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From: gwyn%brl-vld@sri-unix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: Re:  Question about Helmut Schmidt's PSI experiment
Message-ID: <15915@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 24-Jan-84 15:13:02 EST
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.15915
Posted: Tue Jan 24 15:13:02 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 27-Jan-84 11:49:17 EST
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From:      Doug Gwyn (VLD/VMB) <gwyn@brl-vld>

ESP researchers seem to constantly claim that some experimental
outcome shows a trend that "cannot be explained as a chance fluctuation".

The most hilarious example I can recall went something like this:
An "ESP card deck" experiment is run on about 1000 subjects.
Those showing above-average results are retained for further testing
and the others dismissed.
This process is repeated until one "clearly psychic" individual
emerges; he has had a remarkable run of 10 above-average tests
in a row (some of which are considerably above average).
The subject is then subjected to carefully controlled testing by
skeptics, and he fails to consistently perform above average.
This "proves" that PSI is sensitive to the empathy of researchers
involved, since skeptics broke the spell.