SSE’s November Babies are in Good Company

Carlos Alvarado and Nancy Zingrone’s essay in the 2008 Spring issue of the Journal of Scientific Exploration describes how, through Louisa’s pioneering research, Ian Stevenson advanced parapsychology using qualitative methods in the study of dreams, past lives, and ESP. Read more details at: https://journalofscientificexploration.org/index.php/jse/article/view/144 

In the Summer 2018 Journal of Scientific Exploration, William Murphy’s book review of The Close Encounters Man: How One Man Made the World Believe in UFOs discusses Dr. Hyneks’s contributions to ufology and his Center for UFO Studies. Read more details at: https://journalofscientificexploration.org/index.php/jse/article/view/1280

As we enter a season traditionally devoted to reflection and gratitude, the Society for Scientific Exploration (SSE) turns its attention to those whose contributions often go unnoticed—but whose impact is profound. These are the “unsung heroes” of frontier science: the quiet catalysts, the behind-the-scenes stewards, and the tireless advocates who make our work possible.

• We are grateful for the peer reviewers who devote hours to evaluating unconventional research with rigor and fairness, often navigating ideas that challenge mainstream paradigms. Their intellectual integrity and open-mindedness help ensure that bold hypotheses receive thoughtful consideration, even when they fall outside the bounds of accepted theory.

• We honor the volunteers who organize our conferences, manage logistics, and create welcoming spaces for dialogue. Their efforts transform abstract ideas into vibrant conversations, and their commitment fosters a sense of community among those who dare to ask difficult questions.

• We recognize the archivists and editors who preserve decades of inquiry, ensuring that pioneering work is not lost to time. Their dedication safeguards the legacy of exploration and provides future generations with access to the intellectual courage of those who came before.

• We celebrate the curious minds who support SSE from the sidelines—those who attend talks, read journals, share ideas, and quietly champion the value of scientific openness. They may not seek the spotlight, but their belief in the importance of asking “what if?” sustains the very spirit of our organization.

These individuals remind us that progress in science is not only about breakthroughs and discoveries. It is also about persistence, humility, and the willingness to support others in their search for truth. In a field where recognition often favors the boldest claims or the most visible results, we pause to thank those who build the scaffolding of exploration—brick by brick, quietly and consistently.

This season, let us express our deepest gratitude to the unsung heroes of SSE. Your work may not always be celebrated, but it is always essential. You are the heartbeat of our community, and we thank you for keeping it strong.

Warmly,

James Houran, Ph.D.

Interim-President, SSE
Editor-in-Chief, JSE

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JSE—Updated Author Guidelines

JSE’s Winter 2025 will be the last issue to include the 1-2 sentence “Highlights” summaries for lay readers. After monitoring this experimental feature for three years, the editorial team has decided that journal production will be more efficient by removing this extra step and instead encouraging authors to ensure that the standard abstracts use language that is as accessible as possible to readers from other disciplines, as well as lay audiences and the media.

The updated guidelines are available at: https://journalofscientificexploration.org/index.php/jse/about/submissions

Introducing MAVERICK Talks: Interactive Virtual Chats about Bold Ideas

MAVERICK = Monthly Adventures Via Exploration, Revealing Inquiry, Curiosity, and Knowledge Join us in shaping the future of scientific exploration—one bold idea at a time.

The SSE proudly presents MAVERICK Talks—a monthly virtual forum where SSE members can share works-in-progress, spark fresh inquiry, and receive thoughtful feedback from fellow explorers. Whether you're refining a method, testing a hypothesis, or navigating a controversial topic, this is your space to engage, reflect, and grow.

When & Where: Second Sunday of each month (unless a quarterly webinar is scheduled) 1-hour Zoom sessions at: 5 PM ET | 4 PM CT | 3 PM MT | 2 PM PT Upcoming: Nov 9 & Dec 14, 2025

The following dates have had speakers confirmed:

• November 09, 2025 (Igor Nazarov)
• December 14, 2025 (John Torday)
• January 11, 2026 (Ed Lantz)
• February 08, 2026 (Mark Boccuzzi)
• March 08, 2026 (Nancy Smoot)

The following dates are open (subject to change to not overlap with the month when Quarterly Webinar or Annual Conference will be held):

• April 12, 2026
• May 10, 2026
• July 12, 2026
• August 09, 2026
• September 13, 2026
• October 11, 2026
• November 08, 2026
• December 13, 2026

Want to Present? Submit your title, synopsis, and presenter info to conference@scientificexploration.org with the Subject line: “SSE-2026 MAVERICK Talks — [Your Name]” Deadline: Last day of the month prior to your talk

Free for SSE Members; you must be a member to participate. 

Remembering Frontier Scientist and JSE Associate Editor: Dr. Jeff Meldrum (1958–2025)

We mourn the loss of Dr. Don Jeffrey “Jeff” Meldrum, who passed away on September 9, 2025, after a battle with brain cancer. Born in Salt Lake City, Jeff was a warm, curious, and generous scholar whose presence enlivened classrooms, field sites, and conferences. Jeff earned a B.S. in zoology from Brigham Young University (1982) and a Ph.D. in anatomical sciences/biological anthropology from Stony Brook University (1989), followed by postdoctoral work at Duke and Northwestern. He joined Idaho State University in 1993 and taught anatomy and anthropology there for more than three decades.

A respected researcher in vertebrate evolutionary morphology and human bipedalism, Jeff was also widely known for bringing careful anatomical analysis to investigations of Sasquatch. His book Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science (2006), public lectures, and field work reflected his blend of rigorous science and open curiosity. He was active in his faith and contributed scholarship at the intersection of genetics and religious studies. SSE members will remember Jeff for his integrity, humor, and steady mentorship. His work and his kindness leave a lasting legacy for students, peers, and the broader community.

Please Renew Your SSE Membership

Ensure that you stay connected, informed, and supported by renewing your SSE membership today. Your continued participation keeps our community thriving and unlocks a host of benefits:

• Receive discounted registration fees for the annual SSE conference and quarterly webinars
• Help to subsidize JSE, a premier open access journal that covers all categories of anomalistics and frontier science
• Get opportunities to serve on SSE’s leadership committees

While you’re renewing, please also take a moment to update your SSE profile. Add your newest publications, refine your research interests, and upload a fresh photo so colleagues can find and connect with you more easily.

Please don’t let your membership lapse—renew now to keep advancing both your career and our shared mission: https://scientificexploration.org/join-us

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Dean Radin is Chief Scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences and Associated Distinguished Professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies, with over four decades of research on consciousness and psi phenomena. He authored the popular books The Conscious Universe (1997), Entangled Minds (2006), Supernormal (2013), Real Magic (2018), and the newly released The Science of Magic (2025), as well as previously held research positions at AT&T Bell Labs, Princeton University, and SRI International.

We caught up with Dean to pose five quick questions related to his highly provocative study (“New Year’s Eve as a Case Study in Experimental Metaphysics: Exploring Global Consciousness in Random Physical Systems”) which will appear in the upcoming Winter issue of JSE/

What inspired you to pursue this particular research question, and do you have any interesting stories from your research journey?

I’ve been part of the analytical team for the Global Consciousness Project (GCP) since it began in 1998, and I’ve always been interested in exploring its unique and massive dataset for events that “ought” to show effects, assuming the underlying hypothesis of a global mind-matter effect is true.

What have been the most significant findings of your study, and how do they contribute to the current understanding of this issue?

New Years Eve is celebrated worldwide, arguably by hundreds of millions of people, at a precisely predictable date and time. So, it seemed like a well-planned event to examine using the GCP data.

What was the most surprising or unexpected finding in your research, and how did it change your perspective on the topic?

I didn’t know in advance exactly what effect might show up, so I took the simplest approach I could come up with, and to my delight (but not so much surprise, because I’ve seen how these data behave on many events) it did show a significant deviation from chance expectation just before and after the stroke of midnight on New Years Eve. I then applied a number of more sophisticated analyses, and overall, they confirmed that unexpected statistical effects arose (unexpected by any conventional models, that is) at that same time.

What future research directions do you believe are necessary to further explore and understand this controversial issue?

Now that we have the GCP 2 running, it will be interested to use those data, which at present includes over a thousand quantum-random data streams, to see if similar effects again show up around New Years Eve celebrations.

How do you respond to the general criticism that many anomalous phenomena cannot be scientifically tested or definitively validated?

That’s not so much a criticism as a lack of imagination. The scientific toolkit is continuously expanding with enormously powerful methods of observing all sorts of things. All it takes is some creative thinking to come up with suitable protocols, diligence to actually apply them in a rigorous way, and then persistence to get the results published.

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A Farewell Funny

What do you call a Bigfoot who does magic?  Hairy Potter.