CFI Expresses Dismay at ROM’s Presentation of Deepak Chopra
June 9, 2010
Toronto, ON (June 9 2010) -- On June 23rd, 2010, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) was set to present Deepak Chopra as a part of their Director's Series of lectures in connection with the The Warrior Emperor and China's Terracotta Army , a new ROM exhibit. CASS and skeptics the world over have decided to speak out against this otherwise exemplary scientific institution's presentation of Mr. Chopra.
Deepak Chopra is well known for espousing the ability of the mind to heal the body and overcome aging. He has co-opted and mis-interpreted physics, medicine, and biochemistry in order to do so and, as such, deserves no recognition by scientific institutions like the ROM.
"CASS has no problem with Mr. Chopra's decision to speak in public about these ideas," states Iain Martel, co-chair of CASS, "but instead would like to take the opportunity to educate and inform the public about the scientific e mp ti ne ss of Mr. Chopra's ideas and his misreading of modern physics." To this end, CASS has drafted an open letter to the ROM and its Director, William Thorsell, and solicited the support of hundreds of prominent scientists, thinkers and skeptics to add weight to its objections to the ROM's sponsorship of Mr. Chopra's talk.
Due to the G20 meeting in Toronto, the University of Toronto has suspended all campus activities for that period, and that includes Mr. Chopra's talk, which has been postponed. It is important, however, for the ROM to understand the displeasure felt by many in the scientific communities toward the ROM for sponsoring an unscientific, new-age guru like Mr. Chopra.
"The ROM has angered many of its supporters," insists Martel, "I hope that this letter will cause them to re-think their support of Mr. Chopra in the future. They could start by cancelling Chopra's lecture permanently." The letter, along with over eight hundred names in support of it, was delivered to the ROM today, June 9 2010.
For the text of the letters sent to the ROM and the public signatories, see the links in the "related" section below.