Marilyn's Research Staff

Marilyn is Wrong Copyright © 1999 Herb Weiner. All rights reserved.

Ask Marilyn ® by Marilyn vos Savant is a column in Parade Magazine, published by PARADE, 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA. According to Parade, Marilyn vos Savant is listed in the "Guinness Book of World Records Hall of Fame" for "Highest IQ."

According to Pete Bratach <bratach@gate.sunquest.com>

I used to work for the Scientists' Institute for Public Information, a now-defunct non-profit organization that sought to improve public understanding of science through more informed media coverage. Essentially what we did was connect journalists to scientists, academics and bureaucrats who could answer their questions or help them with stories on virtually any science field from abnormal psychology to zoology.

Anyway, Marilyn Vos Savant's researcher used to call me about every month or so. I always thought it was interesting, that like an intellectual Martha Stewart, this woman gives the impression that she knows all and tells all, when it's her staff that does so, but she gets all the credit.

I left that organization in late 1993. In looking at the dates of the stories on the page that coincided with my tenure, none of them ring any bells as calls that were made to me. Whether another researcher at our organization took a call, I can't say; it was a long time ago! Whether the information we provided her was used, and whether it was used accurately, is difficult or impossible to prove. - I didn't have the time then to follow up and look for clippings, and none were sent to us. Likewise, whether her answers were made less accurate from her not calling us, is even harder to prove.

At the time her researchers were calling (in the 1991 through 1993 time frame) there were at least 2 people on her research staff, though I can't estimate its actual size. I know that they also would call academics at local (NYC) universities and elsewhere for help. I wouldn't want to hazard a guess as to who or where she or her staff would call for information today.

Helping Marilyn to answer her own questions always struck me as funny.


http://www.wiskit.com/marilyn/research.html last updated November 1, 1999 by herbw@wiskit.com