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From: tim@hoptoad.uucp (Tim Maroney)
Newsgroups: net.physics,talk.philosophy.misc
Subject: Re: Fraud-proof PK experiment done (Also interesting to QM/Free Will debate)
Message-ID: <1124@hoptoad.uucp>
Date: Wed, 24-Sep-86 06:07:34 EDT
Article-I.D.: hoptoad.1124
Posted: Wed Sep 24 06:07:34 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 24-Sep-86 20:03:57 EDT
References: <428@inuxm.UUCP> <771@oakhill.UUCP>
Reply-To: tim@hoptoad.UUCP (Tim Maroney)
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Xref: mnetor net.physics:2988 talk.philosophy.misc:71

A few comments on this "fraud-proof" experiment.

First, I have a deep and abiding distrust for probabilistic psi experiments.
If there is such a thing as psychokinesis, it seems to me the way to test it
is by having reputed psychics apply their invisible force to a force
measurement device, for instance a regular scale.  It seems this would be a
much more straightforward task than, say, affecting the roll of a pair of
dice, which are tumbling and bouncing in a very confusing way, or biasing a
random number generator, which is presumably a microscopic silicon device
whose functioning requires special training for understanding.  The only
advantage to probabilistic tests seems to be the opportunity to play with
the statistics until they come out the way you desire.

Second, we should remember Einstein's comment on the usual claim that
psychical abilities, unlike every other force, are not affected by distances
in time and space.  He pointed out that a simple explanation for this is
that the apparent results actually depend on statistical misinterpretation,
which of course would not be in any way affected by space-time separation of
the experimental subjects.  This comment applies equally well to these
experiments, in which an effect is claimed despite the fact that the
alteration requires a signal to travel backwards in time.

Third, the experimental design ignores the possibility of fraud by the
overseers, whom you have incorrectly referred to as skeptics.  In fact, both
the overseers were already believers in psychic powers: hardly what I would
call a skeptic!  This is a ridiculous, glaring oversight.  All that is
needed is for the overseer to play the tape and count the numbers of zeroes
and ones, then say which way he would like the tape "biased".

Finally, a single test run is hardly a reasonable cause for the jubilation
you have displayed.  This jumping of the gun shows a significant
predisposition in you towards accepting positive results in psi experiments.
This causes me to have to doubt the complete veracity and freedom from
exagerration or overstatement of your account of the experiment.
-- 
Tim Maroney, Electronic Village Idiot
{ihnp4,sun,well,ptsfa,lll-crg,frog}!hoptoad!tim (uucp)
hoptoad!tim@lll-crg (arpa)

Does anyone really read these things?