Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Abel Stable · 02-26-2003, 09:39 AM

ESP Experiment

There were threads in the Gen. Religious Forum discussing the importance often placed upon blind faith. I thought this site was an interesting example of people's willingness to belive in things before giving them enough consideration. Anyone seen it before? It's really pretty clever- and read all the explanations people try to give for it.

Undercurrent · 02-26-2003, 11:08 AM

ROFL!!! Some of those "explanations" are hilarious.

Quote:

From: Joseph
Today I tried out your ESP experiment. I'm fairly familiar with HTML and Javascript, and after having it guess right _everytime in 50 tries_ I decided to look at the source code. Frankly, your javascript is way too complicated for me to figure out, so I looked elsewhere

At first, I speculated that since there were the same # of eyes as there are cards, I thought maybe you were just assocaiting the eye that was clicked on with the card that was picked, but after a few tries I disproved this theory. Then I thought maybe you just had a really lucky randomization script, but after looking at the source it looks much more complicated then simple randomization. However, your quantum consistency meter is completely random, and doesn't seem to have anything to do at all with the rest of the code (unless perhaps, the seed has some signifigance?) So tell me, how the heck does this whole thing work? Just a curious 14 year old, Joseph

Quote:

From: Ccfrasca
DOes this not work via a cookie? Chris

Quote:

From: Lianne
Well done Mr. Pickover! Your Esp Experiment was truly mind numbing, and never have I experienced anything quite like! To begin, I tried the exp eriment 49 times. Out of the tries, 7 times I actually DID stare at th e card(without saying it out loud.) Out of those 7 times, my card was correctly removed from the remaining cards. So, 100% of the time that I did look at my card, it was removed, which in itself, is truly amazing! 7 out of the tries I looked at a different card, while thinking of the card I chose. Out of the 7 tries, 7 times was the card that I was thinking of removed. But what is truly amazing, is that of those 7 times BOTH the card I was thinking of, AND the card I was actually looking at were removed! Again, a 100% percent success ratio. So, I took it a step further. 7 times I chose 3 cards. Out of those 7 times, every card I chose sAs removed, which is dumdfounding. Once again, 100% correct. I took it another step, and chose 4 cards. Out of the 7 times I did this, not one time did ANY of these cards show up, which is also amazing. So I chose 5 cards. Out of the 7 times, again, not once were ANY of these cards dis played. I am truly beside myself. Then I chose all 6 cards. And, yes, once again, not a single card remained. Again 100%. Alternately, out of the 7 times I chose my card out of the remaing cards, then went back, not one time, or 0% of the time, was my card removed. This leads to these conclusions:

1. The experiment uses an eye tracking program to gauge the users eye movement while he/she looks at his/her card, but this cannot be true, due to the fact that seven out of the tries I looked at a different card while thinking of the one I wanted.
2. The experiment uses true psychic programming to read the experimentees' minds, which would is truly amazing piece of technology: IF it existed. I was amazed. For a short period of time. I think you can deduce the true genius behind the experiment. Thank you Mr. Pickover, for expanding my mind, no matter how brief the expansion was. I applaud you!

(I'm hoping Lianne actually knew the right answer, and was jut having some fun.)

Gooch's dad · 02-26-2003, 01:28 PM

How bizarre! I have absolutely no idea how that works.

Gooch's dad · 02-26-2003, 01:41 PM

Oh, jeez, now I feel REALLY stupid!

<hangs head in shame>

AbbyNormal · 02-26-2003, 01:58 PM

Here's a hint:

Try selecting two cards.

Ensign Steve · 02-26-2003, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Undercurrent
(I'm hoping Lianne actually knew the right answer, and was jut having some fun.)

I hope so, too!

Gooch's dad, don't feel ashamed. It is a really good trick! I am no good at figuring out these kinds of things, either. The difference is some people will say "I don't know how it works, therefore it's magic" and others will say "I don't know how it works, therefore I don't know how it works." No shame in being among the second group.

Jen

Mad Kally · 02-26-2003, 07:32 PM

I wrote down the cards on the first page, then I picked the King of hearts. On the second page none of the cards left were the same as the first page.

And I didn't read any secrets that may or may not be in this thread.

I love post-it notes, what can I say? lol

Oolon Colluphid · 02-27-2003, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mad Kally
I wrote down the cards on the first page, then I picked the King of hearts. On the second page none of the cards left were the same as the first page.

And I didn't read any secrets that may or may not be in this thread.

I love post-it notes, what can I say? lol

Hey Kally, me too! I was foxed the first time, and I don't like being foxed. So I tried it again writing them down, and hey presto, it's rather simple. I too now have a post-it with KH JC KS QD QC JD on it...

DT

Undercurrent · 02-27-2003, 08:51 AM

The only really clever part of the trick, is picking two sets of cards such that the second set looks superficially like the "other five", no matter which of the first set you pick.

HaysooChreesto! · 02-27-2003, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Darwin's Terrier
Hey Kally, me too! I was foxed the first time, and I don't like being foxed. So I tried it again writing them down, and hey presto, it's rather simple. I too now have a post-it with KH JC KS QD QC JD on it...

DT

Yeah, I ran into this a while back and I felt like quite the genious for figuring it out. Now if he could do it using just black colored numbers 1 through 5 and make it happen, then that'd be something neat.

02-26-2003, 09:39 AM	#1
Abel Stable Regular Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 356	ESP Experiment ESP Experiment There were threads in the Gen. Religious Forum discussing the importance often placed upon blind faith. I thought this site was an interesting example of people's willingness to belive in things before giving them enough consideration. Anyone seen it before? It's really pretty clever- and read all the explanations people try to give for it.

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02-26-2003, 01:28 PM	#3
Gooch's dad Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Madison WI USA Posts: 3,508	How bizarre! I have absolutely no idea how that works.

02-26-2003, 01:41 PM	#4
Gooch's dad Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Madison WI USA Posts: 3,508	Oh, jeez, now I feel REALLY stupid! <hangs head in shame>

02-26-2003, 01:58 PM	#5
AbbyNormal Regular Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Flagstaff, AZ, USA Posts: 152	Here's a hint: Try selecting two cards.

02-26-2003, 07:32 PM	#7
Mad Kally Banned Join Date: May 2001 Location: LALA Land in California Posts: 3,764	I wrote down the cards on the first page, then I picked the King of hearts. On the second page none of the cards left were the same as the first page. And I didn't read any secrets that may or may not be in this thread. I love post-it notes, what can I say? lol

02-27-2003, 08:51 AM	#9
Undercurrent Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Santa Fe, NM Posts: 2,362	The only really clever part of the trick, is picking two sets of cards such that the second set looks superficially like the "other five", no matter which of the first set you pick.

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