[net.philosophy] Parapsychology research

hes@ecsvax.UUCP (Henry Schaffer) (06/18/85)

<>Chair of Parapsychology endowed at University of Edinburgh.
Dr. Robert L. Morris (presently a senior research scientist at
Syracuse University's School of Computer and Information Sciences)
has been appointed to fill this endowed chair.
  Exerpts from an interview published in the June 19 issue of the
Chronicle of Higher Education-
"Parapsychology really should be regarded as an interdisciplinary
problem area, not a belief system."  "I found, when I have taught
introductory parapsychology, that I spend about a third of each
semester explaining what's not psychic but looks like it."
  The article continued, "He said he hoped to do the same sort
of thing at Edinburgh, educating people to the 'trickery' behind
many allegedly paranormal occurrences, such as the psychic Uri
Geller's metal bending or the performance of 'psychic surgery'."
  The interview also discusses Morris' suggestion that an
unusual talent for working with equipment or mechanical devices
may be psychic and should be the subject of research.
--henry schaffer  n c state univ