Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site cybvax0.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!cybvax0!mrh From: mrh@cybvax0.UUCP (Mike Huybensz) Newsgroups: net.philosophy Subject: Re: Paranormal crapola Message-ID: <591@cybvax0.UUCP> Date: Mon, 1-Jul-85 14:30:24 EDT Article-I.D.: cybvax0.591 Posted: Mon Jul 1 14:30:24 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 5-Jul-85 04:38:14 EDT References: <294@mit-vax.UUCP> Reply-To: mrh@cybvax0.UUCP (Mike Huybensz) Distribution: net.philosophy Organization: Cybermation, Inc., Cambridge, MA Lines: 26 Summary: In article <294@mit-vax.UUCP> csdf@mit-vax.UUCP (Charles Forsythe) writes: > On the subject of paranormal experiments: I picked up a book in the > local occult bookstore called "The Psycic Experiment Book" (the author > and publisher's names escape me). I believe the author is James Randi, the great psychic-basher and frequent contributor to Skeptical Enquirer Magazine (highly recommended for those interested in why pseudosciences are considered pseudosciences.) > It has twenty chapters covering > subjects from psycokenises to alternate realities (that's a pretty weird > one.) Anyway, each chapter has a discussion of the scientific and > non-scientific aspects of the topic along with historical notes and > statistics. This is followed by a listing of "do it yourself" > experiments. Most of the experiments, if done properly, are pretty > conclusive (whenever possible). I think I remember reading that one of the purposes of this book was to help combat pseudosciences by providing simple tests which leave little opportunity for fraud. One frequent trick of pseudosciences is to use the most arcane, uncontrollable tests possible so that people will be cowed in the face of "SCIENCE!" The simpler the test, the fewer opportunities for cheating (such as blowing, manipulation, etc.) -- Mike Huybensz ...decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!cybvax0!mrh