PROFESSIONAL DEBUNKING - You Too Can Be Paid For Promoting Bad Research
Steve Bass
January 03, 2009
There is a group that has crafted themselves into a heretofore unheard-of niche, the professional debunker. There is a difference between the skeptic and the professional debunker, such as those with the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Formerly known as CSICOP, Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, they now prefer to be known as CSI. This seems to be an attempt to expand their public perception as a valid scientific research group. It seems a better initiative would be to conduct valid scientific research.
Scientists who study unidentified flying objects, known as the UFO phenomenon, are the epitome of the word "skeptic". These scientists, known as Ufologists, understand that the UFO phenomenon is a genuine mystery, and there are many theories on their origin and purpose. New data is uncovered through open minded research and developed through peer review and study. By investigating each theory, some of which do not allow for an extraterrestrial origin to the phenomenon, Ufologists prove themselves.
Sometimes it seems that any two Ufologists are unable to agree on anything, which speaks to the dynamic and flexible nature intrinsic to their view of science.
Professional debunkers are a unique breed, though. Sporting Masters Degrees and Ph.D.´s and resorting to falsehoods, misdirection, and naïveté, they fail to make the grade as quality scientists. A favorite of Ufologists is Joe Nickell, who likes to relate UFO witnesses and abduction experiencers as fantasy prone personalities. Some of these "personalities" include police officers, military personnel, and even astronauts such as Dr. Edgar Mitchell,DSc (Apollo 14), Donald Slayton (Apollo-Soyuz Test Project), James Lovell (Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8, and Apollo 13), Frank Borman (Gemini 7 and Apollo 8), Neil Armstrong (Apollo 11), Edwin Aldrin (Apollo 11), Scott Carpenter (Mercury-Atlas 7), Eugene Cernan (Apollo 17), and Gordon Cooper (Mercury 9 and Gemini 5), all of whom reported sighting anomalous aerial craft during their careers, sometimes during space operations.
Having had the pleasure of speaking to Dr. Edgar Mitchell, I have experienced the sincerity and glimpsed the risk to the personal life and reputation of these astronauts, and professionals in general, who come forward with information. It is unscrupulous and appalling to subject America´s heroes to conduct such as this.
An incident investigated by the likes of nuclear physicist, author, and lecturer Stanton Friedman and Ufologist Frank Freschino Jr. is the Flatwoods Incident. According to witnesses (multiple), an entity was observed near the town of Flatwoods, West Virginia in 1952. Following the sighting of a red pulsating object believed to be a solid structure, possibly a craft, an entity of very unusual description was observed. This entity was described as humanoid, standing approximately ten feet tall, with what appeared to be a red face. Following the sighting, a reporter and co-owner of the Braxton Democrat newspaper investigated the area and fell mysteriously ill. As the days went by, more witnesses were found, many of whom also became ill. A local doctor related the symptoms to that of mustard gas exposure. Mr. Nickell explained the entity as being an owl.
According to his website, Nickell is a stage magician (Resident Magician at the Houdini Hall of Fame), private investigator (for a world-famous detective agency), academic (PhD in English) focusing on literary investigation and folklore, and author of some two dozen books. I question how a magician and English major is qualified to speculate on the research of top scientists in Ufology.
Another favorite is none other than William Nye, also known as Bill Nye the Science Guy. Nye was the host of a popular science television series aimed at children. Having graduated with a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Cornell University, Nye has worked as an aeronautical engineer, author, and comedian. Of interest is the fact that Nye has only earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering, but speaks on such subjects as earth science, space science, physics, chemistry, and life sciences, subjects touched on in the mechanical engineering syllabus, but not enough to make one an expert in the fields. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Goucher College.
Despite his contributions to science and to childrens´ education, Nye is the last person to seek comment or guidance in the UFO mystery. Appearing on Larry King on July 18, 2008, Nye was obviously out of his element when debating the UFO phenomenon with Stanton Friedman. Friedman, with his considerable knowledge on the subject, much of it gained through his own research in national and Presidential archives and witness interviews, made a spectacle of Nye, who obviously came unprepared to the debate.
Another favorite is Michael Schermer, himself a member of CSI. Quoting from a previous article entitled A WISE MAN DISMISSES NOTHING OUT OF HAND - Bias at Dateline NBC, I noted how Schermer makes a statement about fifteen minutes into the program 10 Close Encounters Caught on Tape that "all UFO sightings are never consistent with each other. He also refers to evidence as "nebulous" and "fuzzy". Obviously, Schermer has never really studied the UFO phenomena, never learning that such a consistency exists that UFO investigators can actually classify sightings based on type of sighting, type of craft, and type of entity involved, if any. UFO´s are classified by color, size, and other physical characteristics, movement and actions, effects on the witnesses, effects on nearby animals, trace evidence recovered, even whether military aircraft was spotted in the area during or immediately following the sighting".
Professional debunkers pursue their craft with an almost religious zeal, ignoring anything inconsistent with their view of the world. At least in public. Privately, you have to wonder how such learned men can seem so ignorant. Is this zealotry, or a conscious attempt to disseminate disinformation to some nefarious end? Could those who wish to discredit Ufology be attempting to further a government-sponsored agenda to keep the American public in a state of confusion and ignorance?
In either of these cases, these "scientists" have discredited themselves and shown themselves unworthy of comment on any subject in the field of Ufology. By continuing to make these gentlemen the "go-to guys", the media is only furthering junk science and poor quality reporting. By failing to pursue the truth, professional debunkers stray from their obligation to science to pursue the truth, and by extension, today´s media has proven themselves unworthy of inclusion in an historic fraternity of intrepid newsmen.
References
1. Committee for Skeptical Inquiry www.csicop.org
2. Joe Nickell www.joenickell.com
3. NASA Astronaut Biographies www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios
4. Dr. Edgar Mitchell, DSc www.edmitchellapollo14.com
5. Stanton Friedman, MSc www.stantonfriedman.com
6. Frank Feschino Jr. flatwoodsmonster.com
7. William Nye (Bill Nye the Science Guy) www.billnye.com
8. Michael Schermer www.skeptic.com/about_us/meet_michael_shermer.html
Scientists who study unidentified flying objects, known as the UFO phenomenon, are the epitome of the word "skeptic". These scientists, known as Ufologists, understand that the UFO phenomenon is a genuine mystery, and there are many theories on their origin and purpose. New data is uncovered through open minded research and developed through peer review and study. By investigating each theory, some of which do not allow for an extraterrestrial origin to the phenomenon, Ufologists prove themselves.
Sometimes it seems that any two Ufologists are unable to agree on anything, which speaks to the dynamic and flexible nature intrinsic to their view of science.
Professional debunkers are a unique breed, though. Sporting Masters Degrees and Ph.D.´s and resorting to falsehoods, misdirection, and naïveté, they fail to make the grade as quality scientists. A favorite of Ufologists is Joe Nickell, who likes to relate UFO witnesses and abduction experiencers as fantasy prone personalities. Some of these "personalities" include police officers, military personnel, and even astronauts such as Dr. Edgar Mitchell,DSc (Apollo 14), Donald Slayton (Apollo-Soyuz Test Project), James Lovell (Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8, and Apollo 13), Frank Borman (Gemini 7 and Apollo 8), Neil Armstrong (Apollo 11), Edwin Aldrin (Apollo 11), Scott Carpenter (Mercury-Atlas 7), Eugene Cernan (Apollo 17), and Gordon Cooper (Mercury 9 and Gemini 5), all of whom reported sighting anomalous aerial craft during their careers, sometimes during space operations.
Having had the pleasure of speaking to Dr. Edgar Mitchell, I have experienced the sincerity and glimpsed the risk to the personal life and reputation of these astronauts, and professionals in general, who come forward with information. It is unscrupulous and appalling to subject America´s heroes to conduct such as this.
An incident investigated by the likes of nuclear physicist, author, and lecturer Stanton Friedman and Ufologist Frank Freschino Jr. is the Flatwoods Incident. According to witnesses (multiple), an entity was observed near the town of Flatwoods, West Virginia in 1952. Following the sighting of a red pulsating object believed to be a solid structure, possibly a craft, an entity of very unusual description was observed. This entity was described as humanoid, standing approximately ten feet tall, with what appeared to be a red face. Following the sighting, a reporter and co-owner of the Braxton Democrat newspaper investigated the area and fell mysteriously ill. As the days went by, more witnesses were found, many of whom also became ill. A local doctor related the symptoms to that of mustard gas exposure. Mr. Nickell explained the entity as being an owl.
According to his website, Nickell is a stage magician (Resident Magician at the Houdini Hall of Fame), private investigator (for a world-famous detective agency), academic (PhD in English) focusing on literary investigation and folklore, and author of some two dozen books. I question how a magician and English major is qualified to speculate on the research of top scientists in Ufology.
Another favorite is none other than William Nye, also known as Bill Nye the Science Guy. Nye was the host of a popular science television series aimed at children. Having graduated with a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Cornell University, Nye has worked as an aeronautical engineer, author, and comedian. Of interest is the fact that Nye has only earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering, but speaks on such subjects as earth science, space science, physics, chemistry, and life sciences, subjects touched on in the mechanical engineering syllabus, but not enough to make one an expert in the fields. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Goucher College.
Despite his contributions to science and to childrens´ education, Nye is the last person to seek comment or guidance in the UFO mystery. Appearing on Larry King on July 18, 2008, Nye was obviously out of his element when debating the UFO phenomenon with Stanton Friedman. Friedman, with his considerable knowledge on the subject, much of it gained through his own research in national and Presidential archives and witness interviews, made a spectacle of Nye, who obviously came unprepared to the debate.
Another favorite is Michael Schermer, himself a member of CSI. Quoting from a previous article entitled A WISE MAN DISMISSES NOTHING OUT OF HAND - Bias at Dateline NBC, I noted how Schermer makes a statement about fifteen minutes into the program 10 Close Encounters Caught on Tape that "all UFO sightings are never consistent with each other. He also refers to evidence as "nebulous" and "fuzzy". Obviously, Schermer has never really studied the UFO phenomena, never learning that such a consistency exists that UFO investigators can actually classify sightings based on type of sighting, type of craft, and type of entity involved, if any. UFO´s are classified by color, size, and other physical characteristics, movement and actions, effects on the witnesses, effects on nearby animals, trace evidence recovered, even whether military aircraft was spotted in the area during or immediately following the sighting".
Professional debunkers pursue their craft with an almost religious zeal, ignoring anything inconsistent with their view of the world. At least in public. Privately, you have to wonder how such learned men can seem so ignorant. Is this zealotry, or a conscious attempt to disseminate disinformation to some nefarious end? Could those who wish to discredit Ufology be attempting to further a government-sponsored agenda to keep the American public in a state of confusion and ignorance?
In either of these cases, these "scientists" have discredited themselves and shown themselves unworthy of comment on any subject in the field of Ufology. By continuing to make these gentlemen the "go-to guys", the media is only furthering junk science and poor quality reporting. By failing to pursue the truth, professional debunkers stray from their obligation to science to pursue the truth, and by extension, today´s media has proven themselves unworthy of inclusion in an historic fraternity of intrepid newsmen.
References
1. Committee for Skeptical Inquiry www.csicop.org
2. Joe Nickell www.joenickell.com
3. NASA Astronaut Biographies www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios
4. Dr. Edgar Mitchell, DSc www.edmitchellapollo14.com
5. Stanton Friedman, MSc www.stantonfriedman.com
6. Frank Feschino Jr. flatwoodsmonster.com
7. William Nye (Bill Nye the Science Guy) www.billnye.com
8. Michael Schermer www.skeptic.com/about_us/meet_michael_shermer.html
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