dean@mind.UUCP (Dean Radin) (03/17/88)
Since readers here seem to be interested in scientific anomalies, some may be interested in the Society for Scientific Exploration (SSE). I'll quote briefly from an SSE brochure: "The purpose of the SSE is to provide a forum for the responsible discussion of anomalous phenomena and related topics. The term "anomalous" is here used to characterize a phenomenon which appears to contradict existing scientific knowledge or which, for similar reasons, is generally regarded by the scientific community as being outside their established fields of inquiry... The Society was formed in April 1982, with 100 founding members drawn mainly from university faculties in the US. The membership includes distinguished astronomers, physicists, mathematicians, engineers..., drawn not only from the US but from several other countries as well. The Society holds an annual meeting (at Cornell in June of this year), and occasional meetings are organized on a regional basis. The Society publishes a scholarly journal (from Pergamon), The Journal of Scientific Exploration, and a newsletter, The Explorer. Concerning membership: It is expected that most full members will have the following qualifications: (a) a doctoral degree from a recognized institution of higher learning; (b) an appointment at a university, college, or other research institution; (c) a record of having made a substantial contribution to a recognized field of knowledge through publication in the scientific or scholarly literature. ..." For those interested in an email copy of the Society's Position Paper, plus more information on becoming a member (there are several categories of membership, including student member), just send me email. There is a small body of carefully researched information available on topics such as UFOs, parapsychology, cryptozoology, and anomalies in mainstream science. The SSE recognizes that many of the most profound scientific breakthroughs ultimately arise through the study of anomalous phenomena, and that, ironically, such study often evokes hostility among those who believe they already know "the truth." I am an Associate Editor for the SSE's journal and am well aquainted with the scientific and sociological problems associated with the study of anomalies. Dean Radin (dean@mind.princeton.edu)