Thread: $1M prixe for demonstrated psychokinesis

Originally Posted by DeathCell

Lots of things last or hang on that don't get much use...

And a ton of people have not forgotten "psychic" abilities. So.. I'm not really sure what natural selection has to do with this subject.

The strong win out over the weak, doesn't prove nor disprove psychics.

Just because the general ignorant mass doesn't understand their ability doesn't mean our entire race has.

As long as you you realize "strong" and "weak" don't really exist. No race is better than the other. Survival of the FITTEST refers to adaptation to an enviroment. We can't hold our breath forever, does that make fish superior? No. Survival of the fittest is on the level of the genes, not the individual.

Amazing what 1 chapter of a Richard Dawkins book can do!

Originally Posted by Timothy Paradox

As long as you you realize "strong" and "weak" don't really exist. No race is better than the other. Survival of the FITTEST refers to adaptation to an enviroment. We can't hold our breath forever, does that make fish superior? No. Survival of the fittest is on the level of the genes, not the individual.

Amazing what 1 chapter of a Richard Dawkins book can do!

Of course, each species has different adaptations and different worries..

Originally Posted by The Cusp

The people would demand some kind of protection from it. People would start accusing their neighbours of ruining their crops or making their cows go dry. Anyone who is having a bad day will blame it on psychics. It would be chaos! I can see it now, we'd go back to burning witches!

In essence...we, as a society, would mentally devolve back into a mindset prevalent in the bronze age...where sea monsters were a factual hazard, the earth was flat, and celestial constellations were worshiped as gods. -sigh- I miss those days .

Actually, I know about the Randi experiments and know that nobody has passed them to this date even though the tests are completely fair and agreed upon by both parties. Many great psychics and others have attempted to show powers which are supposedly doable and failed on EVERY occasion or somehow indirectly avoided the tests even despite several offering. I'm not saying I believe or doubt people (although I've never had any experience myself) but the evidence is EXTREMELY overwhelming so you can't be mad at people for being skeptics.

Randi usually can explain the techniques and often even shows exactly how these supposed paranormal experiences occur (in some cases preventing it from happening the next trial (ie. placing styrofoam around an object to prevent unnoticeable blowing in a supposed levitation attempt -> the testee also blamed this on outside events ("static electricity" of the styrofoam, pressure and the like even though Randi exposed him during the trial and he even agreed to the conditions).

Originally Posted by Lusense

Randi usually can explain the techniques and often even shows exactly how these supposed paranormal experiences occur (in some cases preventing it from happening the next trial (ie. placing styrofoam around an object to prevent unnoticeable blowing in a supposed levitation attempt -> the testee also blamed this on outside events ("static electricity" of the styrofoam, pressure and the like even though Randi exposed him during the trial and he even agreed to the conditions).

That's exactly why he makes such a poor investigator. He only takes on cases that he thinks he knows the answer for before hand. In the application criteria, it clearly states that anything they deem to be impossible will be dismissed.

As for that styrofoam example, the guy claimed that the styrofoam was interfering somehow. Maybe it was, and to be fair, he should have offered to use another medium such as feathers or something. If you're going to debunk something, do it right!

See, here's the problem. When Randi or anyone else attempted it they can mimic the act almost flawlessly (when it is an outward). Just like Uri Geller and his spoon bending, even though many, many individuals could do it without the use of "psychic" ability and he was debunked already when he wasn't allowed to fiddle around with them beforehand. Yet he STILL tries to make some bullshit claims. That test was more than fair.

There is some sort of excuse in every single claim which just seems too unlikely that lets say 1/100000 cases or whatever the number are legitimate and fail that's a stastical improbability and thus it just makes sense that the VAST majority (like 99+&#37 if not all are lying.

Of course an impossible claim won't be investigated since you can't directly measure if someone is leaving their body or something which is why I won't address that (unless there are some alterations in brain waves or some measurable thing). I'm not going to be biased based on this one experience I'm about to mention but I know someone who lies ALL THE TIME and makes claims we later find out are lies (about the stupidest things too) and they said they AP'd. Man, that kind of stuff just makes me more skeptical but like I said I'll keep an open mind and not come to a decision based on something like that :S. Humans tend to lie alot and it would be foolish to believe all claims of the such with no evidence especially when alot of them could be tested with a simple test.