Mark Hoofnagle has a MD and PhD in physiology from the University of Virginia, and is now a general surgery resident. His interest in denialism concerns the use of denialist tactics to confuse public understanding of scientific knowledge.
by the San Francisco Chronicle for giving a lot of uncritical coverage to a pet psychic in "Marla Steele makes pet talk a two-way street." This "psychic" discusses Reiki (and the ability to do it from a distance--"energy broadcasting"), among other thing. And here's the reporter's hardball question:
What do you say to skeptics? I completely appreciate people's skepticism. I first heard about animal communication from a coworker at Nordstrom's who was paying $100 to talk to a pet psychic in Oregon about her German Shepherd. I always listened politely to her stories, but secretly thought she must just have money to burn, or be crazy, or both. Now we laugh because I not only became a pet psychic, I also appear on radio and television talk shows all over the country.
Pathetic!
Comments
So she found out she could make $100 a time from people like her friend who would believe any old rubbish, so she became a pet psychic. Then she was laughing. Yup. She's got every right to have a good giggle i think.
Posted by: Richard Eis | August 21, 2008 8:22 AM
You expect anything different in San Francisco?
Posted by: Orac | August 21, 2008 9:26 AM
That quote is a confession. She just dressed it up so she can deny it (easily) if pressed by her fans.
Posted by: rpsms | August 21, 2008 1:02 PM