One of the ploys used by pseudo-scientists and paranormalists to avoid scientific scrutiny is to claim that the beneficial effects produced by their methods involve energies or fields that are unknown to science, and are not susceptible to our skeptical, mechanistic, reductionist techniques. Science, however, is not as blind to the unknown as would be convenient. For example, if we postulate the existence of a life energy that can affect human cells, then we must be able to change the cells.
Ordinary matter consists of protons, neutrons and electrons.
This agrees with the experimental observation that the net charge of a closed system does not change. It was necessary to postulate the existence of another unseen neutral particle to make all of the accounting come out right. This particle is now called the neutrino. Further investigation has shown that the neutrino is real and that with suitable instruments this elusive particle can be detected. Contact Steve Butterworth with suggested improvements, corrections or comments.