The Science of Miracles

August 1, 2013

In 57 short chapters, Nickell (senior research fellow, Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, Ctr. for Inquiry; The Science of Ghosts: Searching for Spirits of the Dead) describes his science-based investigations of weeping statues, healing springs, and glowing paintings. Readers may be disappointed by the sparse use of the "crime lab" in debunking each miracle. Mundane discoveries--"tears" made from cooking oil; "secret text" in photographs--mainly required basic observation on his part, or at most the use of a magnifying glass or Q-tip. There is a lesson here about simple explanations and our human ability to fool ourselves, but it can make for some less-than-exciting reading. The evident repurposing of the author's previous standalone articles results in a lot of duplication among the chapters because they summarize information already given in previous chapters or share the same background information with other chapters. VERDICT The book will attract readers owing to the interest in legends such as that surrounding the Shroud of Turin, but it often drags under repetition. Buffs may appreciate the coverage, but the casual reader likely will not.--J.J.S. Boyce, Manitoba Metis Federation

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