From: J. R. Molloy (jr@shasta.com)
Date: Wed Jul 11 2001 - 09:36:46 MDT
From: "Party of Citizens" <citizens@vcn.bc.ca>
> OK, try this. We have 20 patients in a hospital with similar ailments. In
> claiming JR's million $ we are going to demonstrate the placebo effect as
> a PK-effect. Patients are randomly assigned to group a or group b. Group a
> gets sugar pills. Group b gets no treatment during the trial period. If
> group a improves by measured criteria we claim the million $. The sugar
> didn't cause the effect. It was SUGGESTION that caused it and not any
> physical treatment. That's PK.
It's not my money, but thanks for the flattery.
The placebo effect doesn't qualify as PK because the power of suggestion
involves internalized physical treatment: the operator is the operand. In
contrast, PK requires operating at a distance.
Stay hungry,
--J. R.
Useless hypotheses, etc.:
consciousness, phlogiston, philosophy, vitalism, mind, free will, qualia,
analog computing, cultural relativism, GAC, CYC, and ELIZA
We won't move into a better future until we debunk religiosity, the most
regressive force now operating in society.
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