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Doubtful News roundup for 12 October 2014

10/12/2014

 
Lots of news this week, especially from the U.K.,  about questionable claims and the goings-on of some dubious characters. Here is a rundown of the headlines covered last week on Doubtful News.

Skeptical activists still asking questions of Psychic Sally  This past week in the UK, “Psychic Sally”, who refuses any test of her “psychic” ability, appeared in a very bad light again as her husband was caught harassing a skeptic legally handing out information about her show. The activist was threatened. A video shows the evidence. 
Police in U.K. plan to tackle religious-based child abuse  Cases of ritualistic or faith-based abuse of children are on the rise in the UK. Police in London are teaming up with religious and community groups to do more about this increasing problem that includes exorcisms and accusations of witchcraft which have result in some deaths.

Errol Denton fined, no longer practicing, bankrupt and acting kooky  "Live blood analyst" and “bogus” medical practitioner Errol Denton was fined in the UK for violating advertising standards by saying his treatments could cure cancer. He fired his lawyer and claimed bankruptcy. At least he's not in practice anymore.

Deliberately stoking fears of the ultimate evil in Northern Ireland in the 70s  The Satanic Panic of the 1970s was without basis here in the US. The idea of devil worshipper who did not value human life was used in Northern Ireland as a vehicle of propaganda in war zones. The church helped fuel fears of Satanic ritual murders to keep people in at night.

Consent under hypnosis? A accused man will go to trial Can you give consent under hypnosis? Some people think hypnosis is like mind control. But it's really not. However, the aspect of coercion is a bit tricky. The court will decide if an amateur hypnotist used his “powers” to quiet the woman he was treating, as he took advantage of the situation.

Grey Lady photo dubious with questionable legend to boot  A photo circulated widely in the tabloid media of a supposed ghost photo unintentionally captured at the “haunted” Dudley castle in the U.K. Unsurprisingly, the photo is questionable and the legend of the grey lady is full of holes with NO documentation. But the tourist spot doesn't seem to mind promoting the claim.

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Is this the grey lady of Dudley Castle? Unlikely. But that doesn't stop the promotion of the picture.
But not all sites want paranormal attention...

Historical sites get bombarded with requests by ghost hunters  It’s that time of year - the month for amateur ghost hunting and haunted tours. Do you let paranormal investigators into your historic location to play pretend scientists with their blinky gadgets, promoting unverifiable stories? If you are a historical society, you must address these questions. Should you sacrifice historical accuracy for the extra dollars?

Visit DoubtfulNews.com for more stories everyday.
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    SWIFT is named after Jonathan Swift, the author of Gulliver's Travels. In the book, Gulliver encounters among other things a floating island inhabited by spaced-out scientists and philosophers who hardly deal with reality. Swift was among the first to launch well-designed critiques against the flummery - political, philosophical, and scientific - of his time, a tradition that we hope to maintain at The James Randi Foundation.

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