Graphology, or handwriting analysis, claims that personality characteristics such as introversion and extraversion can be inferred from the form and structure of letters, words, and sentences (introverts, for example, are said to write in smaller letters, extraverts in larger letters). Shermer puts graphology to the experimental test, showing that if you do not already know the personality characteristic you are looking for in the handwriting, graphology is no better than chance.
A thorough, objective, and balanced analysis of the most prominent controversies made in the name of science — from the effectiveness of proposed medical treatments to the reality of supernatural claims. Is there any truth to alien abduction and cold fusion, recovered memories and conspiracy theories? Michael Shermer, founder of the Skeptics Society and Skeptic magazine, and his team of well-known scientists and scholars have created an open-minded and authoritative two volume set that gives evidence both for and against extraordinary theories. (continue reading…)
Denying History takes a bold and in-depth look at those who say the Holocaust never happened and explores the motivations behind such claims. While most commentators have dismissed the Holocaust deniers as antisemitic neo-Nazi thugs who do not deserve a response, historians Michael Shermer and Alex Grobman have immersed themselves in the minds and culture of these Holocaust “revisionists.” They have conducted personal interviews with the deniers, read their literature, monitored their Web sites, attended their conferences, engaged them in debate, and even traveled around Europe to conduct research at the Nazi extermination camps. Uncovering a complex social movement, the authors go much deeper than ever before in not only trying to understand the motives of the Holocaust deniers, but also refuting their points one by one. In the process, they show how we can be certain that the Holocaust happened and, for that matter, how we can confirm any historical event.
In The Borderlands of Science, Michael Shermer takes us to the place where real science, borderline science — and just plain nonsense — collide. Shermer argues that while science is the best lens through which to view the world, it is often difficult to decipher where valid science leaves off and borderland, or “fuzzy” science begins. To solve this dilemma, he looks at a range of topics that put this boundary line in high relief. For instance, he debunks the many “theories of everything” that try to reduce the complexity of the world to a single principle. He examines the work of Darwin and Freud, explaining why one is among the great scientists in history, while the other has become nothing more than a historical curiosity. And he reveals how scientists themselves can be led astray, as seen in the infamous Piltdown hoax — the set of ancient hominid bones discovered in England that after decades turned out to be an enormous forgery.
From SETI and acupuncture to hypnosis and human cloning, this enlightening book will help readers stay grounded in common sense amid the flurry of supposedly scientific theories that inundate us every day.
A scientist pretends to be a psychic for a day — and fools everyone. An athlete discovers that good-luck rituals and getting into “the zone” may, or may not, improve his performance. A historian decides to analyze the data to see who was truly responsible for the Bounty mutiny. A son explores the possiblities of alternative and experimental medicine for his cancer-ravaged mother. And a skeptic realizes that it is time to turn the skeptical lens onto science itself. (continue reading…)
