DENNIS RAWLINS was a cofounder of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal and served on CSICOP’s Executive Council from 1976 to 1979. Until 1980 he was an Associate Editor of Skeptical Inquirer. He held degrees in physics from Harvard University (B.A.) and Boston University (M.A.) and his research had been published in major journals.
Although a leading member of the skeptic organizations back then, Rawlings was ejected for fastidiously doing a statistical experiment the results of which proved the validity of astrology. Even though as a skeptic he did not like the results he felt they should be handled honestly and honourably.
Other executive members of this organization, especially the magician Randi did not feel this way. Instead the group published a different study that they knew was poorly executed without mentioning Rawlings and also attempted to abuse and slander Rawlings.
When Rawlings discovered that the skeptic groups and in particular the great Randi and another skeptic named Kurtz were trying to hide his results that proved astrology had some validity, he exposed the group and wrote a long expose.
It was clear prior to his questioning their disgusting behaviour that he was a trusted member of the executive but was then “ejected” when he disputed the fraud.
“Randi and I drove to Washington together on December 4. Late that afternoon while Michael Hutchinson and I were in Randi’s suite, Kurtz called to speak with me. He immediately accused me of lying and conspiring against him (this only a few days after trying to organize a secret movement to have me thrown off the Council for the crime of dissent). [8]“
Randi has continued this type of fraud by more recently stalling and then stopping a scientific experiment by homeopath George Vithoulkas and Medical Doctors that would have proved homeopathy works. He offers a million dollar reward but does not allow experiments that would actual mean a collection of the reward. As well, it is unclear whether there is in fact money for the reward.
Another skeptic who started his criminal career at the same time, named Barrett, (supported by skeptics like David Colquhoun- he was featured on the front page of this pharmaceutical company skeptic’s web site) turned skepticism into a money making fraudulent venture and is now criminally charged in the United States under RICO laws for his “skeptic” activities against alternative health companies.
Randi, a high school drop out but recognized as a science star by skeptics, continues his fraudulent “science” skeptic foundations. Like Barrett, the magician randi is paid large sums of money for his speaking engagements and other activities. His converts have elevated him to someone who has “scientific expertise” exceeding any of the actual professional researchers in the alternative medicine field or other fields he is skeptical of.
Rawlings continues in his long expose:
The Smoking Letter answers the same key question that hung over the Watergate conspirators:
“When did they know?The answer is astonishing: over half a year before the cover-up Control Test report was published. Abell says the very test CSICOP had urged Gauquelin to carry out had shown his findings to be “significant.” The Smoking Letter to Kurtz reveals that KZA knew they were in trouble. But as Abell learned pronto, Kurtz wasn’t about to publish any letter that admitted Gauquelin had won the Control Test. He was going to pretend that nothing had gone wrong.
Here’s more about the experiment: ”To sum up: the whole purpose of the Control Test — of collecting nearly 17,000 nonchampions (the control group) — had been to test whether Gauquelin’s champions’ 22-percent hitrate was just a “natural” (nonastrological) function of the time and place of birth. Had the nonchampions control group shown at the 22-percent rate also, the “natural” hypothesis would have been confirmed and Gauquelin’s neoastrology would have been disconfirmed. However, the opposite occurred. The nonchampions’ rate turned out to be 17 percent, establishing the champions’ 22-percent rate as a real, highly significant above-chance result.”
