The Case Against ESP


Name: __________________________________

  • You are driving along in your car and find yourself humming a pleasant tune. You turn on the radio and that very same song comes on. You smile to yourself and think your ability to predict music on the radio is uncanny.

How else could you explain predicting music on the radio?

 

 

  • Brenda prides herself on being able to predict the gender of unborn children. Expectant parents eagerly sought her prediction until newer, less fallible medical procedures displaced her skills.

What other factors might account for Brenda’s accurate predictions of gender?

 

 

  • Eugene is one lucky guy. Almost every month he wins something in the state lottery. His friends believe he must be clairvoyant.

What is a more reasonable explanation for Eugene’s luck?

 

 

  • Pat hates it when she gets those "ooky-spooky" feelings. Her heart starts to race and she knows something terrible has happened, sometimes to a loved one, but more frequently to a stranger whose bad luck is later reported on the news.

How could you explain Pat’s seeming clairvoyance without referring to ESP?

 

 

  • Bruce hardly studies at all and he gets superb grades. He claims he has a special ability to predict the kinds of questions instructors will include on exams.

What is a reasonable explanation for Bruce’s excellent performance?

 

 

  • A magician claims he can identify the most pressing concerns among audience members. He asks each person to fill out an index card, stating his or her most serious worry at the moment. Each person is then instructed to place the card into an envelope and seal it. The magician collects the envelopes, raises one to his forehead, and reports a specific concern or worry. Then he asks, "Whose worry is this?" A shy young woman in the third row raises her hand and claims, "It’s mine". He open the envelope to verify her claim. One by one, the magician then accurately identifies seven more pressing concerns for astonished members of the audience.

What other explanation is there for the magician’s "telepathy"?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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