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Approv<tfjfefr Release 2003/09/10
: CA^DP96-00788R001 200230009-6
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MEMORAND® FOR THE UNDER IgS&ETARY OF THE A^iY
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SUBJECT:
Grill Flame
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1.
The Scientific Evaluation Committee decided to issue this interim report
in order to highlight an emerging recommendation, which should get
immediate attention in order to avoid additional time delays and costs.
2.
Following our initial review of RV experiments,
especially those
performed in accordance with the SRI protocol and procedures,
it is our
conclusion that existing experimental practices are not likely to enhance
the credibility in the RV process, nor are they likely to establish the
existence of the very phenomena.
3.
The currently planned AMSAA proposal has recognized many of the
weaknesses in the existing RV protocols and has taken giant steps to
affect constructive changes.
AMSAA has especially recognized the basic
problems associated with the judging process and they have proposed
procedures which tend to attack human frailties and reduce their impact on
the final outcome.
However,
it is our opinion,
that probably because of the
pressure of time and resources,
they have not gone far enough to provide an
unambiguous judging methodology.
4.
We recommend that AMSAA be tasked to address the issue of an RV
experiment that approaches,
as far as possible,
"viewing" experiments
which can be judged by humans,
hopefully in a mechanistic way,
i. e.
,
filling in blocks on an answer sheet,
responsive to"yes"
or "no" ^exussKBox
type of answers.
It may be useful to do this work in addition to the type
of work already planned or in replacement thereof.
What we recommend can
be approached by picking targets that are simple and in such contrast to
their surroundings that no imagination is needed to ascertain a "match
; to
what AMSAA calls an "essence" or "concept".
This,
of course, would
mean that the AMSAA
1 s target pool must include targets that are simple,
relatively unambiguous and well defined by a minimum of descriptors such
as shape,
smell,
size,
function,
etc. (Since relatively simple scenes are alleged
to offend the sensibilities of the viewers, we should then be prepared to
grudgingly increase the complexity until the viewers appear to be satisfied.
)
5.
We realize that adapting experimental modifications to seriously reduce
the uncertainties in the judging process will slow down the current rate of effort
and may also increase costs, however, we feel that in the long run,
this is
more than justified
if the ^oal is to conduct an RV experiment which bggefits to
the maximum exte^t^from the perceived faults and doubts of previoug;?!w^rk,and
which could forrr]£§h|e basis for building a disciplined data base in thf&
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