I recall Francis Hitching giving a lecture in circa 1981 at Kensington Library for the Society of Psychical Research. RS
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Francis Hitching is a British author, journalist and filmmaker; he is also a parapsychologist and a dowser.[1]
Hitching also wrote The world atlas of mysteries (1981); an atlas which listed many earth mysteries from around the world. The book was criticised in the New Scientist for some of his conclusions such as linking animal extinctions to reversals in the earth's magnetic field.[4]
Hitching is a non-Darwinian evolutionist. He wrote the book The Neck of the Giraffe or Where Darwin Went Wrong (1983) in which he criticised both creationism and Darwinism, instead supporting a form of Neo-Lamarckism.[5][6] Richard Dawkins stated: "I know nothing at all about Francis Hitching. If you are uncovering the fact that he is a charlatan, good for you. His book, The Neck of the Giraffe, is one of the silliest and most ignorant I have read for years." [7]
Biography [edit]
Hitching has written on earth mysteries, dowsing, paranormal and ley lines. In his book Pendulum: the psi connection(1977) he came to the conclusion that dowsing is genuine, he listed a number of alternative explanations such as electromagnetism and psychic ability which he thought were associated with dowsing.[2] Stuart Fleming in the New Scientist gave Hitching's book Earth magic (1978) a positive review; the book linked many of the megaliths around Europe to groups of men whom he called "megalithic mathematicians" who - according to Hitching - could connect with a spiritual energy from the universe.[3]Hitching also wrote The world atlas of mysteries (1981); an atlas which listed many earth mysteries from around the world. The book was criticised in the New Scientist for some of his conclusions such as linking animal extinctions to reversals in the earth's magnetic field.[4]
Hitching is a non-Darwinian evolutionist. He wrote the book The Neck of the Giraffe or Where Darwin Went Wrong (1983) in which he criticised both creationism and Darwinism, instead supporting a form of Neo-Lamarckism.[5][6] Richard Dawkins stated: "I know nothing at all about Francis Hitching. If you are uncovering the fact that he is a charlatan, good for you. His book, The Neck of the Giraffe, is one of the silliest and most ignorant I have read for years." [7]
Books published [edit]
- Pendulum: The Psi connection (1977)
- Earth Magic The Astounding Mystery of the Greatest of All Lost Civilizations (1977)
- Earth Magic (1978)
- Dowsing: The psi connection (1978)
- The Mysterious World: An Atlas of the Unexplained (1979)
- The World Atlas of Mysteries (1981)
- The Neck of the Giraffe or Where Darwin Went Wrong (1982)
- Boom Business of the 90s: Essential Start-Up Guide to Network Marketing (1992)
References [edit]
- ^ The Journal of parapsychology, Volume 42, Duke University Press, 1978, p. 325
- ^ New Scientist, 10 Nov, 1977 Online
- ^ New Scientist, 23 Sep, 1976
- ^ New Scientist, 8 Feb, 1979 Online
- ^ The Neck of the Giraffe or Where Darwin Went Wrong, Francis Hitching, 1983, Signet, ISBN 0-451-62232-4
- ^ Leonardo's Mountain of Clams and the Diet of Worms: Essays on Natural History, Stephen Jay Gould, 2011, p. 303
- ^ Alan Feuerbacher: "Francis Hitching: Commonly quoted by creationists"
Some more info on Hitching from the so-called Rational Wiki...!
| Can such things be? Paranormal |
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| The Twilight Zone |
Contents[hide] |
[edit] Life
Hitching was born in 1933 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. He became a writer and has written six books on mysteries and the paranormal. Hitching's books on the paranormal have recieved a mixed response from the scientific community, some of his books have been criticised for invoking some far fetched speculations.[1][edit] Evolution
Hitching has became most well known in the creation-evolution debate in the late 20th century starting with an article titled "Was Darwin Wrong?" in the April 1982 issue of Life magazine. He later in the same year wrote a popular book titled The Neck of the Giraffe or Where Darwin Went Wrong (1982). His book has been quote mined by many creationists and some of his comments appear in hundreds if not thousands of creationist books.Creationist authors have attempted to use Hitching as an example to make out evolution is under attack and falling apart, however any honest reader of Hitching's book can see that he doubts only the Darwinian mechanisms of evolution such as natural selection and not evolution in general. Hitching accepts the evidence for common descent and he wrote that evolution is a confirmed fact. In his book he even wrote creationism was based on a position of ignorance as creationism is based on fraud and magical faith, yet creationists have ignored that part of Hitching's book.
Hitching wrote that evolution is driven by neo-Lamarckian and saltational mechanisms. He is an advocate of non-Darwinian evolution. A review in the Book Review Digest wrote that Hitching fully accepts evolution of all life on earth yet he believes something more than the Darwinian mechanisms is needed to fully explain it.[2]
[edit] Response
Many creationists have quote mined and mispresented Hitching's views on evolution. Most creationists and more recently intelligent design proponents are still quoting and distorting the views of Hitching as evidence that evolution is apparently falling apart.Creationists have also lied and tried to make an argument from authority by writing that Hitching is a biologist or scientist. A Muslim creationist website owned by Harun Yahya has lied and written that Francis Hitching is a "biologist".[3]
Most scientists have also dismissed Hitching's book on evolution as advocating some far fetched evolutionary mechanisms which have no scientific evidence. Richard Dawkins stated: "I know nothing at all about Francis Hitching. If you are uncovering the fact that he is a charlatan, good for you. His book, The Neck of the Giraffe, is one of the silliest and most ignorant I have read for years."[4]
[edit] Publications
- Pendulum: The Psi connection (1977)
- Earth Magic The Astounding Mystery of the Greatest of All Lost Civilizations (1977)
- Earth Magic (1978)
- Dowsing: The psi connection (1978)
- The Mysterious World: An Atlas of the Unexplained (1979)
- The World Atlas of Mysteries (1981)
- The Neck of the Giraffe or Where Darwin Went Wrong (1982)
- Boom Business of the 90s: Essential Start-Up Guide to Network Marketing (1992)
[edit] Footnotes
- ↑ See articles published in the New Scientist, 10 Nov, 1977 and New Scientist, 8 Feb, 1979
- ↑ Book review digest, Volume 79, H.W. Wilson Co., 1983, p. 691
- ↑ Hitching lied about by a creationist
- ↑ Francis Hitching: Commonly quoted by creationists
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