Science Weekly podcast: Sceptical thinking makes a comeback
In this week's show, our new columnist Chris French, who edits the Skeptic magazine, discusses what it means to be a sceptic and why he thinks sceptical thinking is making a comeback.We hear from the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Chris French: False memories of sexual abuse
Despite the falling away of media interest, families are still being torn apart when 'recovered' memories of childhood sexual abuse are introduced into the minds of vulnerable peopleI have three...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Scientists put psychic's paranormal claims to the test
Professional medium Patricia Putt was last week subjected to a rigorous scientific test of her powers as the first stage of her bid to claim a $1m prize from the James Randi Educational FoundationThe...
View ArticleClik here to view.
'Witch hunt' forces chiropractors to remove websites | Chris French
A chiropractic association has strongly advised its members to remove websites and withdraw patient leaflets or risk prosecutionOn 10 June a revealing letter from the McTimoney Chiropractic Association...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Spoon-bending for beginners: Anomalistic psychology in schools
Why introduce students to a field of psychology investigating claims that fly in the face of mainstream science? Chris French can think of several good reasonsFrom next month, potentially thousands of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Anomalistic psychology, Lesson One: Seeing is not believing
Studying paranormal claims is as much about revealing imperfections in the human mind as it is about flying saucers, ghosts, extrasensory perception and psychic healingHaving taught anomalistic...
View ArticleScience Weekly podcast: Anomalistic psychology and Iraq combat music
Prof Chris French is coordinator of the anomalistic psychology research unit at Goldsmiths, University of London. He defines his field as the psychology of paranormal beliefs and of ostensibly...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The waking nightmare of sleep paralysis | Chris French
Imagine awaking to a strong sense of a 'presence', pressure on your chest, intense fear and hallucinations, but being incapable of moving a muscleProfessor French discusses sleep paralysis on The One...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Alien abduction flick The Fourth Kind is dangerous twaddle | Chris French
Psychologist Chris French explains why he believes The Fourth Kind is dangerously misleading twaddleThe Fourth Kind is, in so many ways, a really awful film. Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi and released...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Church must accept reality of false memories of sexual abuse | Chris French
The notion that therapists can help people to 'recover' memories of sexual abuse causes serious harm to patients and their families, writes psychologist Chris FrenchLast April, I wrote a column on the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A suitable case for libel?
As a member of the British False Memory Society, I and others like me are portrayed as giving comfort to child sex abusers. Is it worth suing our accusers?Some weeks ago, I wrote a piece for the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Martin Gardner, 1914-2010, one of the most influential figures in scepticism...
Chris French mourns the passing of Martin Gardner, a prolific writer and populariser of mathematics, and one of the most influential figures in scepticismI woke up on Sunday morning to some very sad...
View ArticleClik here to view.
False memories of sexual abuse lead to terrible miscarriages of justice |...
To avoid the innocent being convicted, police, lawyers and judges must understand the fickle nature of human memoryMany of those working in our legal system have such a poor understanding of the nature...
View ArticleScience Weekly podcast: Miscarriages of memory and a new climate science...
Before listening to this podcast, we highly recommend you watch this video so you can take part in our mini-experiment. Professor Chris French and Professor Tim Valentine from the psychology department...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Psychic Sally Morgan hears voices from the other side (via a hidden earpiece)...
Evidence 'Britain's best-loved psychic' Sally Morgan may not be all she seems is unlikely to deter her fans, writes Chris FrenchAccording to her website, Sally Morgan is "Britain's best-loved psychic"....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Astrologers and other inhabitants of parallel universes
Followers of pseudosciences such as astrology often draw spurious parallels between their beliefs and established scienceA common tactic used by those promoting dubious hypotheses is to argue that the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Precognition studies and the curse of the failed replications | Professor...
Science progresses when repeat studies back or refute previous research, but getting 'replications' published can be a nightmareProfessor Daryl Bem of Cornell University is a well-respected...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How true to life are the psychics and psychologists in Red Lights? | Prof...
Real-life parapsychologist Chris French gives his verdict on the newly released film Red Lights starring Robert De NiroIn my role as a professional sceptic, I jumped at the chance to see a preview of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why giving polygraph tests to sex offenders is a terrible idea | Prof Chris...
Polygraphs are notoriously unreliable and easy to fool, and sooner or later sex offenders will discover the truth about themIt was recently announced that the government is keen to introduce mandatory...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why won't psychic Sally Morgan accept our invitation to test her powers? |...
Despite expressing respect for sceptics, psychic Sally Morgan has again refused to have her claims tested. Could the potential loss of earnings have something to do with it?Last October, Simon Singh,...
View Article
