We had the 10:23 Project, a mass "overdosing" of homeopathic cures to gain public awareness, and Boobquake, scantly-clad women gathering together to draw the public's eye (in this case, they were probably more successful...) to test an Inranian cleric's untrue hypothesis about the cause of earthquakes. I'm asking anyone out there for this:
Why not Ouija boards?
Christian fundamentalists and New Age Wiccians have an obsession for these pieces of cardboard. They both claim that there's something supernatural with it. If any of you watched the experiment, the one involving blindfolds and switching the board around, performed on Penn and Teller's Bulls*** show, or have carried it out yourself, you'll understand the absurdity of that claim.
Here's my proposal. We perform the experiment on a large scale, similar to that of other skeptic gatherings like the ones mentioned above, record the events on video and upload the results to youtube. Simple, right? Well, I'm also suggesting some adjustments and additions to the experiment as well as your ideas.
Here are my suggestions:
1. We use different Ouija board designs. I found a couple of them as examples:
http://www.ouija-board-store.com/img/AdamsFamilyOuijaBoard.JPG
http://www.wiccanaltar.com/images/Celtic-Ouija-Board.JPG
2. Use "believers" and people with little or no opinions about the supernatural in the experiments. Don't just involve skeptics (Advocates of the paranormal claim that the presence of a skeptic will ruin the Ouija Board's power...)
3.While the subjects are blindfolded, switch the boards around or with other boards of the same size but with different patterns.
4. Perform various and popular "protection rituals" (placing a Bible on the board, wear Ankhs etc.)
The main reason that I'm posting this on the JREF fourms is to generate a brainstorming session to improve any aspects of this large-scale experiment. Sadly, if this proposal passes and gets the attention of the skeptic community, I may not be able to participate...my superior wouldn't allow it (a big supporter of woo).
Thanks in advance for your posts and comments.
P.S:
By the way, if any of you are unfamiliar with the blindfold experiment, here's some links that describe in detail the procedure:
http://home.comcast.net/~parainvestigator/Articles/OuijaBoard.html
http://ohiouskepticsociety.blogspot.com/2009/01/on-ouija-boards.html
Why not Ouija boards?
Christian fundamentalists and New Age Wiccians have an obsession for these pieces of cardboard. They both claim that there's something supernatural with it. If any of you watched the experiment, the one involving blindfolds and switching the board around, performed on Penn and Teller's Bulls*** show, or have carried it out yourself, you'll understand the absurdity of that claim.
Here's my proposal. We perform the experiment on a large scale, similar to that of other skeptic gatherings like the ones mentioned above, record the events on video and upload the results to youtube. Simple, right? Well, I'm also suggesting some adjustments and additions to the experiment as well as your ideas.
Here are my suggestions:
1. We use different Ouija board designs. I found a couple of them as examples:
http://www.ouija-board-store.com/img/AdamsFamilyOuijaBoard.JPG
http://www.wiccanaltar.com/images/Celtic-Ouija-Board.JPG
2. Use "believers" and people with little or no opinions about the supernatural in the experiments. Don't just involve skeptics (Advocates of the paranormal claim that the presence of a skeptic will ruin the Ouija Board's power...)
3.While the subjects are blindfolded, switch the boards around or with other boards of the same size but with different patterns.
4. Perform various and popular "protection rituals" (placing a Bible on the board, wear Ankhs etc.)
The main reason that I'm posting this on the JREF fourms is to generate a brainstorming session to improve any aspects of this large-scale experiment. Sadly, if this proposal passes and gets the attention of the skeptic community, I may not be able to participate...my superior wouldn't allow it (a big supporter of woo).
Thanks in advance for your posts and comments.
P.S:
By the way, if any of you are unfamiliar with the blindfold experiment, here's some links that describe in detail the procedure:
http://home.comcast.net/~parainvestigator/Articles/OuijaBoard.html
http://ohiouskepticsociety.blogspot.com/2009/01/on-ouija-boards.html
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