Rick Pikul wrote:
> On Tuesday 11 August 2009 18:44, Zach Collins (Siege) wrote:
>
>> As for standing in front of someone who actively disbelieves, and
>> passing a test based on intuitive senses and the reception of
>> energy... well. I would do it; I just need more time and practice. But
>> Randi is the unpredictable element in this equation: will he maintain
>> an open mind, or will he actively project his disbelief?
>>
>
> Actually, Randi is rarely there for tests. The big catch in winning the
> million dollars[1] of the Randi prize is that you actually have to be able to
> define what you are going to do, it has to actually be paranormal, and you
> have to do it under conditions where you can't cheat.[2]
>
>
>> It's all energy. Trying to broadcast digital radio over heavy static
>> is hard, but Morse Code might get through.
>>
>
> Ah, 'energy'. Well, at least it's not as bad as quantum abuse.
>
>
> [1] Chrysaetos was in error as to the amount. He is likely confusing the
> current prize with the earlier one for $10,000 which would be paid using a
> cheque that James Randi carried around with him.
>
> [2] There are two main exceptions to what can win the prize: JREF will refuse
> any applications for something which is either untestable, or which carries a
> significant risk of physical harm to the applicant.
>
My bad, I thought it was ten.
Funny how the presence of skepticism screws up psychics' ability to
perform... this is a very common fallacy called "ad hoc".
That is, if the psychic came in, sat down and said, "woah... the
energies in here are all wrong. I don't think I can pick up anything
right now," that would be one thing, and they could (and will!) work
with the testee to eliminate the interference -- for example, have the
psychic record his impressions on tape for later review, if the presence
of a skeptical scientist is somehow interfering. But that's never the
case; the psychic invariably provides the explanation -- psychic static,
for example -- only after they fail, as an ad-hoc explanation for their
failure.
--
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"Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day,
but set fire to him and he's warm for the rest
of his life."
-- (Terry Pratchett, Jingo)
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Received on Fri Aug 14 2009 - 19:04:24 CDT