partha@ihuxq.UUCP (Partha Raghavachari) (01/12/84)
In last evening's edition of All Things Considered on NPR it was
mentioned that the Pentagon is conducting research on the potential
influence of psychics on the functioning of computer hardware in military
weapons. It seems that if the psychics could bend spoons by their supposedly
supernatural power then the low power devices (CMOS microprocessors ?)
used in military systems could be easy targets for them. Sounds like an
interesting twist to an already complex world of military electronics.
It was also mentioned in the program that the Soviets are believed to be
far ahead of the U.S. in this area of research.
Does anyone know more about this area of research and any reported
evidence of psychics affecting the function of computer hardware?lute@abnjh.UUCP (J. Collymore) (01/13/84)
Strange, but back about seven years ago NEW YORK magazine had a couple of articles on parapsychology (psionics, psi, etc). One of the articles was entitled something like: "Psychic Powers: The Next Super-Weapon." The article cited the potential use of psi by the military. One of the uses happened to be the same as the subject of the NPR news article Partha cited. I still have my copy of the magazine. If anyone would like me to give them the date, volume and issue so they can try to get a reprint from their library or something, please send me mail. Jim Collymore
jeffma@tekgvs.UUCP (Jeff Mayhew) (01/14/84)
"In last evening's edition of All Things Considered on NPR it was
mentioned that the Pentagon is conducting research on the potential
influence of psychics on the functioning of computer hardware in military
weapons. It seems that if the psychics could bend spoons by their supposedly
supernatural power then the low power devices (CMOS microprocessors ?)
used in military systems could be easy targets for them. Sounds like an
interesting twist to an already complex world of military electronics.
It was also mentioned in the program that the Soviets are believed to be
far ahead of the U.S. in this area of research.
Does anyone know more about this area of research and any reported
evidence of psychics affecting the function of computer hardware?"
[partha@ihuxq.UUCP]
What a bunch of hogwash. The American taxpayers should be outraged at the
thought of having their tax dollars spent on such garbage. The Defense
Department did, in fact, fund a "psi" project in which some incredibly silly
experiments were conducted, including the burning of a photograph of a
Russian missile in order to see whether or not it would cause the missile
to explode. Wow! That must be what they call "Military Intelligence."
And since when have psychics been able to bend spoons by any method other
than NON-PSYCHIC METHODS (i.e. cheating)??? I'm still waiting for a
psychic to bend a spoon "psychically" under controlled conditions (and
that doesn't include the Merv Griffin Show).
Take this sort of stuff with a grain of salt--about the size of a
basketball (as James Randi would say).
Jeff Mayhew
teklabs!tekgvs!jeffmakarn@allegra.UUCP (Phil Karn) (01/14/84)
Amazing. What will they think of next. Actually, the best thing to do is to make it appear publicly that the US Defense Department is making headway on Psychic Warfare, just to get the Russkies to waste the time and money that might otherwise be spent making missiles. "Mr. President! We cannot allow...a BENT-SPOON GAP!" Phil
richard@sequent.UUCP (01/14/84)
Unbelievable. Anyone who believes in Psychic powers of any sort should take a healthy dose of James Randi. If you need myth-debunking, including anything from Astrology and Creationism to Nostradamos and Spoon Bending, the best publication is *The Skeptical Inquirer* published quarterly by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. For more information, write to: The Skeptical Inquirer Box 229 - Central Park Station Buffalo NY 14215 (As far as I know, they are not on the Net.) Annual subscriptions (four issues) is $16.50. Among the editorial staff: Editorial Board: George Abell, James Alcock, Martin Gardner, Ray Hyman, Phil Klass, Paul Kurtz, James Randi. Consulting: Isaac Asimov, William Sims Bainbridge, John Boardman, Milbourne Christopher, John Cole, C. Hansel, E. Krupp, Andrew Neher, James Oberg, Robert Sheaffer. If you are familiar with at least three of those names, what hole have you been in? If our military is actually investigating "Phsycic Phenomena," it just illustrates the old cliche: Military Intelligence is self-contradictory - (how can anything that wants to impose Ada on the world be intelligent?). This might generate alot of flames - if so, send them to /dev/null. I have an open mind, but it is not a trash container. When scientific experiments (which can be duplicated by and before skeptics) show that paranormal events can happen, I'll pay attention. In the mean time, one should not be swayed by emotional arguments, however glib. from the bleeding fingertips of ...!sequent!richard the rider in black
moriarty@uw-june (Jeff Meyer) (01/15/84)
Tonight on THAT'S INCREDIBLE, Uri Geller vs. the entire Soviet Early Warning
System (crowd holds breath).......
Trivia Is My Business
-jwm-
{...decvax!}tektronix!uw-beaver!uw-june!moriarty