The Supernatural British

hipparchia said:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5017910.stm

It seems a lot of British people believe they are psychic. Comments?
Click to expand...

No, that's not correct. Only 9% of respondents attributed their experience to being psychic. I would suggest that many would attribute them to divine intervention, if such a question had been asked.

Also, the sample is Reader's Digest readers, not Britons. Their demographic is different to the GB population. I would hardly call this survey representative but the media don't seem inclined to make that distinction.
 
kieran said:
From that site ... "62% could tell who was ringing before they picked up the phone" ... would they be the ones with Caller Display on their phones? :D
Click to expand...

Could be those who have only given a very limited number of people their number.
 
Sorry, posted this while working, so did not read it v. carefully. Anyway, I like the way the medium lady explains away why the people did not call themselves psychic:

"When you say psychic, many people have an image of an old woman in a gown with a crystal ball. They don't associate themselves with that."

About RD audience...did they not do the survey among their British subscribers? It's interesting if there is something about RD subscribers that may skew the results.
 
...snip...

Of 1,006 adults polled for Readers Digest Magazine, 43% reported reading others' thoughts or having theirs read

...snip...
Click to expand...

Well I knew we have a reputation for being uptight and all that but 57% of people can't read another persons thoughts? How on earth do they get through an average day?

;)

ETA:

...snip...

More than two-thirds said they could sense when someone was looking at them and 62% could tell who was ringing before they picked up the phone.

...snip...
Click to expand...

Only two thirds? For anyone in the one third that can't do this here's a hint - look at their eyes!
 
hipparchia said:
Sorry, posted this while working, so did not read it v. carefully. Anyway, I like the way the medium lady explains away why the people did not call themselves psychic:

"When you say psychic, many people have an image of an old woman in a gown with a crystal ball. They don't associate themselves with that."

About RD audience...did they not do the survey among their British subscribers? It's interesting if there is something about RD subscribers that may skew the results.
Click to expand...

Over half of Reader's digest readers are aged over 55, and 60% are in the higher socio-economic group, so they aren't representative of the GB population as a whole. The sample size is only 1000, which is pushing it for a weight of that magnitude. This article reeks of survey and media bias.
 
tkingdoll said:
Over half of Reader's digest readers are aged over 55, and 60% are in the higher socio-economic group, so they aren't representative of the GB population as a whole. The sample size is only 1000, which is pushing it for a weight of that magnitude. This article reeks of survey and media bias.
Click to expand...

Never! I'm shocked you mean the reason for the survey may not have been to gather meaningful data but to generate news stories and articles which would mention "Readers Digest"? I think you are being rather cynical!
 
Darat said:
Never! I'm shocked you mean the reason for the survey may not have been to gather meaningful data but to generate news stories and articles which would mention "Readers Digest"? I think you are being rather cynical!
Click to expand...

Sir! You blight me. I am merely suggesting that the world is sucking at the moudly fetid teat of psi phenomena at present, and that the media are lapping up the rancid pustulent drips that fall to the floor. Nothing cynical at all.
 
tkingdoll said:
Sir! You blight me. I am merely suggesting that the world is sucking at the moudly fetid teat of psi phenomena at present, and that the media are lapping up the rancid pustulent drips that fall to the floor. Nothing cynical at all.
Click to expand...

Now there's an image I can't bleach out of my mind fast enough
 
<quick_cheap_diversionary_tactic purpose="mental image override attempt">

Do supernatural Brits trade their best ley lines? Y'know: "Hey, baby, how'd you like to see my monolith?"

</quick_cheap_diversionary_tactic>
 
Meffy said:
<quick_cheap_diversionary_tactic purpose="mental image override attempt">

Do supernatural Brits trade their best ley lines? Y'know: "Hey, baby, how'd you like to see my monolith?"

</quick_cheap_diversionary_tactic>
Click to expand...

:D :D :D

It's worth a try I suppose!

I can never remember chat up lines though :(

"What's a girl like you doing in a nice place like this?" didn't work too well for me last time!!! :eek:
 
John Jackson said:
:D :D :D

It's worth a try I suppose!

I can never remember chat up lines though :(

"What's a girl like you doing in a nice place like this?" didn't work too well for me last time!!! :eek:
Click to expand...

Just compare yourself favorably to the Cerne Giant. Probably won't work in most cases, but if it ever does, you're "in."
 
I saw another that said 95% of Britons lie in polls, because they think it's amusing.
 
Reminds me of a Rich Hall gag, along the lines of "it doesn't mean X% of people thought Y, it means X% of people who weren't savvy enough to cross the street when they saw a guy with a clipboard thought Y".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom