Telepathy debate hits London

[Ivan Seeking]

Scientists tend to steer clear of public debates with advocates of the paranormal. And judging from the response of a London audience to a rare example of such a head-to-head conflict last week, they are wise to do so.

Lewis Wolpert, a developmental biologist at University College London, made the case against the existence of telepathy at a debate at the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) in London on 15 January. Rupert Sheldrake, a former biochemist and plant physiologist at the University of Cambridge who has taken up parapsychology, argued in its favour. And most of the 200-strong audience seemed to agree with him. [continued]

http://www.nature.com/nsu/040119/040119-7.html

[zoobyshoe]

Telepathy is the hardest "paranormal" thing for me to dismiss. I have had the experience of thinking about a person out of the blue only to have the phone ring seconds later and it be them. Recently I "knew" a person who would normally be asleep at a certain time, wasn't, and I recieved an E-Mail from her about a half minute later. These could be coincidence.

Stories I've heard that are harder to explain are people who sence relatives are in trouble and call them only to find out it is true. Again, this could be coincidence if it happens that many, many more such calls are made that prove the fears to be groundless.

I find these experiences and stories to be compelling, although I haven't the vaguest idea how such a thing might be possible, and wouldn't begin to try to defend its authenticity.