Psychic Hair and Bigfoot

Sun, 9 Oct 2011 12:02:24 -0600

Is our hair psychic? And what does this mean for Bigfoot?

A recent post from the Bigfoot Sightings blog speculates: “How does Bigfoot avoid us so well? Possibly they’re blessed with extra perceptive powers through their hair!”1

The theory of “psychic hair” mentioned here was posited on the basis of an unrelated article that was equally questionable in its premise.

The article, “The Truth About Hair and Why Indians Would Keep Their Hair Long,” claims that Native Americans were recruited to the Vietnam War for their supernatural tracking abilities. However, in guerilla warfare, they couldn’t seem to apply the skills they used on their reservations. What was the cause of this inability to perform? Their hair! When the men were forced to have short military haircuts and lose their long locks they:

…could no longer ‘sense’ the enemy, they could no longer access a ‘sixth sense’, their ‘intuition’ no longer was reliable, they couldn’t ‘read’ subtle signs as well or access subtle extrasensory information.2

The article claims that the theory was tested by the military extensively, and yes, scientists discovered that the Native American’s powers were in their hair. The buzz cuts rendered them powerless! This claim is reminiscent of the biblical narrative of Sampson and Delilah.

No sources are provided for this groundbreaking research. The article smacks of conspiracy theory, claiming that, “This information about hair has been hidden from the public since the Viet Nam War.” Moreover, the article is written for a pseudoscientific source, the Sign of the Times website, a “research project of the Quantum Future Group.”

Mercifully, the article ends with, “SOTT can’t confirm this story or the research it suggests took place.” Still, the article itself presents the research as fact, and this bad information is being disseminated online as reliable.

Then, the Bigfoot Sightings post extrapolates widely from this (already silly) theory:

If one can trust this information it is clear that a Bigfoot, whose hair has never been cut, who has hair all over his body, is sure to have sensory perceptions that are much stronger than what we human beings possess. This accounts for their abilities to sense our presence, and to know when to hide from us. This may also be part of their reported psychic abilities including the way they can influence our own thoughts, instill fear, or cause us to freeze up.

The post presupposes that Bigfoot exists, then, posits the alleged psychic skills of the alleged beast to explain its evasiveness.

The author then muses, “is [hair] a part of our nervous system?” In support of this theory a reader argues that cats “learn through their whiskers”. However, this is a sensory function, not a sixth sense.

Hair and fur are both made of keratin, and have the same chemical makeup as skin, feathers and nails.3 Hair has a range of functions, serving as insulation, cooling and protection; not as a psychic sense or ability. Most of all, visible hair, the “hair shaft”, has no living tissue. Even though it contains fats, pigments and minerals, hair is essentially “dead.”4

Hair clearly has an evolutionary purpose. From a social perspective, hairstyle is a symbol of fashion, status, and a sign of health and youth. It is a part of our identity, and the way it is worn can even have religious significance. I’ve had long hair since I was a young girl, and couldn’t even imagine myself with a short hairstyle. But… there is no evidence that hair has a “psychic” purpose.

And while we’re on the subject, there’s no evidence of Bigfoot either.

References

1. Bigfoot Sighting. http://bigfootsightings.org/2011/09/20/bigfoot-enhanced-sense-perception-hair/ Accessed 10/05/2011

2. The Truth About Hair and Why Indians Would Keep Their Hair Long. Science of the Spirit. http://www.sott.net/articles/show/234783-The-Truth-About-Hair-and-Why-Indians-Would-Keep-Their-Hair-Long Accessed 10/05/2011

3. Wise Geek. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-hair-and-fur.htm Accessed 10/05/2011

4. Wikipedia. Hair. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hair Accessed 10/05/2011

With thanks to Bryan Bonner for pointing me to the link on the Bigfoot Sightings site.

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Animal “Language”

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 19:29:25 -0600

Polly wants a cracker and Koko the gorilla can use sign language. Do non-human animals have language too?

Someone contacted me recently and asked if I was “interested in Flying Fox language”. Of course, he meant “vocalizations” rather than “language” as spoken and understood by humans. Homo sapiens are the only species with the capacity for language.

Animal communication is probably a better term than “language”. Ants, elephants, bees and lions have unique ways of communicating. Dolphins share clicks and whistles, and non-vocal behavior such as flips. Vervet monkeys have a set of alarm calls; these are distinctive sounds that notify other vervets of approaching predators in the sky or on the ground, such as snakes and eagles. Humpback whales feeding calls and courtship rituals are communicated through “song”. Other animals communicate via facial movements, body movements or scent.

Are these forms of communication on their way to becoming languages? Not really. The repertoire of animal communication is comparatively small, and is usually limited to simple messages about basic needs. Conversely, human language can be expanded to cope with new and complex concepts, such as Skinny Caramel Macchiatos and bukkake (you know, those Japanese noodles).

What about Koko the gorilla who can understand sign language and spoken language? Incredibly, she can understand some 2000 words of English. In comparison, a child of age 3 has a larger vocabulary. Koko is a special case, and has been the subject of a research project for about 40 years.

What about animals that can “talk”? Lolita the parrot on You Tube can sing “Let the Bodies Hit the Floor”, but this is only mimicry. Parrots can imitate speech but they don’t have speech. However, an African Grey Parrot called Alex was taught how to form simple sentences. This is amazing, but like Koko, this involves many years of research and training. Unlike humans, parrots don’t acquire language skills as part of development.

Similarly, your pet dog can sit and beg and bark and play dead…when taught to do so. Dogs can be trained to understand simple commands, but “Man’s Best Friend” is hardly the best conversationalist. A dog can show that it hates the food you bought by snubbing it, but Fido can’t say precisely, “I prefer the “Purina Moist & Meaty” you used to buy instead of that nasty “Eukanuba Weight Control Dog Food”.

Most importantly, animal communication is not symbolic. Human language is differentiated from animal communication by the complex system of arbitrary symbols we use; the sentences, words, letters and sounds we have created to represent meaning.

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Dark Side Of The Sun

Wed, 6 Jul 2011 17:05:19 -0600

Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)

Australia has the world’s highest incidence of skin cancer. Growing up in the Northern Beaches of Sydney, sun baking was more important than sun protection. But I was always the girl with two streaks of zinc across my face, and while I felt silly at the time, I was the only kid without a bright red, peeling nose.
Now living in Denver without a beach “in cooee” of the Mile High City, I need to be equally vigilant about sun protection. According to Piz Buin, the makers of the world’s first sunscreen, the sun’s rays become 13% more intense with every 1000m increase in altitude.
There are over 2 million cases of skin cancer in the United States each year. Fortunately, skin cancer is recognizable and preventable. Unfortunately, pseudoscientific theories about sunscreen abound.
Like the anti-vaccination movement, there are conspiracy theorists spreading misinformation about sunscreen. Websites such as Natural News perpetuate a range of myths: that sunscreen causes cancer; that sunscreen doesn’t work; that sunscreen causes osteoporosis; that sunlight prevents cancer; that tanning beds protect against melanoma and that eating tomato paste, spinach, soybeans, goji berries, green tea and broccoli juice afford better sun protection than sunscreen.
These claims are inaccurate, conflicting and misleading.
Sunscreen is safe and effective. It is proven to reduce the risk of cancer, and reduce the risk of premature aging. For all the miraculous claims of the cosmetic industry, there is no better beauty product than sunscreen.
For trustworthy advice visit the Skin Cancer Foundation and the Food and Drug Administration which has recently created a set of sunscreen guidelines for consumers.
One American dies every hour from skin cancer; and last week one of those Americans was my friend, Scott.

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Braco’s Back

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 20:53:00 -0600

The healer who doesn’t call himself a healer.

Whether someone’s barked, “What are you looking at?” or reprimanded, “Take a picture, it’ll last longer”, we all know it’s rude to stare. By extension, it’s rude to gawk, gape and ogle. But it’s okay to gaze; gazing tends to have more positive connotations of wonder and adoration.

But one man believes his gaze is healing.

Braco is a Croatian spiritual healer, but he claims he doesn’t claim he is a healer.

Hundreds of thousands in Europe have already experienced Braco’s silent gaze in the last 15 years. He doesn’t call himself a healer, but up to 10,000 people a day who come seeking his gifts happily say otherwise.

Via testimonials and anecdotal evidence, it is advertised that Braco’s gaze is healing; people who have witnessed his gaze claim to have been cured of epilepsy, cancer and more. It is advertised that Braco’s gaze attracts luck; his gaze supposedly helped people to find jobs and even fixed someone’s car. It is advertised that Braco’s gaze performs miracles; he allegedly restored someone’s sight and healed a paraplegic woman.

How does he achieve these feats? During ten minute sessions he stands on a podium and looks at his audience. That’s it…

He doesn’t even speak. However, his voice is reputedly healing too, so after each session a recording of his voice is played. However, the dialogue is in Croatian. However, like a xenoglossia for listeners, English-speaking followers believe that they can understand him.

Staff members warn that Braco’s gaze is so potent that pregnant women and people under the age of 18 shouldn’t view it for fear of being “overburdened”. Everyone else should be careful to not view Braco’s gaze for longer than seven seconds.

He is yet another mystic that science supposedly “can’t explain”. But Braco has the easiest pseudoscience in existence; he looks at people, he doesn’t speak, he uses no tools, he makes no claims, and his followers do the work for him…in their minds…

Braco visited my city a few months ago, and he’s now back, with a new rule: Please no dogs in our gazing sessions unless they are certified guide dogs. We’ve experimented with this and the energy makes a few whine.

For my investigation of Braco, visit Braco the Gazer at the
Committee for Skeptical Inquiry’s site.

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Rest In Peace?

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 22:17:45 -0600

“The best ghost hunting tool is you.”

Rich in history and culture, cemeteries afford fascinating glimpses into the past. The Sacramento Historic City Cemetery offers free walking tours covering a variety of themes, from Victorian funeral customs and Gold Rush Era history to rose classification. They also conduct Lantern Tours around Halloween. Ghost stories, told as stories, have folkloric value.
A cemetery tour I attended recently went beyond the history and ghost stories. Unfortunately, it went beyond the tasteful.
This is a project in process, so I’m not naming names just yet…
The organizers demand that attendees sign a “Condition of Purchase” that includes the following disclaimer:
By purchasing your Haunted --- Cemetery Tour Ticket(s) you and other individual(s) you are purchasing ticket(s) for, you and they realize that there are dangers inherent in investigating the paranormal, and other related activities, and that mortal or serious personal/spiritual/mental injuries and property damage, including (but not limited to) physical effort, may occur from your participation in such activities.
The tour commenced with a display of the group’s collection of ghost hunting equipment, including EMF readers, KII meters, cameras and the latest in ghost hunting technology – flashlights. Ask the flashlight questions and it goes on and off in response (or because there’s a bad connection). And listen to your body when you feel the hairs on your arms stand on end, “The best ghost hunting tool is you.”
Then there was a presentation of their “evidence” - videos of “shadow people” and recordings of Electronic Voice Phenomena (including a “spirit” supposedly murmuring “slut”, and other alleged voices of the dead mouthing expletives).
Had the tour purported to be historical it still would have been inadequate. One of the six guides read from prompt cards and none could answer questions. However, they had many anecdotes; “We collected EVPs from this crypt!” and “We could smell the scent of lavender near this grave!”
The tour was disrespectful to the families of the deceased and left the cemetery open to vandalism. Attendees roamed the grounds, touching statues, tombs and mementos, walking across graves, filming and taking photos. One man ran about collecting EVPs, barking “Are you in here with me?” into the morgue, and demanding of a tombstone, “Were you murdered?”
Unsurprisingly, there weren’t any restrooms in the cemetery. At a loss for other options, an organizer suggested grudgingly; ‘this shouldn’t be a problem for the guys, they can just go outside, but don’t go on the graves.’
The tour cost $25 and reputedly, all proceeds go to the cemetery’s Benevolent Society. After six months of tours, they still haven’t received these funds.
This investigation continues…

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