their neighbors get beamed up to the "mother ship" while checking their mail, etc, etc, etc. At first I would have to make a mad dash to the restroom, where I would about burst from laughing, then it really began to frighten me. Finally I quit the damn job and put the farm up for sale. I hope to be out of this nuthouse soon. What I just can't understand is this: I'm not that educated, as I said, but I do have a telescope, I do have a brain, I do watch the news, and I'm pretty damn certain we don't have friends from the Pleiades, or any other star system that I'm aware of. Matter of fact, I'm POSITIVE we don't! I've now been branded as a real . . . around here, not that I really care, for telling these yokels my opinion (which wasn't too complimentary) I guess they shouldn't have asked me!

How could people, some of whom have college educations, ever accept this nonsense? Most 4th grade children would know better, at least I hope they would. Doesn't this seem a bit weird in an area so small, to have 7 or 8 "channelers"? I bet Shirley MacLaine would love it here! Anyway, as I said, I'm glad you're out there!

Debra then tells me about a published interview with a George Nordahl regarding his new line of "meditation chairs." Responding to the comment, "I understand you are working on some added dimensions in your chair business," George gushes:

Yes. Over the last year I have received new technology, which I have incorporated into the chairs — I call this model the "Inner Voyager". This new equipment utilizes radionics and crystals to amplify the white light or tacyon [sic] [he means, "tachyon"] energy and is constructed in accordance with Sacred Geometry and the "Golden Mean" ratio, PH1 [sic] [he means, the Greek letter "phi"] which in this case is (1.618034). I call these additions "Inner Dimensional Resonators" or IDR's. Their purpose is to help focus the mind into the center of the Spiritual River or Holy Nam which enters the individual at the top of the head or the Mountain of the Most High as we call it. Mounted at the top of the chair are time coils. The purpose of the time coils is to transfer the harmonic vibration that is generated by the IDR into the pineal gland which is the body's master control gland. As we are drawn into the zero vector or Sat Level, we approach a place where the past, present future and parallel universes coexist. In this timeless state of being we can move, center, meditate in a peaceful state. The IDR gives us an edge. Thus, as the river of light that flows from the base of the spine upward through the pineal gland, top of the head, through the inside of the silver cord to the Christ level upward to our own personal Godhead and beyond, the IDR gives us a subtle boost."

My website http://www.innervoyager.com explains your questions more. Tacyon [sic] energy or particles are faster than light particles. . . . Radionic machines are use for healing. . . . All living things are based on mathematics and within this universe there are certain number rations [sic] that life is based on. If one builds machines or electronic configuration on these sacred number ration [sic], then that equipment develops a conscious [sic] of its own and can be programmed. Thus my circuits can be programmed to do a certain function.

In my case, I wanted to enhance the meditative processes and healing processes. So, I place the results of what I want in the witness well( a 1.5in copper tube end cap) and the vibration is whirled through the head coils (or time coil) which in turn sends the vibration into the pineal gland(master control of the body). Also the vibration of the "witness well" is whirled thru the grid system located under the chair bottom which in turn whirls the vibration up your spinal system thus creating a column of God Light between the base of spine and the pineal gland. Thus the divine forces come in and give you whatever you body needs at that time whether it be a healing or a spiritual experience.

If this doesn't make my point — and Debra's — it can't be made....