[ExI] Psi in a major science journal

[Ben Zaiboc]

Damien Broderick wrote:

> 
> On 10/21/2010 4:51 AM, Ben Zaiboc wrote:
> 
> >> >  how would psi work?
> 
> > Nobody talks about how it does it for the same reason
> > nobody talks about how astrology works, or how
> > touching wood prevents mishaps.
> 
> That is, you claim it does not exist except as foolish
> superstition.

Why so down on foolish superstition?  I'm all for it, if it *works*.

My take on the whole thing isn't focused on whether there is some barely detectable evidence of some unexplained ability in certain people under certain elusive conditions, but rather on whether there's anything /useful/ there.  And there is absolutely zero evidence for that.

I recently saw a t-shirt with "Science:  It works, bitches" written on it.
I don't expect to see one with "Precognition" instead of "Science" anytime soon.

Until psi starts giving real results in the real world, it's just not that interesting, and ranks with astrology, wood-touching and homoeopathy, for usefulness.  Actually, you could claim that homoeopathy is more useful, because of the placebo effect.

When someone can reliably levitate their tie-fighter out of a swamp, or find deposits of gold, or accurately predict next week's lottery numbers, using the power of their mind, then I'll sit up and take notice.  Until then, psi-powers are in the same category as cold fusion, reactionless microwave thrusters, antigravity, zero-point energy, etc.  Extraordinary claims, without even ordinary evidence.

Ben Zaiboc