From: John Clark (jonkc@worldnet.att.net)
Date: Tue Aug 29 2000 - 08:54:44 MDT
Michael LaTorra <mike99@lascruces.com> Wrote:
>Turing believed that ESP could be a significant factor. It's quite curious that
>this fact has been conveniently forgotten by so many of Turing's intellectual heirs.
Yes, I think they're a little embarrassed that the great man could say something so apparently
silly, but I don't think he was silly. Turing made no excuses, he knew that If ESP really did exist
then all out current theories about intelligence and consciousness, including his own ideas,
would be sent to the junk pile. Turing never liked ESP but his scientific integrity forced him to
take it seriously because near the end of his life he really thought "the statistical evidence,
at least for telepathy, is overwhelming".
I doubt it one scientist in thousand would say that today. Turing's only mistake was to assume
that the ESP "experiments" done in the 1940's and 50's that seemed so convincing to him were
performed at the same high level as in other areas of science, and not incompetently performed
by carnival barkers (they liked to call themselves "researchers") who were either incredibly
dumb, as naive as children, or just simple frauds.
I think it's been examined enough and it's time to move on to more productive things, but If you
insist on studying ESP then you should go to the experts to help you set up the experimental
protocol, find yourself a good stage magician.
John K Clark jonkc@att.net
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