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From: mjs@eagle.UUCP (M.J.Shannon)
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: Firewalking and the Scientific Method
Message-ID: <1253@eagle.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 12-Apr-85 12:24:04 EST
Article-I.D.: eagle.1253
Posted: Fri Apr 12 12:24:04 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 13-Apr-85 05:20:56 EST
References: <1625@decwrl.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Summit, NJ
Lines: 18

> The flames have risen and faded about that old message (I've forgotten its
> author) about the firewalking seminar.  I don't intend to fan those flames
> again, but I can't resist posting this part of an article by Robert Sheaffer
> in The Skeptical Inquirer.  The Skeptical Inquirer is the journal of the
> Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal.

Once again, the public is being fooled.  The single fact that is ignored in the
Skeptical Inquirer article is that some of these people have successfully done
their fire-walking without injury at one time or another.  A magazine claiming
to be as rigorously scientific in method as SI should at least present ALL
observed phenomena, not just those that support their skepticism.  I long ago
cancelled my subscription to that magazine for their tendency to ignore valid
data (but, I must admit, they are often more scientific than the article posted
would indicate).
-- 
	Marty Shannon
UUCP:	ihnp4!eagle!mjs
Phone:	+1 201 522 6063