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RYAN WHISLER, Yo-Yo Dowser

Mongrel said:
It was a reference to the behaviour of people who don't even try to come up with a convincing explaination. Saying "It's Quantum" is a coded way of saying "I'm going to try and blind you with pseudo-scientific buzz words and cow cakes. In reality I have no idea what I'm talking about". Without any other references it's just a nonsense phrase.
I first saw this long before I knew of the existence of sites like this - check out 'Pyramids' by Terry Pratchett for more humorous examples ;)
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Everything is quantum. It's just that when you get a bazillion molecules all together you can only measure the statistical averages with instruments. I'm sitting right here elevating my electrons to excited states. I can sense every one of them. I can even use my molecules to make a yo-yo swing!:)
 
His starting the yo-yo going by pushing it with his fingers might be acceptable, if he claimed he could subsequently increase the movement with the "power of his mind" or whatever.

For example, if he nudged it with his finger so that it was swinging back and forth in say, a ten-degree arc, and then was able to mentally get it to start swinging in a thirty-degree arc, I'd say that was paranormal, and testable.

Of course, the yo-yo (and whatever it was tied to) would have to be protected from any influence by him blowing on it, or nudging the table it was on, etc.
 
RSLancastr said:
His starting the yo-yo going by pushing it with his fingers might be acceptable, if he claimed he could subsequently increase the movement with the "power of his mind" or whatever.

For example, if he nudged it with his finger so that it was swinging back and forth in say, a ten-degree arc, and then was able to mentally get it to start swinging in a thirty-degree arc, I'd say that was paranormal, and testable.

Of course, the yo-yo (and whatever it was tied to) would have to be protected from any influence by him blowing on it, or nudging the table it was on, etc.
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Claimant: It moved!
Randi: No it didn't!
Claimant: Yea it did! See! There it goes again!
Randi: No. Look at the video.
Claimant: See? It's really moving! That thing is totally under my control.
Randi: Should I rewind the video?

And so on and so on...
 
delphi_ote said:
Claimant: It moved!
Randi: No it didn't!
Claimant: Yea it did! See! There it goes again!
Randi: No. Look at the video.
Claimant: See? It's really moving! That thing is totally under my control.
Randi: Should I rewind the video?

And so on and so on...
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You think this wouldn't be the case with the other tests Kramer mentioned to the guy? (Getting a North-South moving yo-yo to move East-West, getting one yo-yo out of five to move differently than the others)?

I still maintain that what I describe is testable.
 
They should fix the yoyo to a table and dangle HIM from the string! ;)
 
RSLancastr said:
You think this wouldn't be the case with the other tests Kramer mentioned to the guy? (Getting a North-South moving yo-yo to move East-West, getting one yo-yo out of five to move differently than the others)?

I still maintain that what I describe is testable.
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It's absolutely testable. I just think it's better when the test has as few post-failure-cop-out loopholes as possible, so they're left with only skeptical anti-psi type excuses.
 
How 'bout this... the guy never gets to touch the yo-yo; it starts held at say 20 degrees off vertical, by an electro-magnet or similar, against a vertical plate. The yo-yo is released, by switching off the magnet, and starts swinging. Without paranormal effects, and all else being suitably controlled, the yo-yo will never have sufficient energy to hit the vertical plate - it will just swing through an ever-decreasing arc until it stops. If the guy can reliably make it hit the plate, he wins.

Just a thought... now, back to work :)
 
Crispy Duck said:
How 'bout this... the guy never gets to touch the yo-yo; it starts held at say 20 degrees off vertical, by an electro-magnet or similar, against a vertical plate. The yo-yo is released, by switching off the magnet, and starts swinging. Without paranormal effects, and all else being suitably controlled, the yo-yo will never have sufficient energy to hit the vertical plate - it will just swing through an ever-decreasing arc until it stops. If the guy can reliably make it hit the plate, he wins.

Just a thought... now, back to work :)
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It's "dangerous" for him to not touch the yo-you. We haven't figgured out what exactly the danger is, but my guess is that he'd be in danger of looking like an inept fool.
 
petre said:
It's "dangerous" for him to not touch the yo-you. We haven't figgured out what exactly the danger is, but my guess is that he'd be in danger of looking like an inept fool.
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I read that as meaning that it was dangerous for him to attempt to get the thing moving without touching it. In that case, and assuming that he's not a fraud, he'll be fine with any means of setting it swinging that won't cause him to have to use up too much of his super-powers. I guess he's worried that flames will come out of his ears or something, although he should get the million for that anyway :)
 
Crispy Duck said:
I read that as meaning that it was dangerous for him to attempt to get the thing moving without touching it. In that case, and assuming that he's not a fraud, he'll be fine with any means of setting it swinging that won't cause him to have to use up too much of his super-powers. I guess he's worried that flames will come out of his ears or something, although he should get the million for that anyway :)
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It seems that he could set all five yo-yos swinging north-south by pulling the bar, and then use his power to get one of them to swing east-west. Or does he have to touch the yo-yos? Could he touch them before they are swung?

Alas, I think the guy is going to practice and realize it was ideomotor all along.:(
 
LordoftheLeftHand said:
Isn't that a good thing?

LLH
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Well, it isn't as fun.:rolleyes:

If he learns something and thanks Randi and urges his friends to think more critically, that's good. If he turns into one of these "I can only do it on rainy Wednesdays when I can touch the pendulum and Randi won't play fair with me!" whiners, then the world hasn't changed.
 
I'm not sure if this have been brought up before, but dangle the yoyo from a pencil suspended in a horizontal posisition. Have him touch the string of the yoyo with one finger where the string is tied to the pencil from above. This would prevent automotoric movements from interfering.
 
The_Fire said:
I'm not sure if this have been brought up before, but dangle the yoyo from a pencil suspended in a horizontal posisition. Have him touch the string of the yoyo with one finger where the string is tied to the pencil from above. This would prevent automotoric movements from interfering.
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It would help with the automotoric movement, but it wouldn't keep him from cheating. He would be able to tug or roll the string, or to jar the pencil.

You could come up with a device that would do it, like a double pendulum as mentioned above. But maybe he has to physically start the yo-yo swinging to align his quantum energy with his fingers. (That sounds plausible!) Kramer is now proposing that swing the pendulum manually, and keep it swinging for 30 minutes. You could have a control pendulum nearby.
 
It seemed like interesting, untill this came.

According to Deja Allison D.D., P.h.d., telekinesis from her explanation is "quantum".
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Accordingly, telekinesis from my explanation is "bollocks"

My psychic influence moves pendulums by perhaps, "spirit electrical force".
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Or perhaps, "green fairy farts"

How about establishing that any kind of electrical force can influence regular yo yos or pendulums? Existence of spirits? Their relation to "electrical forces"?

Is he proposing to demonstrate a metallic pendulum movement with magnets? I don't think that would qualify as paranormal.

I mean come on! It's not even necessary to come up with such... explanations.
 
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Hi Mendeli,

Are the "green fairy farts" quantum then? ;)

I think that so far Zep has come up with the best idea - if we can work out which one is the biggest Yoyo, of course!

YBW
 
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