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Hundredth Monkey
The Hundredth Monkey takes its title from philosopher Ron Amundson's expose of the "Hundredth Monkey Phenomenon," a claim about collective consciousness. Forty-three essays by thirty-nine authors, including Isaac Asimov, Martin Gardner, Carl Sagan, Ray Hyman, Paul Kurtz, and James Randi, examine aspects of paranormal and fringe-science beliefs from an authoritative, scientific point of view. The penetrating and entertaining essays, many with timely postscripts, are grouped into nine Understanding Human Need - Examining Popular Claims- Encouraging Critical Thinking - Medical Controversies- Evaluating the Anomalous Experience - Astrology- Considering Parapsychology - Crashed Saucer Claims- Controversies Within ScienceScientists and scholars discuss the burden of skepticism and the delicate balance between a creative openness to new ideas and the relentless scrutiny of new claims. A classic source book for scientifically responsible explanations of controversies, hoaxes, bizarre mysteries, and popular cultural myths.
414 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 8, 2023
ENGLISH: A collection of articles published in The Skeptical Enquirer, it deals with pseudosciences such as Psi Phenomena and Parapsychology, Alien Abduction, Spontaneous Combustion, the Kirlian Effect, Astrology, UFO Beliefs and Cold Fusion.
Among the highlights are five papers by Martin Gardner, one by Isaac Asimov, Carl Sagan, L. Sprague de Camp and Antony Flew, plus the famous paper by Ron Amundson that gives its title to the collection. I have reviewed this article for my blog, where it will appear soon.
I have liked the papers by Gardner and Sagan, but those by Asimov and Sprague de Camp have disappointed me, for they put religion at the same level as pseudosciences and consider it irrational. I suppose that they have forgotten the many philosophers and scientists who used reason to back their beliefs, or perhaps they consider wrongly that anything that isn't science can't be reason.
The paper by Milton Rothman about cold fusion is also quite to the point.
ESPAÑOL: Recolección de artículos publicados en The Skeptical Enquirer, trata sobre pseudociencias como la parapsicología, la abducción por extraterrestres, la combustión espontánea, el efecto Kirlian, la astrología, las creencias sobre ovnis, y la fusión fría.
A destacar cinco artículos de Martin Gardner, uno de Isaac Asimov, Carl Sagan, L. Sprague de Camp y Antony Flew, más el famoso artículo de Ron Amundson que da título a la colección. He revisado este artículo para mi blog, donde aparecerá pronto.
Me han gustado los trabajos de Gardner y Sagan, pero los de Asimov y Sprague de Camp me han defraudado, pues ponen la religión al mismo nivel que las pseudociencias y la consideran irracional. Supongo que se han olvidado de los muchos filósofos y científicos que usaron la razón para respaldar sus creencias, o tal vez consideran erróneamente que todo lo que no sea ciencia no es razón.
El artículo de Milton Rothman sobre la fusión fría también viene muy a cuento.
Among the highlights are five papers by Martin Gardner, one by Isaac Asimov, Carl Sagan, L. Sprague de Camp and Antony Flew, plus the famous paper by Ron Amundson that gives its title to the collection. I have reviewed this article for my blog, where it will appear soon.
I have liked the papers by Gardner and Sagan, but those by Asimov and Sprague de Camp have disappointed me, for they put religion at the same level as pseudosciences and consider it irrational. I suppose that they have forgotten the many philosophers and scientists who used reason to back their beliefs, or perhaps they consider wrongly that anything that isn't science can't be reason.
The paper by Milton Rothman about cold fusion is also quite to the point.
ESPAÑOL: Recolección de artículos publicados en The Skeptical Enquirer, trata sobre pseudociencias como la parapsicología, la abducción por extraterrestres, la combustión espontánea, el efecto Kirlian, la astrología, las creencias sobre ovnis, y la fusión fría.
A destacar cinco artículos de Martin Gardner, uno de Isaac Asimov, Carl Sagan, L. Sprague de Camp y Antony Flew, más el famoso artículo de Ron Amundson que da título a la colección. He revisado este artículo para mi blog, donde aparecerá pronto.
Me han gustado los trabajos de Gardner y Sagan, pero los de Asimov y Sprague de Camp me han defraudado, pues ponen la religión al mismo nivel que las pseudociencias y la consideran irracional. Supongo que se han olvidado de los muchos filósofos y científicos que usaron la razón para respaldar sus creencias, o tal vez consideran erróneamente que todo lo que no sea ciencia no es razón.
El artículo de Milton Rothman sobre la fusión fría también viene muy a cuento.
January 30, 2023
Superb. Detailed critiques of many paranormal claims - from the pages of the Skeptical Enquirer.
This includes the infamous 100th monkey nonsense. As well as astrology, homeopathy et al.
It lifts the lid on outright fraud in Rhine's team ( though possibly not Rhine himself ).
Where there is money or notoriety to be made by milking the gullible there will be fraud.
Hence the importance of careful skepticism when it comes to extraordinary claims.
There is a strong emphasis on objectivity and reason. Though methinks in some cases they doth
protest too much. There is much emphasis on repeatable evidence but it seems to me that
the minds of many of the writers are closed off. No 'evidence' would ever be acceptable. They have made up their minds already, permanently.
This includes the infamous 100th monkey nonsense. As well as astrology, homeopathy et al.
It lifts the lid on outright fraud in Rhine's team ( though possibly not Rhine himself ).
Where there is money or notoriety to be made by milking the gullible there will be fraud.
Hence the importance of careful skepticism when it comes to extraordinary claims.
There is a strong emphasis on objectivity and reason. Though methinks in some cases they doth
protest too much. There is much emphasis on repeatable evidence but it seems to me that
the minds of many of the writers are closed off. No 'evidence' would ever be acceptable. They have made up their minds already, permanently.
February 12, 2016
I didn't read all of the essays in this collection of articles about re-examination of paranormal and pseudo-scientific research, but what I did read was generally very interesting and eye-opening. As someone of a scientific bent myself, I was delighted to see the tone of examination - some would call it skeptical, some would call it 'based on examination of sound scientific method' - applied to research carried out into a number of famous phenomena. Some essays seemed a little personal in their attempts to debunk, but most of what I read I was heartily in agreement with.
March 23, 2012
great book. this is required reading in my skeptism and the paranormal class
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews