German Triptych
Bernard Howard (May 1, 1992)
There is something in the German psyche which has a peculiar fascination for the medieval...
Corn Circles
As the northern summer of 1991 progressed, the corn circlers struck again. Von Dfaniken is sure the circles in North Germany are attempts by extraterrestrials to make contact with Mankind, but they were instead results of a very human weakness —
pride.
"We wanted to show that what the English can do, we can do here," said the students of Kiel University as they demonstrated before TV cameras how they flattened the corn with planks of wood.
(With thanks to Bob Brockie for the report in the "Evening Post".)
NOBODY likes to admit to having been fooled, especially when future book royalties are at stake. So it is no surprise that the "experts" on crop circles are fighting a rearguard action against the tide of confessional hoaxers now breaking over them. "Doesn't explain them ail," they cry.
This year, however, the owning up of hoaxers has become a chorus that even the credulous can no longer ignore. Among the confessed are:
- Dave Chorley and Doug Bower, who have been making circles for 13 years, and have infiltrated crews of circle watchers to make circles while concealed by mist. They recently made a circle for the "Today" newspaper, watched it pronounced by Mr Delgado as perfect and not man-made, then owned up.
- A group called the Wessex Sceptics, led by Robin Allen, who made one for Channel 4's "Equinox" programme. It convinced Mr Meaden, who pronounced it 100 per cent genuine; several dowsers, whose dowsing sticks went béserk; and a medium, who felt ill in the circle.
Dowsing
This topic formed the first investigative project of our sister organisation in Germany. The Federal Republic had about 10,000 Wanschelrutenganger (diviners), earning in total about $100M a year. Of this, 21 initially agreed to take part in a scientific test.
One test was to detect water flowing in an underground pipe; the other to detect objects, made of materials of the diviners' choice, hidden in boxes. Details of procedure and recording were worked out with typical German thoroughness to make the test results unequivocal.
In the end, 19 diviners expressed themselves satisfied with the conditions of the water test, and 13 with the hidden objects test. Analysis of the results showed that in both tests, the diviners as a group scored no better than chance; that is, no better than if they were just guessing,
The researchers cautiously conclude that "the claimed faculties of the diviners could not be verified," and even more cautiously point out that this is not the same as claiming that this faculty does not exist.
Congratulations to our German colleagues for a well executed experiment.
(With thanks to "Skeptiker" and the German Skeptics Society.)
Alternative Medicine
A Tumour Biology Centre costing $280M is to be built in Freiburg, and a distinguished cancer specialist has been lured from his university chair to direct it. A substantial proportion of the setting up and running costs will be met by the government of Baden-Wirttenburrg, the Land in which Freiburg is situated, but only on condition that the centre investigates "unconventional" treatments.
The new director has thus to balance his commitment to the politicians holding the purse strings, who insist on the centre recognising "alternative" therapies, with his need to develop its standing in the scientific and medical community and to attract high quality staff.
So far, he has been anxious to reassure colleagues that research into any therapy will be done to rigorous standards. One attractive possibility is that in addition to receiving funds from pharmaceutical companies — a common means of financing medical research — the "alternative" carrot may attract funds from the booming herbal and homeopathic industry, not otherwise known for its support of science.
(With acknowledgment to "Nature".)
Professor Bernard Howard is the secretary of NZSCICOP.