h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I certainly can't claim to be an expert on the subject, but I have done some background reading in the area (and know a few magicians ) and I'm happy to try and put together and entry detailing some of the sceptical explanations to the paranormal topics.

Off the top of my head I think I could manage a basic entry looking at the statistical background to precognition experiments, some of the already exposed 'frauds' in psychokinesis, telepathy and mediumship (although you don't actually mention spirit-reading as a topic. Do you consider that a form of ESP?) and some of the techniques they use to cheat. I could probably bring in some of the objections used to scientific investigation and a few pseudo-scientific claims which can be used to justify things like ESP (quantum physics seems to come up a lot now).
Of course, there's also things like spirit-healing, dousing, homoepathy, remote viewing and many more besides I'm sure, but you probably should limit the field of investigation somewhere!
I'd probably also mention organisations like the CSICOP (The Campaign for Scientific Investigation for Claims of the Paranormal) who encourage the scientific investigation paranormal claims from a critical viewpoint.

Now I can't claim to be a qualified scientist (unless Computer Science counts ) so I'd probably need some help with the maths/physics side of the whole thing from someone who did actually know what they were talking about , but I'm happy to give it a go if it's felt such an entry would be useful.

Statistics and fraudulence are two pretty distinct issues as far as ESP goes, although there is a small degree of overlap. Being a statistician by profession, I think I can handle that bit. If, however, you'd like to write an entry on famous frauds, how they've been found out, and the methods they used to cheat, *that* would be wonderful!!!!


Mikey

Dare say I could manage something along those lines. Most of the likely entries would be fairly old tho. Most modern ESP performers tend to be more circumspect in his/her performances (or else are the genuine article...).

Are you including mediumship under ESP?

I might submit an article on standard fraudalent techniques for achieving ESP type effects to peer-review, if you think it's beyond the scope of the University project (although many of the methods exposed fake performers used to cheat are strikingly similar to claimed ESP effects nowadays (being careful here not to claim that current performers are using them ), so I might be able to combine the two)

Hey, historical perspective can be a wonderful thing.

The bit on fradulent techniques could either be included in the entry on frauds or done up as a separate one -- either way, it's info I'd love to have included in the University project.


Mikey