▁Time ▁in ▁ 1 6 ▁parts ▁to ▁explain ▁in ▁lay man ' s ▁terms ▁cel est ial ▁mechan ics , ▁relativ ity , ▁and ▁the ▁large ▁scale ▁structure ▁of ▁the ▁universe . ▁ ▁S ke ptic ism ▁Ab ell ▁was ▁not ▁just ▁a ▁teacher ▁of ▁astronom y ▁and ▁science , ▁he ▁also ▁taught ▁about ▁popular ▁topics ▁with ▁no ▁scientific ▁evidence . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁deb unker ▁of ▁ast ro log y , ▁pseud os cience , ▁and ▁the ▁occ ult . ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁t ribute ▁to ▁Ab ell ▁in ▁The ▁Qu arter ly ▁Journal ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Astronom ical ▁Society , ▁Lawrence ▁H . ▁All er ▁wrote , ▁ ▁His ▁opposition ▁to ▁such ▁forces ▁took ▁many ▁forms , ▁in ▁writ ings , ▁and ▁in ▁television ▁appearances . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁co - found ers ▁of ▁the ▁Committee ▁on ▁Scient ific ▁Investig ation ▁of ▁Cla ims ▁of ▁the ▁Par an ormal ▁now ▁known ▁as ▁C SI , ▁the ▁Committee ▁for ▁S ke pt ical ▁In qu iry . ▁ ▁Other ▁found ing ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁committee ▁were , ▁ ▁Co - ch air men ▁ ▁Paul ▁Kurt z ▁ ▁State ▁University ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁at ▁Buff alo , ▁professor ▁of ▁philosophy ▁ ▁Editor ▁of ▁The ▁Human ist ▁ ▁Marcel lo ▁Tru z zi ▁ ▁Eastern ▁Michigan ▁University , ▁professor ▁of ▁soci ology ▁ ▁Author ity ▁on ▁w itch craft ▁and ▁ex or c ism ▁ ▁Isaac ▁As im ov , ▁writer ▁ ▁Bart ▁B ok , ▁University ▁of ▁Arizona