Posted: Jan 31, 2013 1:32 pm
Science proceeds along certain paths.
Reliable, reporducible observations are investigated either using a hypothesis driven approach or a statistical approach. Hypotheses are generated that if shown to be consistent with the evidence gathetered would explain the phenomena observed that cannot currently be explained.
The problem with ESP is that there are no reliable reproducible observations to explain. It is in essence a hypothesis of a quasi religious type which is believed in but does not add to that which requires explanation.
Experiments are then constructed to try to show that the ESP hypothesis is correct, but the nature of all experiments is that chance and bias will produce 'positive' results now and again. Unless the experiment is reproducible by different experimenters independent of each other and at different times, the results cannot be said to be knowledge.
Of course we also have observational knowledge (we can't conduct experiments on the origin of the universe), but here any useful hypothesis will allow experiments to be constructed (Cern for example) that will allow testing of relevant aspects of the theory being proposed.
Reliable, reporducible observations are investigated either using a hypothesis driven approach or a statistical approach. Hypotheses are generated that if shown to be consistent with the evidence gathetered would explain the phenomena observed that cannot currently be explained.
The problem with ESP is that there are no reliable reproducible observations to explain. It is in essence a hypothesis of a quasi religious type which is believed in but does not add to that which requires explanation.
Experiments are then constructed to try to show that the ESP hypothesis is correct, but the nature of all experiments is that chance and bias will produce 'positive' results now and again. Unless the experiment is reproducible by different experimenters independent of each other and at different times, the results cannot be said to be knowledge.
Of course we also have observational knowledge (we can't conduct experiments on the origin of the universe), but here any useful hypothesis will allow experiments to be constructed (Cern for example) that will allow testing of relevant aspects of the theory being proposed.