ANNOUNCEMENTS  (last update 21 Dec 13)

• Your graded project papers will be available to be picked up in my office starting Jan 6.
• If your study did not produce a statistically significant result you will need to use the concept of “effect size” to compare your results with prior results given in the literature. Effect size is defined in Radin’s book, p. 315, note #20.
• Saturated fat news: no surprise to us
• IRB problems: If you’re having problems, contact Tracy Giordano Tracy.Giordano@Colorado.EDU  (303) 735-3700
• Project list: Here is the updated online list of projects.
• Staring results: In class on Sep 19 the class carried out a simple remote viewing test. During looking the class produced 59.9% correct results, corresponding to a p-value of 0.0013; during not looking 53.5% were correct, for a p-value of 0.26 (essentially at chance, consistent with Sheldrake’s results); combined were 56.7% correct, for a p-value of 0.0022.
• In case you missed the first class meeting, please watch a video introduction to the course here.

SCHEDULE  (Last update: 3 Dec 13)

Tuesday

Thursday

Aug 27

General introduction

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• Advocacy Arguments may be written on topic labeled with dot

Aug 29

• Mind-matter 1: Psychokinesis

Reading: Radin Ch 9 (note references at end of file), Retro-PK (Schmidt 1976)

Sep 3

• Perception through time 1: Experiments

Reading: Radin Ch 10 (note references at end of file), and precognitive habituation (Bem 2003) & reaction (NYT 2011). The 2003 reading is one of the studies in Bem 2011 (not required reading)

Sep 5

• Mind-matter interactions 2: Field consciousness

Reading: Radin Ch 11

Sep 10

Maverick science success & failures

Reading: Brody 27-39, Friedlander 21-34, flying machines, ulcers, epigentics, recent cold fusion, and more recently

Sep 12

The scientific method

Reading: Friedlander 35-62, Bridgman, Beaty: Scientific Method

Discussion of class projects

Scan to provide ideas for class projects: Gruber’s PK

Sep 17

The scientific process  (The readings for Sep 12 will also be discussed in class)

Readings: informational cascades, breakfast, scientific consensus, medical lies [pp. 1-4 (top half)], brass containers,

Optional reading: global warming

Sep 19
• Telepathy 1: common experiences

Reading: Sheldrake: sense of being stared at,

Skepticism on staring, Sheldrake's reply, Baker's reply,

Optional reading: Email telepathy, more staring results

Sep 24

• Remote perception, with Paul Smith

Readings: What is remote viewing?, Methodology, and CIA program

7 pm: Remote viewing workshop – in regular classroom (ITL 1B50)

Sep 26

Project proposal due

Psi history

Reading: Carter Ch 3 & 4, skim Radin Chs 2, 4 –5.

Oct 1

Complete the online course for Social Behavioral Research Investigators and Key Personnel and pass quiz. (See item 3a on coursework page)

• Telepathy 2

Reading: Radin Ch 6, the Monte Hall problem, playing the odds

Oct 3

Complete a description of your protocol and expedited worksheet for the HRC. (See item 3b on coursework page.) Email completed research proposal to G. Moddel

Statistics primer I: using Seeing Statistics

Paranormal Distribution

Oct 8
Submit research proposal to the HRC.

Statistics primer II: using Seeing Statistics

Reading; Statistics in psi research

Oct 10
Statistics primer III: using Seeing Statistics

Reading: Aikin on inference

Oct 15
• Perception through time 2: Logic & causality

Reading: retroactive prayer: Leibovici, Backward causation (definition of nomic: “lawlike”), strange PK (Schmidt 1987)

Short analysis page (optional; counts as one advocacy report)

Oct 17

• Perception through time 3: Meta-Analysis & Theory, with Julia Mossbridge

Reading: Mossbridge12

Oct 22

• Healing (and harming) with intention

Readings: Bengston (pp 5-9), and meanspeak (slides #14 &#15 here)

Oct 24

• Belief

Readings: placebos, card guessing

Optional reading: Radin (2007)

Oct 29

Project analysis paper due

• Reproducibility & experimenter effect

Reading: Smith

Oct 31

• Machine consciousness

Reading: presient machine or machine precognition (Moddel 2011)

Nov 5

Give a brief (3 minute max) in-class update on your projects

• Skepticism 1

Reading: Psience, Outrage to presentiment experiment

Pseudoscience, Worldview

Nov 7

• Skepticism 2

Shermer on RV Part 1 & Part 2

Reading: Utt’s Report, Conclusions section in Hyman's report

Optional Reading: Utt’s reply, May’s report

Nov 12

• Skepticism 3

Reading: Carter Ch 8, & Ch 14, Sheldrake on Wikipedia

Optional reading: Carter Ch 2

Nov 14

Quantum

Reading: Radin Ch 12

Nov 19

• Models

Reading: Radin Ch 13

Optional reading: Wilber on Physics & Mysticism

Nov 21

• Significance of psi

Personal psi anecdotes

Optional reading: Revisiting decline effect (subject to change)

Final advocacy arguments due

Nov 26  No class – Fall break

Nov 28  No class - Thanksgiving

Dec 3

Project presentations: (1) Koller & Meyers (2) Holston & Williams (3) Garrison & Tafoya

Dec 5

Project presentations: (4) Shprengel (5) Papaikolas & Pohl (6) Chapman, Park & Potthoff

Dec 10

Project presentations: (7) Van Court (8) Risse & Sprouse (9) Flodberg & Maddocks (10) Begin, Shore & Vogel

Dec 12

Project presentations: (11) Callahan, Gehring, & Tobey (12) Carlson (13) Evans, Gann, Hannan & Moody (14) Lobato & Maton

Dec 17  Final project paper due: slip under my office door by 5 p.m., or turn in at front desk in ECEE office. Emailing it to me is also fine if printing in black & white is adequate.