|
| Henry H. BAUER | Commonalities in Arguments Over Anomalies | 1-11 |
| | Abstract: There are a number of features that seem to be common to
controversies about claimed anomalies. Foremost perhaps is the very fact
of controversy. Typically, the anomaly runs counter to the expectations of
established orthodoxy, and there is often a populist tone to the argument.
Questions concerning the demarcation of science from pseudoscience and
of epistemology in general are typically raised. It becomes important to
distinguish between the pros and cons of a particular claim and what is said
by the disputants; an examination of the ways in which belief and disbelief
are distributed among various groups can be useful in clarifying the issues.
It is also vital that one distinguish between the occurrence and the reporting
of events. As with interdisciplinary work, it is problematic to establish what
parts of existing knowledge might be relevant; and anomalies bring to
attention large and sometimes unsuspected areas of ignorance. There are
pitfalls in assuming that anomalies with superficial similarities have any
functional or necessary relation to one another. The manner in which
anomalies are perceived is clearly influenced by contemporary science and
by contemporary societal beliefs. For many reasons that go far beyond the
possible reality of any given anomalous claim, then, the study of anomalies
can be interesting and enlightening. |
|
| Jacques VALLÉE | Remote Viewing and Computer Communications-An Experiment | 13-27 |
| | Related:
Journal of Scientific Exploration Volume 4 Number 2 /1990 - Comments on Remote Viewing and Computer Communications-An Experiment
| |
| | Abstract: A series of remote viewing experiments were run with 12 partic- ipants who communicated through a computer conferencing network.
These participants, who were located in various regions of the United States
and Canada, used portable terminals in their homes and offices to provide
typed descriptions of 10 mineral samples. These samples were divided into
an open series and a double-blind series. A panel of five judges was asked to
match the remote viewing descriptions against the mineral samples by a
percentage scoring system. The correct target sample was identified in 8 out
of 33 cases: this represents more than double the pure chance expectation.
Two experienced users provided 20 transcripts for which the probability of
achieving the observed distribution of the percentage score by chance
was 0.04.
These results confirm earlier reports of successful remote viewing exper- iments while extending them to cases in which participants were thousands
of miles away from each other and in which the targets were mineral
samples of potential economic significance, with control of communica- tions provided by a computer network. |
|
| Michel GAUQUELIN | Is There a Mars Effect? | 29-51 |
| | Abstract: The so-called "Mars Effect" is discussed in a larger context. The
phenomenon refers to a significant tendency for champion athletes to have
been born at the time of either the rise or the upper culmination of the
planet Mars. The populations and samples, methodology and its develop
ment are described along with earlier and more recent findings. Control
studies and replications by others are reported in some detail. Particular
attention is paid to certain basic and procedural criticisms and the problem
of bias or artifacts. The current scientific status of the issue is reviewed in
light of sevenl kinds of empirical evidence that has accumulated over the
past three decades. The question raised in the title of the paper is answered
in the affirmative. |
|
| Suitbert ERTEL | Raising the Hurdle for the Athletes Mars Effect:Association Co-Varies With Eminence | 53-82 |
| | Abstract: By 1955, Michel Gauquelin had begun to publicize the claim
that famous athletes are born with frequencies far beyond chance at times
when Mars is rising over the Earth's horizon ("key sector I") or when the
planet crosses the meridian ("key sector 11"). Critics did not succeed in
refuting this claim empirically: The "Mars effect" survived three such at- tempts. It was largely doubts over the impeccability of M. and F. Gauque- lin's data base, however, which kept researchers from pursuing the problem
further. The present study incorporates the entire repertoire of birth data of
athletes available to date (N = 4391). The objective is to test the alleged
planetary correlation as a function of degree of sportive eminence, the
latter being determined by citation counts. It is contended that this procedure is superior to Gauquelin's own; and that the predicted eminence
function could hardly be expected to materialize in case his former results
were due to biased data treatment. Findings corroborate the eminence
prediction: The proportion of athletes born at Mars key sector hours increases from the lowest to the highest of five ranks of sporting eminence;
the trend is highly significant (p < .005) by several criteria. It is concluded
that Gauquelin's hypothesis, after having passed this crucial examination,
deserves the most thorough attention. |
|
| | Correspondence |
| Richard F. HAINES | Expanding Ball of Light (EBL) Phenomenon | 83-85 |
| | Related:
Journal of Scientific Exploration Volume 4 Number 1 /1990 - Comments on "Expanding Ball of Light (EBL) Phenomenon"(Haines, 1988)
| |
|
| | Book Review |
| Henry H. BAUER | Origins-A Skeptic's Guide to the Creation of Lie on Earth, by Robert
Shapiro | 87-89 |
