[extropy-chat] About ESP, etc.

[BillK]

On 4/30/07, Damien Broderick wrote:
> At 04:30 PM 4/30/2007 +1000, Stathis wrote:
>
> >How do they know that someone is counting cards rather than just lucky?
>
> What does "lucky" mean? I imagine they have a well-honed sense of the
> statistics of these "games" and boot out anyone who egregiously
> violates the bell curve. And don't forget the hunched psionic mutant
> hidden downstairs in its jar of nutrient fluids, tipping them off to
> the psychokinetic and precognitive scammers.
>
> >Is it just the ones lucky at blackjack that they pick on, or do they
> >also throw out the ones who do too well at roulette or the poker machines?
>
> My many contacts among the Mafia are close-mouthed about such
> intricacies, but I wouldn't be surprised. Especially in the age of
> microminiaturized gadgets. (Recalling *The Eudaemonic Pie*, by Thomas
> A. Bass.)
>


The obvious solution is to claim that anybody who is successful at
anything is using unsuspected psi powers. Unsuspected because is many
cases the psi is so weak that it just gives him a slight edge over
non-psi people. And this edge accumulates over time. Or maybe the psi
power just came into play once, when he had to make a major decision
which led to all the future success.

A claim which you can believe, but no one can disprove. It's the best!


BillK