Some experimental results.

[Timothy]

I just wish there had been a clearer way to test this. Or that we knew what, specifically was being tested (e.g. if it was actually the psychokinetic creation of a tiny 'force' then that could probably have been extremely sensitively measured).

If one were trying to test for telekinetic force, a Millikan Oil Drop apparatus (results viewed by independent observer) would provide one with a small mass falling slowly (per the standard experiment) where the force required to slow or accelerate the oil drop would be exceedingly small.

- Timothy

 

[Questioninggeller]

Re: Sticking around

I'd just rather run flawed experiments than none.

Why? What do you gain out of getting false conclusions from flawed experiements? That's very troubling.

 

[jmercer]

Re: Re: Sticking around

Why? What do you gain out of getting false conclusions from flawed experiements? That's very troubling.

A good experiment reduces or eliminates outside factors when attempting to reproduce and measure (or demonstrate) a phenomena. As long as a "flawed" experiment with "loose" controls doesn't introduce something preventing the phenomena (such as trying to light a fire underwater with a match), then a failure to demonstrate the phenomena is valuable.

 

[KRAMER]

No Place to go

I didn't know where to put this, so I put it here...thought you'd all enjoy seeing another one of these hoaxes come full circle:

http://rd.mailshell.com/news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr//1/hi/world/americas/4449651.stm

 

[brodski]

Re: No Place to go

I didn't know where to put this, so I put it here...thought you'd all enjoy seeing another one of these hoaxes come full circle:

http://rd.mailshell.com/news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr//1/hi/world/americas/4449651.stm

I'm affraid the link seems to be broken.

Can you give any clue as to what we should be reading?

Thanks

 

[jmercer]

Yeah, looks like the page disappeared - I C&P'ed the link into my browser, and page not found...

 

[Donks]

Here you go:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4449651.stm

 

[brodski]

Here you go:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4449651.stm

Cheers
I remember reading something similar with regards to "post modern theory" in the excellent book "how mumbo jumbo conquered the world" by Francis Wean.

 

[Prolix]

Brodski, was this it?:

"Early in the Spring of 1996, Social Text published an essay suggesting a link in quantum mechanics and post-modernism by Professor Alan Sokal, a physicist at New York University. On the day of publication Sokal announced in Lingua Franca that the article had in fact been a hoax. In "Transgressing the Boundaries: Toward a Transformative Hermeneutics of Quantum Gravity," Spring/Summer 1996 issue of Social Text, we find one of the first direct attacks in a major journal against the institution of cultural studies."

http://www.drizzle.com/~jwalsh/sokal/

 

[brodski]

thats the one.

cheers.