VEDI ASSOCIATION: Diagnosis by Photograph

steenkh

Philosopher
steenkh
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How exciting! There is somebody applying under the new rules!

See http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=87960

Unfortunately, it already looks as if this claim is falling by the roadside because the applicants do not understand the rules or want to conform to them.

The proposed protocol (that Matevosov simply diagnoses a few persons from a photograph) does not contain clarification that will allow the test to run without judging, so a lot of work is still to be done. Curiously, the applicants do not suspect the JREF of fraud and have apparently not given any thought to the possibility that the JREF will cheat, and keep the money, even if the diagnosis is right. Perhaps they are saving that argument as an 'out' when they fail ....
 
They do seem clueless. I wonder how in-depth the “in-depth diagnosis” will be.

“I diagnosis that this man has testicles.” Hit!
 
Experience suggests that applicants/claimants who want rules to be waived/altered unfortunately do not proceed to the testing stage.
 
I predict a set of (a) obvious diagnoses ("Fairly old, probably arthritic---maybe a small stroke causing that hemiplegia?"), (b) Barnum statements ("Pangs of self doubt, sometimes really quite happy but concerned about others"), and (c) diagnoses of celebrities whose illnesses are public knowledge ("This pitcher is just going in for Tommy John surgery. I saw it on ESPN ... er, um, I'm getting that from his psychical vibrations.")

If anything at all. I suspect GzuzKryst is right.
 
More information has become available regarding the Vedi Association's application. We are no closer to a test (and, from the look of it, never will be close) but the information we have gotten is interesting all the same. Be sure to check it out.

~Remie
 
Why is it necessary for any travel to take place? In the old days, the JREF would try to locate a local representative who would perform the actual test. Is it impossible in Russia? At any rate, the rules clearly state that the claimant will pat all expenses in connection with the test, so either he will do it, or he cannot be tested.

I believe that the JREF insists on face-to-face testing in order to eliminate any kind of sophisticated trickery.

I believe that yet again, affidavits have not been asked for, but this is probably because of the media coverage and academic recognition.
 
steenkh said:
Why is it necessary for any travel to take place? In the old days, the JREF would try to locate a local representative who would perform the actual test. Is it impossible in Russia? At any rate, the rules clearly state that the claimant will pat all expenses in connection with the test, so either he will do it, or he cannot be tested.

I believe that the JREF insists on face-to-face testing in order to eliminate any kind of sophisticated trickery.

I believe that yet again, affidavits have not been asked for, but this is probably because of the media coverage and academic recognition.
Click to expand...


The preliminary tests used to be carried out by a local representative. I think the the final test would have been carried out by JREF themselves if anyone had got that far.
 
ben m said:
I predict a set of (a) obvious diagnoses ("Fairly old, probably arthritic---maybe a small stroke causing that hemiplegia?")
Click to expand...


Allowing this sort of open-ended diagnosis involves judgment as to its accuracy. It also gives an "out" in that if the wrong condition is diagnosed, they can say that the person is suffering from that condition but it hasn't been properly diagnosed by their doctor.

What I would suggest is to identify a condition (or conditions) that can be unequivocally diagnosed as present or not present and which Matevosov states he can diagnose (obviously it also has to be a condition that would not be apparent from a photograph).

Photograph some volunteers with the condition and some without it. Give Matevosov a set of five photographs, one of a person suffering from the target condition and four of people not suffering from it but otherwise similar in appearance to the sufferer, and ask him to identify the one with the condition. Repeat this with ten sets of photographs, having agreed in advance how many hits is necessary for a successful test.
 
Dr. Matevosov diagnoses people from portraits showing face only? If so, perhaps he can tell if a person is missing an arm or a leg. It would be fairly easy to determine if people suffer from this ailment, and not likely to end in a dispute.
 
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