Science Confronts the Paranormal by Kendrick Frazier

Author:Kendrick Frazier [Frazier, Kendrick]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Prometheus Books
Published: 2010-05-27T05:00:00+00:00

18

How Not to Test a Psychic: The Great SRI Die Mystery

Martin Gardner

Writing in Nature (vol. 251, October 18, 1974) on their 1972-73 experiments with Uri Geller at the Stanford Research Institute, Harold Puthoff and Russell Targ (hereafter called P and T) described one sensational experiment as follows:A double-blind experiment was performed in which a single 3/4-inch die was placed in a 3 x 4 x 5 inch steel box. The box was then vigorously shaken by one of the experimenters and placed on the table, a technique found in control runs to produce a distribution of die faces differing nonsignificantly from chance. The orientation of the die within the box was unknown to the experimenters at that time. Geller would then write down which face was uppermost. The target pool was known, but the targets were individually prepared in a manner blind to all persons involved in the experiment. This experiment was performed ten times, with Geller passing twice and giving a response eight times. In the eight times in which he gave a response, he was correct each time. The distribution of responses consisted of three 2s, one 4, two 5s, and two 6s. The probability of this occurring by chance is approximately one in 106.

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