# Psecil the Psychic? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [December 2, 2004, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psecil-the-psychic/277717 "2004-12-02T17:19:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psecil-the-psychic/277717/1 "2004-12-02T17:19:40Z")
In [his column on _Born Free_ author Joy Adamson](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_126.html) (dated 29-Mar-1985), Cecil notes that Dian Fossey was murdered in 1985. While the date seems to be in question, [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dian_Fossey) puts her murder somewhere towards the end of December of 1985. ‘Sup wit’ dat? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psecil-the-psychic/277717/2 "2004-12-02T17:56:06Z")
I’d be willing to bet that the column was updated after the murder, but the original date of publication was not changed. That, or The Perfect Master really _is_ psychic. Should I be a-skeered? ---
**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psecil-the-psychic/277717/3 "2004-12-02T17:57:28Z")
I do know that some of the online columns have been updated with pertinent information. I suspect this column is a particular instance of that. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psecil-the-psychic/277717/4 "2004-12-02T19:06:50Z")
She was **WARNED!** **Never** ask about the 3rd word ending in -gry! Take heed, young padawans! 😉😃 ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psecil-the-psychic/277717/5 "2004-12-04T08:49:54Z")
When we published the classic columns first time around on AOL, they were edited and updated as we went. Since they were being seen for the first time on AOL, the updates were not clearly marked as such. The columns also did not have the original publication date on them; we’ve been stripping them back in along with the graphics as they cycle through the front page on the site. If you wish to see the columns in their original published form, you’ll have to look 'em up in the books. You DO have a set of the books, don’t you? [Welcome to the Straight Dope Store](https://securesite.chireader.com/cgi-bin/dopestore/buystuff.bat) your humble TubaDiva Administrator Who has not only all of 'em but first editions, too. So there. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2004, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psecil-the-psychic/277717/6 "2004-12-05T04:32:32Z")
Understood that columns get updated, while retaining their original dates … but how can a question about a murder predate the actual murder? Or maybe the 1985 date on the column is a typo. _1995_ perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2004, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psecil-the-psychic/277717/7 "2004-12-05T06:08:41Z")
Dian Fossey (killed in 1985) != Joy Adamson (killed in 1980) The question was about Joy Adamson. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2004, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psecil-the-psychic/277717/8 "2004-12-05T19:38:12Z")
ah, right. :smack: