Comment by almosthere
4 hours ago
The problem with science approaching telepathy tapes is that a parent will say:
My kid knows when another kid is sick.
Scientist: We have to apply scientific rigor, so let's ask him for tomorrow's lotto numbers.
Parents: Yeah, we said he can tell you when another kid is sick and it's 100% correct every time.
Scientist: That proves this is all bullshit.
We can do the test with sick kids, or broken machinery, or whatever parents would claim. Should be easy enough to set up in proper way, organizer would get his once in a lifetime Nature publication. Parents and a kid would get a million dollars award for performing real magic, and kid would become an instant celebrity for life. Like meeting with Presidents level celebrity. Everyone wins, right?
Except parents lie of course, and if pressed to participate it would become apparent that 100% is actually 50%, that their kid must meet a test subject kid in person in advance (so an attentive person can spot elevated temperature of a test subject kid, or sweat, or maybe odor (there are a few proven unicums who could do this) etc.). Basically reducing telepathy claim to either complete fabrication or cases of hyper attentiveness.