IIG Public Update #9
April 2008
The highlight of March was our field trip the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City. Obviously we have no pictures of the inside of the museum, but you’ll have to take our word for it when we tell you that it was an experience.
Here’s the latest:
PHULLERTON PHANTOMS
Three years ago, the IIG was contacted by a family in Orange County who believed that their house was haunted. The complete details are now available. In spite of the many interesting discoveries (and hopefully new friends made) we found no ghosts or other paranormal entities.
LONG ISLAND HEALER
We have not heard from challenge applicant Bob T. since we told him that a videotape of him performing healing miracles would not be accepted as proof (although we definitely want to see it). Here is the last sentence of our last e-mail to him:
And yes, "a wound closing up before our eyes, a rash, or burn disappearing immediately, limb regeneration; that sort of thing" would impress us very much -- but not on tape, in a photo, or from a story.
We await his response.
DEREK AND THE UFOs
There has been a lot of "behind the scenes" activity recently regarding Michael Horn and the Billy Meier Case. Very soon the IIG website will be updated to reflect this activity, but in the meantime feel free to read the continuing, albeit irritating, adventures of the Michael Horn Correspondence here.
GOLDEN VORTEX
We are currently designing a testing concept for Nick Nelson, who claims to be able to make himself appear to shrink by bending the light around himself by controlling gravity vortices. You’d think it would be easier to just stoop.
VISION FROM FEELING
When last we left Anita Ikonen, we had asked her to specify how we could test her claimed extrasensory ability to obtain health information from a human body.
We had offered to test her abilities against medical conditions that were unambiguous: Missing Teeth, Missing Bones, and bad eyesight in terms of diopters -- the units on eyeglass prescriptions. Anita had mixed feelings about these conditions, citing, for example, her lack of familiarity with diopters.
Anita continues that she would like to add deafness, “[p]ain of various forms,” and “discomfort.” Now, her claim goes back to the ad hoc protocol design sub-committee (who says skepticism isn’t glamorous?).
Anita adds, “I realize that our protocol negotiations are at a difficult stage at this point and I hope that we can begin to approach a workable protocol. [I am g]rateful for your work”.
CANADIAN LOTTERY MASTER
Mark Z has clarified his original claim to predict the winning numbers in the Canadian lottery:
From my past experience I hope to provide you with [a] quantity of correct predictions for Ontario "Pick 3" lottery, which in 2-3 times will exceed the random level. For "Pick 3" lottery increase[ing] the number of right guesses in 2-3 times makes the game profitable. But not so strong, because organizers returns [sic] to players only 50% of collected money. An [sic] therefore even 3 times increase of correct predictions means simply 150% profit. In another words to make $50,000 I will have to spend about $33,000.
We responded the only way we know how:
I'm a little confused about your claim.
Adding:
Why don't you predict one of next week's Pick 3 numbers now and give us a quick demonstration of your ability[?]
We await mark’s response.
KINOKI PADS
If you are watching TV between 1AM and 9AM, you know about the Kinoki Pads. Many in the IIG membership have expressed a desire to investigate, and so, we have sent out $19.99 plus shipping handling . . . actually $38.98 plus shipping and handling (you need a control after all). We intend to conduct a simple test to find out just what the pads are doing. You’ll read the results here.
ALIEN AUTOPSY
Start dancing the Macarena and investing in internet stocks, we’re going back to the late-to-mid-nineties to revisit Fox’s “Alien Autopsy” video. Former IIG member Trey Stokes showed us how to use Hollywood Movie Magic to recreate the rubber alien as an exercise in how easy it would be to perpetrate such a hoax.
After ten years, you may think that this case is closed, but no! Trey received a letter from a Julian Bray who claims to represent a person or organization named “Spyros Melaris” who apparently “designed and crafted” the “’alien’ model” [note: the scare quotes around the word “alien” are as they appear in the letter]. Neverminding whether or not Trey will obey this cease and desist, doesn’t this pretty much prove that the Alien Autopsy was a hoax?
TENNESSEE TELEPATH
Raymond P. from the Volunteer State is back! We had previously sent him this shorthand version of the testing protocol:
The test will involve you sending messages to someone of your choosing in another part of our building. You and the receiver will not know what the message will be until you are split up and out of contact with each other.
To which Mr. P. responded:
Is this the entire testing protocol agreement? When do we sign it? Do we sign it beforehand, or do we sign it when I come out to Hollywood? Is there a real message in words that you want me to transmit? [W]hy does it take 90 days to deliver the money after I win the demonstration? What type of payment is going to be delivered to me? Can it be direct deposited into my bank account?
We clarified:
What I sent you . . . was intended to give you a general idea of what a testing protocol would consist of. Designing protocols is a lot of work, and we will only proceed if you agree to the concept of this test beforehand . . .So, I'm asking you: Can you get to Hollywood and come to the Center for Inquiry with a person who can read your thoughts in a different part of the building?
If you say yes, then we will create a test protocol which we will send you for approval. The test will involve you sending specific words, numbers, or phrases to a receiver. Neither you nor the receiver will have any knowledge about what those words, numbers, or phrases will be before the actual test.
Adding:
Try this on your own with pencil and paper before we start this process. Your own results may surprise you.
THAT’S ALL
Enjoy Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday, Earth Day, Arbor Day, and Ash Wednesday, a.k.a. “Surprise! I’m Religious!” Day.
- IIG
