The Times
British Association for the Advancement of Science
Theories of telepathy and afterlife cause uproar at top science forum
By Mark Henderson, Science Editor

SCIENTISTS claiming to have evidence of life after death and the powers
of telepathy triggered a furious row at Britain's premier science
festival yesterday. Organisers of the British Association for the
Advancement of Science (the BA) were accused of lending credibility to
maverick theories on the paranormal by allowing the highly controversial
research to be aired unchallenged.
Leading members of the science establishment criticised the BA's
decision to showcase papers purporting to demonstrate telepathy and the
survival of human consciousness after someone dies. They said that such
ideas, which are widely rejected by experts, had no place in the
festival without challenge from sceptics.

The disputed session featured research from Rupert Sheldrake, an
independent biologist who is funded by Trinity College, Cambridge, that
claims to have found evidence that some people know telepathically who
is calling them before they answer the telephone.
Other presentations came from Peter Fenwick, a doctor who thinks
deathbed visions suggest that consciousness survives when people die,
and from Deborah Delanoy of the University of Hertfordshire, whose work
suggests that people can affect the bodies of others by thinking about
them.

Critics including Lord Winston and Sir Walter Bodmer, both former
presidents of the BA, expressed particular alarm that the three speakers
were allowed to hold a promotional press conference. Some said telepathy
has already been found wanting in experiments, and had no place at a
scientific meeting.
"Work in this field is a complete waste of time," said Peter Atkins,
Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oxford. "Although it is
politically incorrect to dismiss ideas out of hand, in this case there
is absolutely no reason to suppose that telepathy is anything more than
a charlatan's fantasy. "

Other scientists said that while discussion of the subject was
acceptable, the panel's lack of balance was like inviting creationists
to address the prestigious meeting without an opposing view from
evolutionary biologists. Several members of the BA said that they would
raise the matter with its ruling council.
Sir Walter, a geneticist and cancer researcher, said: "I'm amazed that
the BA has allowed it to happen in this way. You have got to be careful
not to suppress ideas, even if they are beyond the pale, but it's quite
inappropriate to have a session like that without putting forward a more
convincing view. It's extremely important in cases like this, especially
for the BA which represents science and which people expect to believe,
to provide a proper balancing counter-argument."

Lord Winston, the fertility specialist, said: "It is perfectly
reasonable to have a session like this, but it should be robustly
challenged by scientists who work in accredited psychological fields.
It's something the BA should consider, whether a session like this
should go unchallenged by regular scientists."
Richard Wiseman, Professor of Psychology at the University of
Hertfordshire, who is a sceptical researcher of the paranormal, said:
"The issue is about controversy and balance in science. This is not a
balanced panel. Whether paranormal phenomena are a reality is an
intellectual discussion. But it is the principle that is important. If
the issue was race and intelligence, and you had three people saying one
race are less intelligent than another, that would be outrageous."

Chris French, Professor of Psychology at Goldsmiths College, University
of London, a sceptic of the paranormal, joined a panel discussion, but
did not present a paper or attend the press briefing.
The event was organised by the Scientific and Medical Network, an
organisation with about 3,000 members dedicated to "exploring the
interface of science, medicine and spirituality". The Royal Society,
Britain's national academy of science, said it "lies far from the
scientific mainstream and the list of speakers reflect this".

Helen Haste, chairwoman of the BA's programme organising committee, said
that all three speakers have proper academic credentials and that though
their work is controversial, it is conducted in a rigorous, scholarly
fashion. Professor French's presence at the panel discussion would allow
for sceptical dissent to be heard, though it was unfortunate he was not
at the press event, she said. "We feel at the BA that we should be open
to discussions or debates that are seen as valid by people inside the
scientific community, as long as they are addressed in acceptable ways.
These seem to be phenomena that are commonly experienced but have not
been subjected particularly effectively to scientific investigation. It
is a legitimate area of research. I do think it's appropriate at a
festival like this to have people who are serious about their approach
and experimental methods."
The BA, which celebrates its 175th anniversary this year, is a charity
that seeks to advance public understanding, accessibility and
accountability of the sciences and engineering. Its annual meeting,
which is being held this year at the University of East Anglia in
Norwich, has often caused controversy, most notably in 1860 when Thomas
Huxley championed Charles Darwin's theory of evolution against Samuel
Wilberforce, the Bishop of Oxford.

When asked whether he thought that he was descended from apes on his
mother's or father's side, Huxley responded: "I would rather be
descended from an ape than a bishop."
"We need the opposing view"
Lord Winston, fertility specialist and former president of the BA:
"I know of no serious, properly done studies which make me feel that
this is anything other than nonsense. It is perfectly reasonable to have
a session like this, but it should be robustly challenged by scientists
who work in accredited psychological fields."
Richard Wiseman, Professor of Psychology, University of Hertfordshire:

"Whether paranormal phenomena are a reality is mainly an intellectual
discussion. But it is the principle that is important. If the issue was
race and intelligence, and you had three people saying one race is less
intelligent than another, that would be be outrageous. If there is not a
consensus within science then there should be balance."
Sir Walter Bodmer, geneticist and President of Hertford College, Oxford:

"I'm amazed that the BA has allowed it to happen in this way. You have
got to be careful not to suppress ideas, even if they are beyond the
pale, but it's quite inappropriate to have a session like that without
putting forward a more convincing view. It's extremely important in
cases like this, especially for the BA, which represents science and
which people expect to believe, to provide a proper counter-argument."
Professor Peter Atkins, Fellow and Tutor in Physical Chemisty, Oxford
University:

"Although it is politically incorrect to dismiss ideas out of hand, in
this case there is absolutely no reason to suppose that telepathy is
anything more than a charlatan's fantasy. If telepathy were a real
phenomenon, evolution and natural selection would have developed it into
a serious ability. That has not occurred in this case, neither speaker
has a reputation for reliability, and it is extraordinary that the BA
should consider them worth a platform."

A Royal Society spokesman:
"The Scientific and Medical Network, which is organising this session,
lies far from the scientific mainstream and the list of speakers
reflects this. I hope that the audience attending the session will
expose the speakers' presentations to similarly robust scrutiny."