In order to carry out its mission, the committee "maintains a network of people interested in critically examining paranormal, fringe science, and other claims, and in contributing to
consumer education; prepares bibliographies of published materials that carefully examine such claims;encourages research by objective and impartial inquiry in areas where it is needed; convenes conferences and meetings; publishes articles that examine claims of the paranormal; does not reject claims on
a priori grounds, antecedent to inquiry, but examines them objectively and carefully".
Standard An axiom often repeated among CSI members is the quote "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence", which Carl Sagan made famous and adapted from an earlier quote by Marcello Truzzi: "An extraordinary claim requires extraordinary proof". (Truzzi in turn traced the idea back through the
principle of Laplace to the philosopher
David Hume.) According to CSI member Martin Gardner, CSI regularly puts into practice
H. L. Mencken's maxim "one
horse-laugh is worth a thousand
syllogisms."
Publications '' CSI publishes the magazine
Skeptical Inquirer, which was founded by Truzzi, under the name
The Zetetic. The journal was under Truzzi's editorship for the first year, until August 1977. In 1987,
Cecil Adams of
The Straight Dope called
Skeptical Inquirer "one of the nation's leading antifruitcake journals". In addition, CSI publishes
Skeptical Briefs, a quarterly newsletter for associate members. CSI conducts and publishes investigations into
Bigfoot and
UFO sightings,
psychics,
astrologers,
alternative medicine,
religious cults, and paranormal or pseudoscientific claims.
Conferences participating in the "Creation and Evolution" panel at CSICon 2011 in New Orleans speaking about science education at CSICon 2013 in Tacoma, Washington CSICOP has held dozens of conferences between 1983 and 2005, two of them in Europe, and all six World Skeptics Congresses so far were sponsored by it. Since 2011, the conference is known as CSICon. Two conventions have been held in conjunction with its sister and parent organizations, CSH and CFI, in 2013 and 2015. The conferences bring together some of the most prominent figures in scientific research, science communication, and skeptical activism, to exchange information on all topics of common concern and to strengthen the movement and community of skeptics. CSI has also supported local grassroot efforts, such as
SkeptiCamp community-organized conferences.
Response to mass media Many CSI activities are oriented toward the media. As CSI's former executive director Lee Nisbet wrote in the 25th-anniversary issue of the group's journal,
Skeptical Inquirer: As a media watchdog, CSI has "mobilized thousands of scientists, academics and responsible communicators" to criticize what it regards as "media's most blatant excesses". Criticism has focused on factual TV programming or newspaper articles offering support for paranormal claims, and programs such as
The X-Files and
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which its members believe portray skeptics and science in a bad light and help to promote belief in the paranormal. CSI's website currently lists the email addresses of over ninety U.S. media organizations and encourages visitors to "directly influence" the media by contacting "the networks, the TV shows, and the editors responsible for the way [they portray] the world."
Following pseudoscientific and paranormal belief trends CSI was quoted to consider
pseudoscience topics to include
yogic flying,
therapeutic touch,
astrology,
fire walking,
voodoo,
magical thinking,
Uri Geller,
alternative medicine,
channeling, psychic hotlines and detectives,
near-death experiences,
unidentified flying objects (UFOs), the
Bermuda Triangle,
homeopathy,
faith healing, and
reincarnation. CSI changes its focus with the changing popularity and prominence of what it considers to be pseudoscientific and paranormal beliefs. For example, as promoters of
intelligent design increased their efforts to include it in school curricula in recent years, CSI stepped up its attention to the subject, creating an "Intelligent Design Watch" website publishing numerous articles on evolution and intelligent design in
Skeptical Inquirer and on the Internet.
CSI Chief Investigator In September 2022,
Kenny Biddle was announced as CSI's Chief Investigator. He is a CSI Fellow and writes a column for
Skeptical Inquirer called "A Closer Look" (2018–present), which focuses on his use of
scientific skepticism to investigate paranormal claims, including ghost photography and video, ghost hunting equipment, UFOs and psychic ability. Biddle credits his previous careers as an auto mechanic, helicopter mechanic, and X-ray technician for building his skills in attention to detail, problem-solving, testing, and critical thinking. He also has co-written articles with
Joe Nickell about ghost and miraculous photography. Biddle was a speaker at
CSICon in 2019 and 2022.
Health and safety CSI is concerned with paranormal or pseudoscientific claims that may endanger people's health or safety, such as the use of alternative medicine in place of science-based healthcare. Investigations by CSI and others, including
consumer watchdog groups, law enforcement, and government regulatory agencies, have shown that the sale of alternative medicines, paranormal paraphernalia, or pseudoscience-based products can be enormously profitable. CSI says this profitability has provided various pro-paranormal groups large resources for advertising, lobbying efforts, and other forms of advocacy, to the detriment of public health and safety. ==Organization==