Skeptical Inquirer

Skeptical Inquirer is a bimonthly American general-audience magazine published by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) with the subtitle: The Magazine for Science and Reason.

Originally called The Zetetic, the magazine initially focused on investigating claims of the paranormal. As the organization and magazine evolved, it expanded to address other pseudoscientific topics that are antithetical to critical thinking and science.

Notable skeptics have credited the magazine in influencing their development of scientific skepticism. In the "Letters to the Editor", the most frequent letters of appreciation come from educators.

Mission statement and goals

Writer and skeptic Daniel Loxton, writing in 2013 about the mission and goals of the skeptical movement, criticized the idea that people wanted to read about the paranormal, Uri Geller and crystal skulls not being relevant any longer. Paul Kurtz in 2009 seemed to share this sentiment and stated that the organization would still research some paranormal subjects as they have expertise in this area, but they would begin to investigate other areas. S.I. "has reached an historic juncture: the recognition that there is a critical need to change our direction." While editor Kendrick Frazier did expand the scope of the magazine to include topics less paranormal and more that were an attack on science and critical thinking such as climate change denialism, conspiracy theories and the influence of the alt-med movement, Frazier also added that "paranormal beliefs are still widespread" and quoted surveys that state that the public, given a list of ten general paranormal topics, will select four as topics they believe in. While the general skeptic community believes that we should not waste more time debunking the paranormal, topics long ago discredited, Frazier says "millions of Americans accept them today."

Barry Karr is the executive director of CSI and Skeptical Inquirer. In June 2023, Stephen Hupp was named as the magazine's editor. Hupp replaced Stuart Vyse, who was the interim editor in November 2022 following the passing of Kendrick Frazier.

Writing for Scientific American in 1982, cognitive scientist Douglas Hofstadter said that the purpose of Skeptical Inquirer was to "combat nonsense" with articles in English that require no special knowledge or expertise, only "curiosity about truth".

History

The magazine was originally titled The Zetetic (from the Greek meaning "skeptical seeker" or "inquiring skeptic"), and was originally edited by Marcello Truzzi. About a year after its inception a schism developed between the editor Truzzi and the rest of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP). The side represented by CSICOP was more "firmly opposed to nonsense, more willing to go on the offensive and to attack supernatural claims" and the other side ("The relativist faction (one member)", i.e. Truzzi) wanted science and pseudoscience to exist "happily together". Truzzi left to start The Zetetic Scholar and CSICOP changed the magazine's name to Skeptical Inquirer.

Loxton speculates on the answer to the question that if Skeptical Inquirer was not the first skeptical publication, why is it considered to be the birth of modern skepticism' (at least for the English-speaking world)"? He writes that it was because CSICOP organized "this scholarship collectively [and] comprised a distinct field of study." The organization was the first to establish "best practices... specialist experts... buildings... periodicals and professional writers and researchers."

The January/February 2023 issue featured an article by Craig Foster that examined Skeptical Inquirer Vol. 1, no. 1 comparing it to the current publication, and found that "1976 principles of skepticism" still resonate forty-six years later "The Truzzi and Kurtz editorials are so consistent with contemporary skepticism, I think Skeptical Inquirer could reprint them today, without dates, and readers wouldn’t find them peculiar." Furthermore "The only out-of-place sentiment seems to be imagining the journal as an exchange between skeptics and paranormal promotors"

Magazine content

2009 Jan/Feb – 2020 May/June art director Christopher S. Fix until his death in March 2021.

The magazine contains several regular columns (and contributors). These have changed over the years as follows:

Print magazine columns and columnists

• Notes of a Fringe-Watcher (originally titled, Notes of a Psi-Watcher) – Martin Gardner, 1983–2010
• Investigative Files – Joe Nickell, 1995–present
• Psychic Vibrations – Robert Sheaffer, 1977–2017
• Notes of a Strange World – Massimo Polidoro, 2002–present
• Thinking About Science – Massimo Pigliucci, 2002–2015
• Skeptical Inquiree – Ben Radford, 2006–present
• Science Watch – Kenneth Krause, 2010–present
• The Science of Medicine – Steven Novella, 2010
• The Science of Science Communication – Matthew Nisbet, 2016–present
• Behavior & Belief – Stuart Vyse, 2016–present
• The Last Laugh – Ian Patrick Harris, 2017–present
• Reality Is the Best Medicine – Harriet Hall, 2018 (began with issue 42.5)

Online magazine columns and columnists

The magazine's website includes current articles, as well as an archive dating back to 1994. A small selection of articles also have Spanish versions available. Most articles are organized into the following columns:

• Special Report – Various columnists, 2007–present
• Curiouser and Curiouser – Kylie Sturgess, 2010–present
• Guerrilla Skepticism – Susan Gerbic, 2013–present
• Behavior & Belief – Stuart Vyse, 2014–present
• Conference Report – Various columnists, 2014–present
• SkepDoc's Corner – Harriet Hall, 2015–present
• Consumer Health – William M. London, 2015–present
• CSICon – Susan Gerbic and others, 2016–present
• The Well-Known Skeptic – Rob Palmer, 2018–present
• The Wide World of Science – Jamie Hale, 2018–present
• A Closer Look – Kenny Biddle, 2018–present
• European Skeptics Chronicles – Annika Merkelbach, 2018–present
• The Thoughtful Conduit – Russ Dobler, 2018–present
• In Memoriam – Various columnists, 2019–present
• Letter to America – Wendy M. Grossman, 2019–present
• But What Do I Know – Ada McVean, 2020–present
• The Skeptic's Guide to Sports Science – Nick Tiller, 2021–present

Influence

Several notable skeptics have described the magazine as influential to the early stages of their development as scientific skeptics. In 1995, Perry DeAngelis and Steven Novella were friends that played Dungeons & Dragons together until DeAngelis noticed a Skeptical Inquirer magazine on the table in Novella's condo. DeAngelis, also an avid reader of the magazine, pointed out the back page to Novella and said "What is missing?" DeAngelis stated that what was missing was a Connecticut skeptic group, he said "we should do this" to which Novella agreed. They started the New England Skeptical Society and eventually the Skeptic's Guide to the Universe (SGU) podcast.

Writing for Scientific American, Douglas Hofstadter asked the question, why would Skeptical Inquirer succeed when the only people who read it are people who do not believe in the paranormal? The answer, he says, lies in the back of the magazine in the "Letters to the Editor" section. "Many people write in to say how vital the magazine has been to them, their friends and their students. High school teachers are among the most frequent writers of thank-you notes to the magazine's editors, but I have also seen enthusiastic letters from members of the clergy, radio talk-show hosts and people in many other professions."

Daniel Loxton, in his essay "Ode to Joy" about discovering Skeptical Inquirer magazine as a freshman at his University writes...

But the true treasure, the lamp at the end of the cave, the thing that helped set the course of my life, was hidden away in the periodical collection: a complete set of the Skeptical Inquirer, going back to its launch in 1976. I couldn't believe such a wealth of skeptical research existed! I worked my way through the stack systematically, hungrily....

Levy and Olynyk art project

Inspired by the four decades of Skeptical Inquirer magazine, an exhibition titled Some Provocations from Skeptical Inquirers by artists Ellen Levy and Patricia Olynyk, was held at the Baruch College Mishkin Gallery in February 2016. Reviewer Eileen G'Sell wrote that the artists "plumb the depths of the murky ontological sea that is empirical belief." Writing for The Brooklyn Rail, reviewer William Corwin stated that the artwork represented "this built-in confrontation between fact and fiction (which) was the basis of the Skeptical Inquirer itself and its playful willingness to consider the most unlikely phenomena."

Pensar

In June 2020, CFI announced the "newly launched CFI online publication", Pensar, "the Spanish language magazine for science, reason, and freethought." It is published by Alejandro Borgo, director of CFI Argentina.

Photo gallery

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  Kendrick Frazier in his office, 2018

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  Barry Karr reading Skeptical Inquirer at Amherst headquarters, 2014

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  Skeptical Inquirer Editor Stephen Hupp, 2023

See also

• CSICon
• Skeptic (U.S. magazine)
• The Skeptic (UK magazine)
• The Skeptic's Dictionary
• Skeptical movement
• Snopes.com

External links

• Official website