From: krikket@meltdown.chi.il.us (Doug Krick)
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Subject: Re: "experiments"
Date: 8 Apr 92 23:57:52 GMT
Organization: The Meltdown - A Team Star BBS

In article <29E0F428.4416@noiro.acs.uci.edu>, cortese@hepxvt.ps.uci.edu (Janis
Maria Cortese) writes:
>Sadly, so many people who are into psychic stuff scream bloody murder
>about nobody taking their "science" seriously, but then when scientists
>attempt to treat what they do with the same rigor and strict technique
>with which ANY science is treated, they scream bloodier murder.
>
>WHICH WAY DO YOU WANT IT?  

I would lie to see a scientific method used upon this psychic/magical/whatever
you-wish-to-call-it stuff.
 
>>Where does all this hostility and condescension come from?  Who decided that
>>skeptics were "the enemy"?  The skeptics seek to discover truth and battle
>>falsehood, especially when it is dangerous or restrictive or cruel.  Are
>>any of you really opposed to these goals???

I most definitely NOT opposed to exposing falsehoods.  I wholly support it. 
(And somewhere I came off as a charlatian!)  I may not be the best person
around, nor the most scientific, but I try to look for reasons why, as well as
how things work.  I've just never been trained as a scientist, and therefore
stuff that I gave off-the-cuff aren't scientifically valid experiments in and
of themselves.  I beleive it is possible though to design one based on what I
gave though.  (And if anyone out there took my "amazing stoplight control"
comment seriously, SHAME ON YOU!)

>Thank you.  Some people are even both skeptic and pagan.  And why do we
>insist on talking about "skeptics" as if "they" are some sort of
>separate religion?  All skepticism is is not making up your mind until
>you have a reason to do so.  Jeez, people.
>And that's ALL someone with two brain cells to rub together wants -- to
>get a clear picture of what goes on in the world.  "Skeptics" who proved
>the xtian church wrong -- like Galileo -- we champion.  When these same
>people question us, we have NO RIGHT to feel threatened.  

Agreed.  It means that it's time to take a closer look at what has been
brought into question.  Unfortunately with most magical stuff, there is so
much that needs a closer look at, as well as the charlatians out there to much
things up even further...

>There are far too many crackpots involved with this psychic stuff, and
>good REAL scientists are scared off from looking into it because they
>don't want to be identified with loonies, quite understandably.  Most
>people where I am would say "Yeah, there's probably SOMETHING to this
>psychic stuff," but try to find one that will investigate it.

Obviously little 'ol me, ain't going to cut the cheese in creating the
nessesary experiments.  Too many holes were blasted in the basic ideas
already.  Is there someone out there who can come up with a valid experiment
that us Netters can give a shot?  I'd suggest something along the lines of
projecting to another person and sharing thoughts/ideas even though those two
people were miles away...  Unfortunately this one won't hold up either,
because the two people most likely would have to have worked with each other
before, and good charlatian could mimic it through trickery.

Krikket  --  a.k.a. Doug Krick  --  krikket@meltdown.chi.il.us   

Supercalifragilisticsadomasochisim   !   Disclaimers?  We don't need no
   -- Need I say anything else?      !   stinkin' discalimers!
Newsgroups: alt.pagan