Science & Critical Thinking: Test #3

What are some reasons people might seek out and believe in alternative medicines?

- Disease is scary, medicine side effects, emotional comfort, mistrust of physicians - I tried it, it worked, friend says it works, Dr. X says it works, Dr. X's observation of several patients shows it works, ancient wisdom is better, a scientific study says it works

What is cupping and what problems are associated with it?

- Dry cupping: creating a vacuum in the cup, placing on skin - Wet cupping: dry cupping first, incision with scalpel to begin bleeding, then more supping - Problem: There is no supporting evidence

What is the famous flipper image?

- Happened during one underwater photography session; the photo was enhanced using software, which made it go from a blob, to a distinct picture of a flipper.

Homo sapiens

- Modern specimens appear ~100,000 ya - No brow ridges - Round skulls with high braincase - Modern pubic bone (pelvis) - Prominent chin

· Observational:

- Studies based on observing human subjects, do not involve intervening in the human life, collect data from the lives of people or use risk analysis. Problem: Only give correlation information, cannot give information on cause, one observation study is weak evidence, several are good evidence

What is the Yeti?

- The yeti is described as a hairy humanoid that stands from the size of a man up to eight feet tall. It has a cone shaped head, large feet, and is completely covered in hair. The yeti is supposed to be shy, rarely seen, and never captured. Although there are some monasteries that claim to have pieces of yeti on display, including a scalp and a finger. The word yeti is a combination of two Tibetan words that mean "rock bear".

What are overlooked causes?

- There are unknown/underlying causes for getting better or being sick, one variable to be tested, anecdotes don't control other variables, randomization

What is the Bigfoot-giganto "theory"? Is it really a theory?

- o Definitely not a theory; barely a hypothesis - o That bigfoot evolved from Gigantopithecus

What is the PT Barnum effect?

- when you read a vague statement about personality type, or horoscope and feel like it is a very accurate representation of you as an individual. This is a special case of subjective validation, where we match ourselves up with the description. Everyone possesses some combination of all of the personality characteristics listed in any profile. Therefore, we can mold a vague description to fit our own individual personality, which is why the preceding personality description matched so many people. This is another example of selective validation

The Carlson Study is the first major study of astrology: · What/who did they study?

- ability of astrological predictions using birth info (Natal Charts) to correctly describe the personalities of the people born at those astrological times. The second test was to test how well astrological forecasters could choose a personality profile from three descriptions (one from the person whose birth info was given to the astrologer, and 2 randomly assigned personality profiles) obtained from psychological personality profiles. Source:

What is the Fallacy of the False Cause?

- A cause is incorrectly defined Ex. Everytime I go to sleep the sun goes down

What is hypertrichosis and what causes it?

- A genetic disorder carried on the X xhromosome, is a dominant gene that will express hairiness if even one gene for hypertrichosis is present

What is a foot bath detoxification and what problems are associated with it?

- A machine that supposedly pulls toxins out of your body, claiming that mostly heavy metals such as lead, mercury are removed, raise you body pH and can prevent cancer - All of these claims are false

What features are associated with bipedalism?

- A wider pelvis, knee is in further and more under the pelvis, and the femur is angled; gets more extreme as the species evolved: chimps to Australopitheus to Humans

What is good and bad about case reports (studies)?

- Anecdotal evidence, good for hypothesis building, not good for treatment

· Animal model research:

- Animals are used as models for humans, used to determine side effects, different animals make good models for humans (mice/rats/rabbits/primates). Problem: Don't react the same in humans (Need the correct animal model, close approximation, not proof) Life span in animals is different and animals are different

What is an Alternative Medicine?

- Any practice suggested as having the healing effects of medicine, bot is not based on evidence using the scientific method, based on traditional practices, use deep history to support efficacy, misuse actual science to "explain" practices

Who are the Hominoidea?

- Apes

What is the Appeal to Tradition?

- Believe medicine is better simply because it has been used for many generations

What problems are associated with the Afterlife Experiments?

- Bias in presence of observers and psychics - Researcher takes part in his own experiment - Incorrect controls - Incorrect statistical tests - Extremely low sample sizes - Large amounts of data removed without acknowledging why

What is the RickMatt creature?

- Bigfoot body hoax in 2008, claimed they had a corpse of bigfoot they found in the woods of Georgia and stuffed it into a freezer chest, attempted to sell it for $50,000, once thawed it was quickly seen to be a rubber mask and suit

What are the early primate characteristics?

- Bone completely circling the eye

What do you actually need to properly calibrate an object that is in a film?

- Calibration photo taken by Peter Byrne 5 years after the film was made and used by Jeff Glickman to calibrate the height of bigfoot. In order for this to work, the same camera used in the original would have to be in EXACTLY the same position and facing at the same angle with the human in exactly the same position as the bigfoot in the exact same walking angle.

What is Sarcoptic Mange and what does it do to animals?

- Causes animals to lose their hair, when bears get mange it makes them look like an alien creature, not a bear

Who is Bob Heironimous and what is he known for?

- Claims to be the man in the bigfoot suit, told friend about film in 1968 or 1969, mother saw the bigfoot suit in the trunk of his car two days after filming, critics claim that his story doesn't match enough detail

What are dermal ridges, and can they be faked?

- Commonly known as finger prints, only found in primates - Clay mold of 17 inch bigfoot track, rolled big toe across clay toes, rolled heel across clay heel, imprinted forehead on arch of clay foot, plaster foot made from mold, ridges found on the molds proved you can make dermal ridges on fake footprints

· Clinical Trials:

- Controlled experiments using humans. Provides strongest results, establishs cause and effect, must be properly controlled (randomization, double-blind, control group). Problems: confounding factos (people have complex social backgrounds, randomization used to control "weirdness", placebo also used to control "weirdness") Not a blind study (unintentional information transmission to patient) No control, small sample size

What is homeopathic medicine?

- Created by Samuel Hahnemann, based on "like cures like", a system of alternative medicine: a substance that causes the symptoms of a disease in healthy people will cure similar symptoms in sick people, remedies are prepared by repeatedly diluting a chosen substance in alcohol or distilled water, believed large doses of medicine would exaggerate illness

What is the Forer Effect?

- Eagerness of people to fill in details and make connections between what is said and some aspect of their own lives (Ex. You are sometimes insecure, especially with people you don't know very well)

What is Gigantopithecus?

- Extinct species of Asian ape, related to orangutans - o Lived ~9mya to ~100,000ya (not that long ago) - o 3 known species - o Largest ape known on the planet (G. blacki) - o Discovered in Chinese medicine shops, then later in fossil deposits - o Co-occurred with Homo erectus - o Lived in dense, subtropical forest; probably quadrupeds - o Wear pattern on teeth similar to panda (bamboo feeding); diet of grasses and fruits

Who is Grover Krantz and what does he have to do with Bigfoot?

- First scientist to devote career to bigfoot, mostly ignored by other scientists, published several general interest books on bigfoot, originally thought Patterson film was "man in a gorilla suit" but later came to think it was real bc some tracks has dermal ridges and scars

What is the history of the Loch Ness Monster?

- Folklore includes Kelpies, water-bulls, water horses, and water serpents - o Earliest reports from 6th century (report of a priest banishing a water serpent form a lake in Scotland) - o 1852: Ponies swimming (thought it was the Loch Ness monster swimming, but was two horses) - o 1868: Bottle-nosed whale carcass (whale carcass washed up on beach of Loch Ness, caused commotion about a lake monster) - o Joke by fishermen (turns out whale was captured at sea and thrown into the Lock Ness as a joke) - o 1930: Three young fishermen - 3 Men fishing in Loch Ness - Heard loud noise and large splashing - Wave ~2 ½ft high rocked the boat - First newspaper report using "monster"

What were the results of a complete lake sweep by sonar ships?

- For many years, the entire lake was surveyed using sonar technology that covered whole lake; There was no sonar reading indicating a monster in any of the surveys.

What calibration methods were used by people to supposedly analyze the Patterson-Gimlin Film? What are the problems with these calibration methods?

- Heel measurements from tracks used as the size calibration for bigfoot height, "stoop factor" used to compensate for hunching, stick from site, years later, also "good" calibration

Two major items have been promoted as yeti artifacts, a scalp and a finger. What are these objects actually?

- Human finger

What is the plesiosaur hypothesis of the Loch Ness Monster?

- Idea that certain extinct species of dinosaurs and their relative survived in remote regions of the world - Jules Vern (1864): Journey Center of the Earth - Wardon Allan (1899): The monster of lake LaMetrie - A. Conan Doyle (1912): The lost world - October 1933: Campbell told reporters he had seen a 30ft, long-necked monster several times

What are some problems that might occur with scientific studies?

- Improper controls, small sample size, "in-house" lab studies, fraud - Conflicting results (preliminary vs long-term research, animal research vs human trials, dosage differences, news media)

Who is Roger Patterson and what is he known for?

- Interested in bigfoot/yeti in 1959, self published bigfoot book in 1966, inquired about gorilla suit and modifying, to morris costumes, sued for not returning movie camera to shop, sued for breaking promise to repay money for "bigfoot movie"

How does the variability of Bigfoot track sizes compare to human foot size variability? What might this imply about the existence of Bigfoot?

- It varies in 23 inches, implies it is not real

In a Study of Astrological Forecasts· What/who did they study?

- Used college students to identify astrologies associated with their personality · What were the results? - 78.85 successfully picked generic sign description, only 46.2% picked detailed sign description from fake detailed description, found evidence of prior sign knowledge bias, found evidence of barnum effect · What conclusions can be made? - Prior knowledge of signs has big effect

Why might personal experience be incorrect?

- Variability in disease, placebo effect, overlooked causes

What are some problems with medical advertising, especially before and after photos?

- Very little science being presented, statements are connected to doctors ("clinically proven") but don't actually have a real connection - Before and after pics: may not be the same person, the time period is false, pay fit person to gain weight, take Diuretics prior to after photo

What problems exist with the supposed evidence for the existence of the yeti?

- Walking barefoot is a normal thing for Himalayan people, as snow melts and refreezes it enlarges the size of the tracks and distorts the shape, human bones

Who is Marmaduke Wetherell and what does he have to do with the Loch Ness Monster myth?

- Was sent to investigate the Loch Ness monster; "discovered" strange footprints on the shore, and was publicized, but found out that it was a hippo foot; he admitted to creating the footprints

What is the placebo effect?

- You feel better, even though you didn't actually get medicine (administered by: sugar pill, sham injection, worthless devices, tone of voice/reassuring)

Other problems with ESP research

Double blind - many experiments failed to do this, Repeatability - even when some found results they could not reproduce them (the statistical tests that we use in science state that there might be as high as a 5% chance that a result is purely an accidental/random result and not an actual result Finally, there have been some instances of experimenter fraud in the world of ESP testing. Most notably, Samuel Soal used cards to test his subjects and found some positive results for ESP. However, his lab assistant, Gretl Albert, came forward and stated that she saw Soal altering the records. Analysis of his results showed that Soal either altered his results, or did not generate random cards as he should have. Similarly, when Rhine (beginner of the Zener cards) retired, Levy was picked to continue the ESP institute in 1969. Levy hooked rats up to a computer, through their brain, to see if they could influence a random number generator, and he found results indicating they could. However, lab workers discovered that Levy was manipulating the recording device to produce the positive results. The same data on a backup recorder did not show the same results, and Levy was forced to resign.

What is ear candling and what problems are associated with it?

Burning cone of wax inserted into ear. Creates pressure that clears out ear, opens sinuses, and causes feeling of harmony. Toxins removed with ear wax. Problem: Can form layer of wax over eardrum, wax blockage (hearing loss), localized burns, Tympanic membrane rupture

Can you actually tell if you are being stared at?

No

Know the major groups on the human evolutionary lineage below, what was special about each group, and how they fit into the overall human evolution timeline:

No Answer, Cards listed after show the groups.

What problems were there with the original Zener tests?

No screening between experimenter/subject, cards were accidently see through, experimenter feedback (could hear the difference of a circle or a plus sign being drawn)

Bigfoot Habitat Analysis:

· What/who did they study? - Bigfoots habitat · What were the results? - Bigfoot sightings in all states except hawaii · What conclusions can be made? - It is highly unlikely that a large primate has such a wide habitat requirement that it could live in such widely different habitats as coniferous to deserts to prairie

What is oil pulling and what problems are associated with it?

- Swishing oil in mouth to cleanse mouth and body, Supposed to help with oral health - Inducing vomiting from having a mouthful of oil, recurrent lipoid pneumonia, swallowing high fat oils

· Australopithecus

-Group with famous skeleton of "Lucy" -Could walk on two legs, but also had tree-dwelling characteristics -reduced canines -brain slightly larger than apes -flat, sloped faces with spreading nostrils

What is the Patterson-Gimlin Film and what are the major hypotheses concerning the origins of this film?

- Most famous bigfoot video, filmed October 20th1967 in bluff creek, CA - Less than one minute of footage, shaky and blurry, creature supposedly left track (14 ½ in) gross reconstructions done for measurement

What are graviportal species and what is special about their growth rate?

- Muscle strength proportional to limb cross section diameter (mass of an animal increases by cube, diameter of limb only increases by square, volume quickly outspaces limb strength) - Larger animals alter skelton to absorb weight - Graviportal species: Elaphantsm Rhinos, hippos 600-15,000 lbs

What does the Pleistocene fossil record say about the existence of bigfoot?

- No fossils of any primate for 50 to 60 million years that have revealed bigfoot fossils

What do you need to properly test a psychic?

- No information or sensory input allowed to the psychic (Body language, verbal cues, eaves-dropping, prior info, clothing. Jewelry, tattoos, spped of answering) - Method of accurate evaluation of psychic performance (PT Barnum Effect - people tend to rate general statements that apply to almost anyone as being highly accurate and personal) - Method of unbiased evaluation of psychic performance (Use fake control readings, people are aware of certain details that may suggest which reading is real and which is fake)

What problems are associated with the dilutions of homeopathic medicine?

- Others did not get the symptoms reported, his idea is based on one anecdote for malaria, cinchona bark works because it contains Quinine, based on impossible theories (dilutions so high there is not molecule left, solutions "remember" qualities of cure molecule) Studues show that homeopathic medicine does not work

There are the four major categories of why people believe in Alt. Medicine:

- Personal Experience, doctors evidence, traditional knowledge, scientific reasons

What factors actually affect our appearance and personality?

- Physical appearance: Genetics, nutrition, developmental issues - Personality: genetics, environment

There are many supposed photographs of the Loch Ness Monster, what are these photos actually of?

- Possibly a dog; the most famous photo was actually a submarine with a fake Loch Ness monster sculpture on top; hay bales with tarps thrown over it were supposed to be humps of the lock ness monster; video of Loch Ness turned out to be a tree stump

What is Hot Reading?

- Pyschic uses information obtained prior to reading (background checks, overhearing conversations, microphones above audience, information cards, pre-reading interview, facebook search, often used together with cold reading)

What did St. Augustine think about astrology?

- Realized that if the stars actually caused your personality and future then people born under the same stars should have similar lives, thought it was untrue

- two Tibetan words that mean "rock bear". What evidence is there that supposedly supports the existence of the yeti?

- Sightings, footprints, scalp and finger

What are stars and what is the typical life cycle of large and small stars?

- Stars are formed in stellar nebulae where the atoms of the nebula condense with gravity, pulling inward until spherical, spinning shapes are formed (protostars). More and more stellar material is pulled into the protostar until a critical density is reached. If the protostar does not accrue enough material (masses less than roughly 0.08 M☉(1.6×1029 kg) then there is not enough material in the star to initiate nuclear fusion of hydrogen. These stars burn dimly and die slowly as they cool over millions of years. Stars large enough to begin hydrogen fusion come in two major categories: average sized stars and massive stars. Stars that can begin fusion are a balance between two forces - gravity and heat produced by fusion. Gravity tries to pull matter inward to the core of the star, but the energy released by fusion will cause elements to be pushed away from the core. This balances the star until one of these forces changes. For example, when fusion slows down because the fuel is running out, then gravity will take over and the star will collapse in size as gravity pulls the material closer to the core. When more fusion occurs, like when a new fuel source is ignited, then the star will expand. Larger stars begin with hydrogen fusion, which forms helium. When helium begins to fuse it pushes out on the star, increasing the star's size and transforming it into a Red giant or red supergiant (depending on how large the starting star was). Stars go through various patterns of fusion depending on how large they are, and depending on how large they are the stars will form different elements (see next slides). The end of the star's life also depends on the original size of the star. Smaller stars are not able to begin carbon fusion so when they reach the carbon stage fusion slows down and they collapse and release the outer material from the star as a nebula that is rich in carbon and other elements used to form planets. This is where the carbon found in our bodies comes from. The remaining elements collapse into a small star called a white dwarf. Larger stars will also run out of fuel for fusion, and will suddenly collapse under the force of gravity. The extreme density of the collapsing star causes intense fusion which results in a stellar explosion (supernova) which shoots the heavier elements created in the massive star out into space. If everything but a core of dense neutrinos is expelled from the collapse of the star, then a neutron star is formed, if the mass of the collapsing star is large enough (after all the outer elements have been ejected by the supernova) then a black hole remains. Keep in mind a black hole is not a hole, it is a sphere.

What is the Rainbow Ruse?

- Statement which simultaneously awards the subject with a specific personality trait, as well as the opposite of that trait (Ex. You are positive and cheerful, but you have been very upset in the past)

What were the results? What conclusions can be made? (They're not real/accurate)

- Taken together, these data show that, regardless of whether the tarot card reading is "real" or randomly generated, when the reading is presented face to face with the tarot reader and when the tarot reader uses personal information, the person getting the reading will find the reading to be more accurate (even if the reading is bogus). If the tarot card reading actually worked to provide information about the person then a fake reading would not be viewed as accurate in any way. However, even fake readings were more likely to be scored as accurate by the person if they were performed face to face.

What is Cold Reading?

- Technique that almost all psychics and mediums use to supply a reading for a complete stranger. They have to rely on using vague statements $ narrow down when the subject begins to confirm info. When they summarize the reading they leave out misses and restate hits incorporating info supplied by subject. Use shotgunning: offer a large amount of general info hoping that one will match

What is confirmation bias?

- Tendency to favor information that supports belief, stronger for emotionally charged issues

Who invented astrology?

- The Babylonians

How does your body actually detoxify itself?

- The body has very specific pathways for eliminating contaminants that can be eliminated. This process uses two sets of enzyme reactions that occur in the liver. During phase 1 of detoxification, liver enzymes take toxins and add highly reactive molecules to them (hydroxides, polar groups) which makes the toxin ready to be converted into a water-loving molecule that can easily be removed by the kidneys. During phase 2, liver enzymes take the molecules from phase 1 (that have highly reactive sites) and use the newly added reactive sites to add molecules that will make any toxins that are fat-loving (lipophilic) or water-hating (hydrophobic) into water-loving (hydrophilic) molecules. This is important because only water soluble (hydrophilic) molecules can be dissolved in the kidneys filtrate and eliminated from the body in urine, which is watery. Liver enzymes will take hydrophobic toxins and attach other molecules to them. These attached molecules are very hydrophilic and they will make the toxin water-loving so it can be dissolved in blood and urine.

What happens inside the core of stars like our Sun?

- The core of the Sun is considered to extend from the center to about 20-25% of the solar radius. It has a density of up to 150 g/cm3 (about 150 times the density of water) and a temperature of close to 15.7 million kelvin (K). The core is the only region in the Sun that produces an appreciable amount of thermal energy through fusion; 99% of the power is generated within 24% of the Sun's radius, and by 30% of the radius (the radiative zone), fusion has stopped nearly entirely. The rest of the star is heated by energy that is transferred outward by radiation from the core to the convective layers just outside. The radiative zone does not move as much as the convective zone. In the convective zone the density of the gases are low enough to allow convective currents to develop. Hot plasma rises and cools, and cooler plasma sinks and heats up. This creates circular thermal currents in the outer layer of stars.

What are the ten errors that cause people to think a cure/treatment works when in fact it does not?

- The disease may have run its course, many diseases are cyclic, spontaneous remission, the placebo effect, some symptoms are psychosomatic to begin with, symptom relief is not a cure, bet hedging in alternative medicine, misdiagnosis to begin with, derivative benefits, psychological distortion of reality

Who are the plesiadaptiformes?

- The earliest common ancestors of all primates (look like large squirrels)

What is the Hairy Wildman?

- The hairy Wildman is a common myth that is found across numerous cultures and, according to bigfoot believers, is evidence that the bigfoot actually exists. - Human form but covered in hair and lives in wilderness - Was bit necessarily hair in earliest wildman stories - Medieval stories brought the hairy man to prominence

How can a person walk on hot coals?

- The result of fire-walking is a scientific principle. Wood does not conduct heat well, especially when it has ash covering the outside. Therefore, even though the temperature is "hot" the heat is not conducted to your feet, so you don't feel it. You do have to keep walking so your contact time is low and usually this is done at night and in a grassy area so you also get the benefit of moisture on the grass to protect you

· What were the results?

- The results of the first test show that people were not able to choose their actual astrological forecast from the other random forecasts. This is consistent with the scientific hypothesis that astrology does not work. If astrological forecasts/readings actually reflected the true person then you would expect that a person would be able to accurately identify their own forecast (because it was so accurate). This is not what happens, and from these results you reject the hypothesis that astrological forecasts are better than just randomly picking a forecast. · What conclusions can be made? - People were not able to accurately identify their astrological chart, astrologers were not able to accurately identify personality by astrological chart, astrology is no better than guessing

Who are the Anthropoidea?

- The simians or anthropoids are an infraorder (Simiiformes) of primates containing the parvorders Patyrrhini and Catarrhini, which consists of the superfamilies Cercopithecoidea and Hominoidea (including the genus Homo).

What is a home range and how does the size of Loch Ness relate to how much space the monster would need to live?

- The space where something or someone lives; Loch Ness monster would need 100km for just one creature that size; the Loch Ness lake is only 56.4 km, so it would not be possible

What reasons make people think astrology is scientific?

- The suffix -ology,

What are some major problems with astrology?

- There is no known mechanism to connect stars/planets to human traits (genetic and environmental factors) - Constellations are not real: Differ between societies, change through time, only valid from the perspective of earth

There are four types of medical research, know what they are and what problems/limits are associated with them: · in vitro research:

- refers to laboratory experiments conducted on tissues, cells, genes, proteins and chemicals. Offer insights to how the medicine might work in the real body. Problem: when you move to the real body, the complexity of the body may change the results and what worked in the petri dish may not work in the body

· Homo erectus

-1.8 - 0.3 mya -5 ft tall -First hominid to move to Asia -Brain size 800 - 1050 ml -Prominent brow ridges -Flat face -Flake tool construction, wood tools -Probable fire use -Lived among giant apes

· Homo habilis

-1st of the "Homo" species -2.5-1.5 million years ago -Brain size: 700ml (smallish) -Face hybrid between Homo and Australopithecus -Early stone tools ----Some evidence for non-manipulated tools with Australopithecus

· Homo neanderthalensis

-About 200,000 - 30,000 ya -Brain size 1200 - 1750 ml • Brain was broader, flatter, smaller in front than modern humans -< 5 ft 7 in in height and ~140 lbs -Buried their dead, cared for sick/injured -Hunter gatherers -Large projecting nose

What laws of the universe does ESP violate?

-Conservation of Energy -Principle of Causality (precognition) -Information Theory

· Ardipithecus

-Discovered fairly recently -Lived 4-6 million years ago -Ape-like teeth: small, blunt canines with incisors between Apes and Australopithecus -adaptations for limited bipedalism (walking on two legs), but not very well -4ft tall, forest dweller -Most ape-like of all ancestors

· Proconsul:

-Found in Africa 22 million years ago (oldest) -Baboon sized, males larger than females -Eats fruit -Elbow, shoulder, and feet resemble chimps -abdominal vertebrae resemble Gibbons

What are The Afterlife Experiments and what did they supposedly show?

During an experiment called the "Three-legged stool experiment", psychic Suzy Smith tried to contact four different spirits: 1. her mother, 2. a researcher's father, 3. another researcher's (Gary Schwartz) father, and 4. a control spirit (named William James). These spirits are represented as thought bubbles in the above flowchart. Suzy asked each of the four departed people to suggest a picture that she could draw for them. She then drew four separate pictures with colored pencils, supposedly representing the preferences of each of the four people. And she also drew one additional picture (whatever picture Suzy thought would be nice), as a control. The pictures were placed into sealed envelopes for later use. Laurie Campbell, a second psychic, then tried to contact the same spirits that Suzy had contacted to get information about the pictures Suzy Smith had drawn. Laurie wrote notes on the pictures that the spirits had supposedly told her. Schwartz, Russek, and Don Watson were present during Laurie's reveries. Then Laurie (the second psychic) and the two other researchers (Gary and Don) met back up with Suzy (the first psychic) to see if the two psychics made a match. The two psychics met in a room with the two researchers and rather than having Laurie write a detailed description of the pictures she claims the spirits told her, Suzy just took all five pictures out and placed them in front of Laurie. Then Laurie was supposed to state which spirit "drew" which picture based on the notes Laurie had taken from the things the spirits told her. This is a major problem!! A bad problem with the experimental design. Because Suzy knows which spirit each picture belongs to she can easily give conscious, or unconscious clues to Laurie about whether her guess is right or wrong. However, even with this blatant violation of scientific method, Laurie only got 1 out of 5 correct, which is the exact number you would get right if you just guessed randomly. What is worse is that the picture Laurie got right was most likely (Gary Schwartz does not actually say which one) the control picture which the spirits would have no knowledge about!! This is clear evidence (even with the bad methodology) that Suzy and Laurie are not actually communicating with the dead. To do this study correctly, the first psychic would contact the spirits, make the drawings, placed them individually in sealed envelopes, and given them to a researcher. Separately, researchers would make a set of their own, random control drawings and place them into individual, sealed envelopes. These envelopes would be labeled with a random number code and the source of the drawings would be kept in a database that only one researcher had access to. Then the envelopes would be randomly mixed up and placed out on a table. The first psychic is done and would never meet the second psychic. Then the second psychic would make contact with the spirit world, make notes about what she is told about the pictures, and then would be asked to make as detailed a description of the pictures as possible with the notation as to which spirit told her the picture. These descriptions would then be labeled with random numbers and be given to a set of researchers (who have not met or seen either psychic's activities) and these unbiased researchers would make an effort to match up the spirit descriptions from psychic #2 to the pictures drawn by psychic #1. This way, no one knows which photo or description is from a spirit or which is a control. There is no bias. Under these strict conditions ESP and psychics always fail. Source: Mary Roach, Ghost, 2005.

How did Emily Rosa, a 9-yr old, test psychic abilities? What were her results?

How did Emily Rosa, a 9-yr old, test psychic abilities? What were her results? - A diagram of the experimental setup for Emily's test of Theraputic Touch. The practitioner of Theraputic Touch put their hands through two holes in a cardboard screen. The experimenter then placed her hand above one of the practitioner's hands. Which hand was the one she placed her hand over was determined randomly before the experiment began. The Theraputic Touch practitioner was then supposed to feel for the aura and tell the experimenter which hand had the hand placed over. If the practitioner was not able to detect an aura, as they claim they could, then the number of correct answers would be not significantly different than 50% (the probability of a guess). However, because Theraputic Touch practitioners claim they can feel a persons aura, they should be able to know when a hand is placed above their hand and should get the answer correct 100% of the time. What actually happened? The results that Emily obtained from her 21 practitioners that each had 10 trials was a mean of 44% (4.4 out of 10 trials). The results fall out to be what is called a normal distribution curve (bell curve). This is an expected distribution for random guesses. If the practitioners could actually feel the life energy of the hand above their own hand then all of the practitioners should have got all of the 10 trials correct for a mean of 10 (red bar) and no distribution around that mean. The practitioners actually scored LESS than that expected fro pure guessingWhat is Therapeutic Touch supposed to do?

What did the DNA analysis of yeti hair show?

It was horse Hair

What are Zener cards and how were they used to test ESP in the 1930s?

Scientific interest in the potential for ESP began to be tested at Duke University in the 1930s. Two men, Rhine and Zener began to experiment with people using a deck of specially made cards that Carl Zener created. These are the now famous Zener cards and consist of a deck of 25 cards, with 5 cards of each suit (5 circles, 5 pluses, etc). The experiments were conducted to test the three types of ESP. To test telepathy an experimenter held up a card so they could see it, but not the subject. Then the subject had to try and read the experimenter's thoughts to deduce the card. To test clairvoyance, the deck was shuffled and the subject had to try and see the cards in the deck, one after another. To test precognition, the subject would try to see how the cards would be shuffled, and write the sequence down before shuffling occurred.

What are the three or four "powers" commonly associated with ESP?

Telepathy (mind reading), clairvoyance and clairaudience (the ability to see or hear things that are distant in space or time), and precognition (the ability to see events in the future). There is also reference to a fourth ability, psychokinesis, the ability to move objects with your mind.

What is the 10% Brain use myth? What is the reality?

What is the 10% Brain use myth? What is the reality? - This incorrect statistic is often quoted to support the idea that there may be hidden powers within our brains, if only we could unlock this power. Of course, it is also stated that psychics CAN unlock this power, and use the addition, hidden mental powers to contact the dead or see into the future. This myth probably originated in the late 1800s when a Harvard psychologist, Boris Sidis, raised his son, William Sidis, to be a super-learner. Boris was attempting to show that humans can actually learn more than they do, if they spend more time being educated. In reality, we use every part of our brain not just 10%. If it were true brain disease/damage wouldn't matter, braub ebergy use would be a lot lower (brain is only 2% of body, uses up to 20% energy), natural selection would select ssmall efficient brains, brain cells that are not used, degrade

There was a meta-analysis study on astrological studies:

was a meta-analysis study on astrological studies · What/who did they study? - How well astrologers can determine personalities, future predictions and other claims by astrologers · What were the results? - Extroversion/introversion has a slight association with sun sign, until controlled for prior knowledge - Astrologers could not pick their own charts given birth information - People could not pick their own charts from random charts · What conclusions can be made? - Astrology isn't real

What is the relationship between height and weight in a human (or human-like creature), and how well would a bigfoot that is 7-8ft tall and weighing almost 2,000lbs be able to move around?

would a bigfoot that is 7-8ft tall and weighing almost 2,000lbs be able to move around? - As height goes up weight goes up, it would be very hard to move

2009 Yukon Bigfoot DNA analysis

· What/who did they study? - Animal seen outside of kitchen window's hair · What were the results? It was bison hair · What conclusions can be made? - It was a bison

In a study testing 5 mediums and their readings of individuals:· What/who did they study?

· What/who did they study? - Five nationally recognized mediums · What were the results? - During the study the mediums varied with how many statements they were able to produce from the spirit world. Mediums 3 and 4 were on the low side. The bottom table shows the ranking that sitters gave their overall reading (on a score of 1-7). A score of 4 indicates neutrality, <4 the reading did not apply, and >4 the reading seemed to apply. · What conclusions can be made? - This study did not find any evidence that psychics were able to divine information specific enough to cause the sitter to feel as though the psychic was specifically referring to their life. In addition, this study found that by increasing the number of statements, usually vague, the medium was scored higher on the validity of their reading, but still not good enough to be rated significant. In the end, this study found no evidence that mediums are obtaining any information from the spirit world. Instead, the mediums that had the highest validity scores had the most statements and these statements were exceedingly vague. During the eighty statements that make up this reading, the medium allegedly contacted the following six spirits: a woman who had had five children, a grandfather, a large dog, Henry VIII, a man from East Africa, and a smaller dog. Some of the statements about these spirits were extremely general. For example, the woman was described as working in a shop that 'had something to do with pots and pans', the grandfather was seen as tall and balding, the dog was medium-sized and of a light color with spots, and the man from East Africa was 'involved in the construction business'. Perhaps not surprisingly, many of these very general statements received high ratings. Source: O'Keefe and Wiseman. 2005 British Journal of Psychology 96:165-179

2014 Genetic Study of Bigfoot Hair

· What/who did they study? - Studied tissue samples of bigfoot/yeti · What were the results? - 57 samples submitted from around world, DNA extracted and analyzed and compared to mammal DNA, showed all 37 samples with DNA extracted were from known mammals and no sample was from an unknown primate · What conclusions can be made? - No identifiable DNA detected, all DNA was from known mammals, clearly eliminates 57 samples though to be bigfoot, strange bear hybrid in Himalaya, improper DNA cleaning reluts in human contamination of samples in other studies

In a study of Tarot Card Readings:

· What/who did they study? - Tarot card readers

In a study about news media reporting of psychic/ESP ability:

· What/who did they study? - The effect of how the media portrays pseudoscientific subjects and how that portrayal afftcts the general public's belief in ESP and psychics · What were the results? · The values for the control group show how pervasive the belief in ESP/psychics is in the general public. 43% believe in ESP and 49% believe that ESP research is truly scientific. The remaining results show the effect of how news is presented to the public. If people were given a one-sided story that only showed that the research supported ESP/psychic powers then the belief in ESP went up to 51% and 69% of readers thought ESP research was actually science. When given a two-sided story where other scientists say the research is flawed and probably wrong, people's belief in ESP went down to 38%, but people still felt that ESP research was scientific (55%). When given the story in a joke format it also reduced belief in ESP (39%) and maintained the same belief that ESP research was scientific (55%). · What conclusions can be made? - Clearly, how the media presents information concerning the paranormal affects how willing the general public is to believe.

In a study on women's relationships and astrology:

· What/who did they study? - Womens willingness to alter their romantic relationship thoughts based on reading a horoscope · What were the results? - Everyone knew their sun-sign, 13% would consult astrologer before marriage, 15% would alter romantic behavior · What conclusions can be made? - Those who knew more about astrology were more likely to let it affect their decisions

There is a study that did the Carlson study again:

· What/who did they study? - ability of astrological predictions using birth info (Natal Charts) to correctly describe the personalities of the people born at those astrological times. · What were the results? - Subjects could not identify their correct personality profiles, subjects were not able to recognize their astrological chart, subjects rated the real personality profile as most accurate, the accuracy between real and fake astrological charts was not different · What conclusions can be made? - People were not able to identify their astrological charts, no better than guessing