Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-01-26

speed may be so great, as in the case
of radiant energy, which moves at q
rate Of approximately 10000 miles a
second, as to be imperceptible except
over vast intervals of space. But after
all q radio message sent around the
world is not received simultaneously
with its sending. There is q lag Of q
measurable fraction of second.
Whether there Is such lag In the
case Of extra -sensory perception is
difficult &c prove or disprove, since
timing necessarily is rather crude
compared with that used by the phys
icist in the study of the speed Of
light. All can say" says DR.. Rhine,
lis that we are studying the matter
and it may be years before we will
have results reliable enough to pub
lish.'
But If they should demonstrate
that there is no space effect and no
time effect-and space and time are
inextricahly tied together in the new
cosmolog,ss-then the implications
should be startling indeed. For II this
ability is independent of the past 1t is
likely also to be independent of the
future, AND man might be able to see
that which will exist tomorrow as well
as that which does exist today
Imagine seeing in the morning the
afternoons racing results or the stock
market tables for next month. The
Duke psychologists hope they will en-
counter 70 such paradox. Their re-
suits with space already have pushed
far enough beyond the bounds of COM
mon sense.
THE effects Of emotion on the sub
= ject are incalculable. DR.. Rhine's
most extraordinary experiment was
that in which a Duke undergraduate
read all IS cards without an error. He
was one of the best "psychics" ir
the laboratory. This day he reported
for work, but begged to be excused
He had date with his girl, was ex-
cited about it, and couldn't concen-
trate on the work.
Here was an ideal situation, DR.
Rhine thought, to test the effect On
an unwilling subject.
!"Just try it once before you 60,
he begged the boy.
The student protested that he was
in a hurry. His girl YVES waiting
and would be mad If he was late. Bu
he was persuaded to give trial, to
which he proceeded obviously with
out interest. His mind was elsewhere
Ordinarily he could call about is Out
of the IS cards successfully, an ex-
traordinary record. This time he did
no better than chance.
Just then" says RI. Rhine, 1.-THE
impulse came to me to put the heat
on him and see what would happen. u
He shuf1ed the deck and laid il
face down on the table.
"Ill bet you 500 you can't cal
that top card" he said.
Immediately the student called Il
correctly.
"A hundred you can't call the next
one" said DR.. Rhine.
Again the student, becoming inter.
ested now. succeeded.
"All right, another hundred on the
| third"
A third success. and so on through
the entire deck. theoretically the
student had won $4,000.
But" says Dr. Rhine" he knew
all the time I didn't have $2.50c
and wouldn't give it to him If I did
He never had expected to be paid
He had just gotten into the spirit Of
the game"
The boy called correctly the twenty
fifth card, and an extraordinary scene
followed.
He sank back in his chair, yet II
did not seem to be from WEAKNESS
There" he said. i've done 1t. I'll
never do such a thing again.
He denied that he was tired. He did
not fee: badly. He had been under nc
special strain. He would not, ap-
parenty could not, tell what was the
matter.
He just shook his head and repeated:
I'll never do it again."
Thel. he hurried out of the labora-
tory to face the wrath Of a coed who
thought she had been stood up" on
her date.
THE one time money was actually
paiu resulted In a dismal failure
One Of the best subjects was a boy
working his way through college and
having a difficult time to meet ex-
penses. The psychologists knew this
and offered him $40 for one sitting.
He accepted eagerly. Ordinarily he
had a good record. This time he
called tn. cards no better than would
have been expected from mere chance
Il couldn't think OF anything except
that $1G," he told DR.. Rhine.
The best psychic" the laboratory
eveI found was another student who
was deeply In love and planned to be
married soon.
"He valued his ability highly. We
treated him like q prince" says Dr.
Rhine.
One day this boy got a letter from
the girl breaking of the engagement
His whole dream of the future COL
lasped.
Wher. he showed up for work that
day he told the psychologists just what
had happened, in explanation Of why
he appeared so excited. Only one
thing mattered any more-his strange
faculty of extra-sensory perception.
That day he did no better than
chance. He has never done better
since. The harder he tries to re-
cover the faculty the poorer seem to
be the results. There IS no explanation
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