X-Message-Number: 5800 Date: Thu, 22 Feb 96 22:28:42 From: Mike Perry <> Subject: re Telekinesis Mac Tonnies (#5790, 22 Feb. 1996) writes: > >I believe any worthwhile philosophy of transhumanism must be ready to cope with >the potential of latent "psychic" phenomena. Telekinesis, for example, has >been firmly established as an empirical truth--it is the _nature_ of the >process that is unexplained, not whether or not it occurs. Sadly, this depends >on what researcher you're talking to. Carl Sagan is quick to denounce it, of >course, but virtually any competent clinical experimentor with experience will >admit (however grudgingly) that there is "something to it." > As far as I am aware, telekinesis is not generally accepted by the scientific community and is far from being "firmly established as an empirical truth." There is a Committe for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP, Amherst, NY) which attempts to verify or refute the claims that certain individuals make, including being able to move objects without the usual physical forces, i.e. by telekinesis. I remember some years ago they investigated someone who claimed to be able to turn the pages of a phone book without touching them but by "psychic" powers alone. The demonstration was fairly convincing--until it was realized that the claimed effect was caused by carefully blowing a fine stream of air over the pages. (In this case you could say there was "something" to the claim, but nothing beyond generally accepted physics!) In general, CSICOP in its years of investigating has never succeeded in authenticating any paranormal effect, and it appears doubtful if anyone else has either. Instead it seems reasonable to doubt the existence of such effects. Such a reasonable doubt can be incorporated into a non-paranormal, transhumanist philosophy. It would seek the resolution of problems through more usual scientific means, including extrapolations beyond our present technology, but not effects that science can't explain. This in fact seems the best philisophical approach to me, and is not inconsistent with keeping an open mind. If reasonable evidence for the paranormal surfaces, then we should take it seriously. Until then, however, it is best regarded as fantasy. Mike Perry Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=5800