[escepticos] RV:

[planetario@...>]

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> De: CDC España <cdces en hotmail.com>
> A: letters en guardian.co.uk
> CC: planetario en cin.es
> Asunto: 
> Fecha: viernes 5 de septiembre de 1997 17:38
> 
> The Editor
> The Guardian
> 
> By Fax and E-Mail
> 
> 			5 September 1997
> 
> Dear Sir
> 
> We attach a press release from the ongoing conference of the European 
> Congress of Sceptics on the subject of Lady Diana's death and its 
> aftermath.
> 
> Among those attending are:
> 
> Paul Kurtz, Emeritus Professor of Philosphy, Univ. Buffalo (NY), 
> Chairman CSICOP (Committee for Scientific Investigation of Claims of the 
> Paranormal)
> 
> Cornelis de Jager, Professor of Astronomy, Univ. Utrecht (Netherlands)
> 
> Joe Nickell, Author of "In quest of the Shroud of Turin", CSICOP Fellow 
> Investigator
> 
> Robert Morris, Professor of Psychology, Univ. Edimburgh
> 
> Richard Wiseman, Professor, Univ. Hertfordshire
> 
> Jan Willem Nienhuys, Professor of Mathematics, Univ. Eindhoven
> 
> Edgar Stones, Emeritus Professor of Education, Univ. Liverpool
> 
> 
> We should be most grateful if you could find the space for it.
> 
> Yours faithfully,
> 
> Javier E. Armentia
> President
> Spanish Association "Alternativa Racional a las Pseudociencias"
> 
> Address: CASA DE LAS CIENCIAS La Corunna Science Museum
> Parque de Sta. Margarita, La Corunna, Spain
> ----------------------------
> VllI  European Sceptics Conference
> Press Release
> 
> Scientists from all over Europe and the USA have been alarmed and 
> extremely concerned by the events following the death of Princess Diana.
> 
> While in no way objecting to the expression of private and, indeed, 
> public grief at her death, the events of the last week or so have been 
> quite disproportionate.
> 
> Expressions from the public, such as ``She was the most important person 
> of the century', and the overreaction of the media are symptomatic of 
> hysteria on a national and , indeed, an international scale.
> 
> This topic will be prominent among the discussions of the 8th Congress 
> of the Pan-European Council of Sceptical Organisations. The 
> international sceptics organisation is a body which includes many highly 
> respected scientists. Its main aim is to subject claims of paranormal 
> phenomena to rational scrutiny, It rejects the idea of automatic cynical 
> debunking.
> 
> The theme of the Congress is `Science,  pathological science and 
> pseudo-science'. Scheduled topics include alleged miracles and UFOs. A 
> special session is to be added to the programme devoted to the question 
> of the Princess Diana phenomenon. A current view among participants is 
> that there is an urgent need for an in-depth study of the events and an 
> examination of how a balanced people like the British can lose self 
> control on such a massive scale. It is hoped that the international body 
> of sceptics, to which the European Congress is affiliated, will conduct 
> such a study.
> 
> The subject of mass hysteria is not a pseudo-scientific topic, but the 
> phenomenon is at the heart of many unfounded beliefs in the paranormal. 
> One participant made the point that mass hysteria is a fertile ground 
> for undemocratic movements. For these reasons the topic needs careful 
> examination and thorough investigation by all responsible people.'
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ______________________________________________________
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