Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site houxz.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!microsoft!uw-beaver!cornell!vax135!ariel!houti!hogpc!houxm!houxz!halle1 From: halle1@houxz.UUCP Newsgroups: net.misc Subject: Re: The Earth-Centered Universe Message-ID: <341@houxz.UUCP> Date: Tue, 19-Jul-83 10:54:18 EDT Article-I.D.: houxz.341 Posted: Tue Jul 19 10:54:18 1983 Date-Received: Wed, 20-Jul-83 01:17:28 EDT References: <5567@unc.UUCP> Organization: Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ Lines: 14 Tim, your experimental idea seems sound, but there is a potential problem with the interpretation of the results. Suppose out of 120 subjects, only 1 was identified properly. Pure chance would say 10 should be identified correctly. Then some might say, "Astrologers results are significantly different than what pure chance would predict," ignoring the fact that they were WORSE than chance. If results were not given, they'd get away with it. Unlikely, you say? Well, this has already happened. One of the astronauts to the moon, Buzz Aldren, I think, did an ESP experiment on the way with "psychics" on earth. The results were significantly worse than chance. Besides, the experiment was invalid for several other reasons. Yet, the results were reported as I stated above. "These results could occur by chance only once out of a million times." So the hype went. So beware of tests of this sort.