Friday Diversion

Pickover's ESP Experiment

[dcheney]

If anyone is really bored, try Prof. Pickover's computer based ESP experiment. Its quick and easy.

Once you figure it out - be sure to read the explanations/comments - they are hillarious!

(I'm not affiliated with the site and there are no adverts)

[sprott.physics.wisc.edu...]

[troels nybo nielsen]

The one question I'm asking myself is: What is this mr. Pickover's agenda? I see what he is doing, but I might like to know WHY he does it.

[adamas]

Don't know whether to laugh or cry over the comments.

[Rubylily]

Very cunning. More pop psychology than ESP though I'm afraid...

[edited by: Rubylily at 2:33 pm (utc) on Dec. 19, 2003]

[Rubylily]

The one question I'm asking myself is: What is this mr. Pickover's agenda? I see what he is doing, but I might like to know WHY he does it.

I'd say he's just 'avin a laugh. I'm 'avin a good laugh reading some of the comments. My fav so far has to be:

"OK, maybe I'm just to obsessed with the matrix.... but i beleive in that, and I think that this has something to do with that. i mean it makes sense...the matrix that is. but i think that somehow you are really able to moniter what is going on from someone elses comp. i dont know... maybe its brain waves or eye contact type thing.. i duno. its not like the matrix and the same sense, but something playing on that idea....do you beleive in that? well its kool. id like to know how its done.. e mail me back if you have anything to say about the matrix thing. thanks"

[TheDoctor]

It's very clever. It took me several goes before I realised how it's being done.

[Kwix]

Bwahahaha. That is just too wrong. Elimination reveals all. But reading the comments was just beautiful. I needed that today.

[graywolf]

Maybe the card got removed by the Florida update

[snowman]

Meaningless test - I never chose a card and it deleted one of it's own choosing.

:)

[Rubylily]

Meaningless test - I never chose a card and it deleted one of it's own choosing.

Not meaningless at all methinks, just nowt to do with ESP. Look again closely, it doesn't DELETE any cards, that's the *real* point of the test.

[TheDoctor]

snowman,

Fundamental rule of software testing: check all the results.

So, go to the test page, decide which card you are going to test and write down the predicted results. That is, write down a list of cards that should be present (and should be the only ones present) on the results page.

Then click on an eye and compare the results given with your predicted results.

I'm begining to think this test has educational potential.

[anallawalla]

Here is a Flash version:

www.zorstec.net/copperfield.htm

[TheDoctor]

The Copperfield version is a good argument for not using Flash. You hardly have time to consider the results. My HO is that it doesn't provoke the amazement that the Pickover verions does.

But perhaps also an educational opportunity: ask the students which site would provoke them into finding out more about the perpetrator (is this the right word?) and why?

[dcheney]

So, go to the test page, decide which card you are going to test and write down the predicted results. That is, write down a list of cards that should be present (and should be the only ones present) on the results page.

I doubt that would work - it might detect you looking at each card and get confused and just replace all of them.

[/joking]

[TryAgain]

If there weren't so many, I'd say he made up the comments himself. lol :)