CIA-RDP96-00787R000700050002-0

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Approved For Release 2003/04/18 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000700050002-0
utre Vol. 251 October 18 1974
Vol. 251 No. 5476 October 18, 1974
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Cover Picture
A hundred years ago Nature was
reviewing E. J. Marey's Animal
Mechanism (page 518, October 29,
1874). These cumbersome mechanisms
were soon to be replaced by Muy-
bridge's zoopraxiscope camera. On
page 567 we look at a Muybridge
sequence and-a century later-what
happens when the light is switched on.
nature
27
Volume 252
October 18, 1974
Investigating the paranormal
559
For those in peril on the factory floor
560
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
562
NEWS AND VIEWS
569
ARTICLES
Human reproduction and family planning: research strategies in developing countries-
A. Kessler and C. C. Standley
577
Compositional variation in recent Icelandic tholeiites and the Kverkfjöll hot spot-
G. E. Sigvaldason, S. Steinthorsson, N. Oskarsson and P. Imsland
579
Climatic significance of deuterium abundance in growth rings of Picea-W. E. Shiegl
582
Properties of hybrids between Salmonella phage P22 and coliphage 2-
D. Botstein and I. Herskowitz
584
LETTERS TO NATURE-Physical Sciences
Distance to Cygnus X-1-C .- C. Cheng, K. J. H. Phillips and A. M. Wilson .
589
High energy radiation from white holes-J. V. Narlikar, K. M. V. Appa Rao and
N. Dadhich
590
Spectrum of the cosmic background radiation between 3 mm and 800 um-
E. I. Robson, D. G. Vickers, J. S. Huizinga, J. E. Beckman and P. E. Clegg
591
A new solar-terrestrial relationship-G. M. Brown
592
Rainfall, drought and the solar cycle-C. A. Wood and R. R. Lovett
594
Dynamic implications of mantle hotspots-M. A. Khan
596
A-type doubling in the CH molecule-R. E. Hammersley and W. G. Richards
597
Drag-reducing polymers and liquid-column oscillations-W. D. McComb
598
1/f noise with a low frequency white noise limit-K. L. Schick and A. A. Verveen
599
Second Law of Thermodynamics-D. R. Wilkie
601
Information transmission under conditions of sensory shielding-R. Targ and H. Puthoff 602
LETTERS TO NATURE-Biological Sciences
The stability of a feasible random ecosystem-A. Roberts
607
Objective evaluation of auditory evoked EEG responses-B. McA. Sayers and
H. A. Beagley
608
Imprinting and exploration of slight novelty in chicks-P. S. Jackson and
P. P. G. Bateson
609
Microbial activation of prophenoloxidase from immune insect larvae-A. E. Pye
610
Elevation of total serum IgE in rats following helminth parasite infection-
E. Jarrett and H. Bazin
612
Alternative route for nitrogen assimilation in higher plants-P. J. Lea and
B. J. Miflin
614
Evolution of cell senescence, atherosclerosis and benign tumours-D. Dykhuizen
616
Insulin stimulates myogenesis in a rat myoblast line-J .- L. Mandel and
M. L. Pearson
618
Sickle cell.resistance to in vivo hypoxia-O. Castro, S. C. Finch and G. Osbaldistone
620
Expression of the dystrophia muscularis (dy) recessive gene in mice-R. Parsons
621
Growth of human muscle spindles in vitro-B. J. Elliott and D. G. F. Harriman
622
Multiple control mechanisms underlie initiation of growth in animal cells-
L. J. de Asua and E. Rozengurt
624
Control of cell division in yeast using the ionophore, A23187 with calcium and
magnesium-J. H. Duffus and L. J. Patterson .
626
Antigen of mouse bile capillaries and cuticle of intestinal mucosa-
N. I. Khramkova and T. D. Beloshapkina
627
Ultrastructural analysis of toxin binding and entry into mammalian cells-
G. L. Nicolson
628
Serum dopamine B-hydroxylase activity in developing hypertensive rats-T. Nagatsu,
T. Kato, Y. Numata (Sudo), K. Ikuta, H. Umezawa, M. Matsuzaki and T. Takeuchi
630
Enzymatic synthesis of acetylcholine by a serotonin-containing neurone from Helix-
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1
nature
October 18, 1974
Volume 251
Investigating
the paranormal
WE publish this week a paper by Drs R. Targ and H.
Puthoff (page 602) which is bound to create something of
a stir in the scientific community. The claim is made that
information can be transferred by some channel whose
characteristics appear to fall "outside the range of known
perceptual modalities". Or, more bluntly, some people can
read thoughts or see things remotely.
Such a claim is, of course, bound to be greeted with a
preconditioned reaction amongst many scientists. To some
it simply confirms what they have always known or
believed. To others it is beyond the laws of science and
therefore necessarily unacceptable. But to a few-though
perhaps to more than is realised-the questions are still
unanswered, and any evidence of high quality is worth a
critical examination.
The issue, then, is whether the evidence is of sufficient
quality to be taken seriously. In trying to answer this, we
have been fortunate in having the help of three indepen-
dent referees who have done their utmost to see the paper
as a potentially important scientific communication and
not as a challenge to or confirmation of prejudices. We
thank them for the considerable effort they have put in to
helping us, and we also thank Dr Christopher Evans of the
National Physical Laboratory whose continued advice on the
subject is reflected in the content of this leading article.
A general indication of the referees' comments may be
helpful to readers in reaching their own assessment of the
paper. Of the three, one believed we should not publish,
one did not feel strongly either way and the third was
guardedly in favour of publication. We first summarise the
arguments against the paper.
(1) There was agreement that the paper was weak in
design and presentation, to the extent that details given as
to the precise. way in which the experiment was carried out
were disconcertingly vague. The referees felt that insuf-
ficient account had been taken of the established method-
ology of experimental psychology and that in the form
Originally submitted the paper would be unlikely to be
accepted for publication in a psychological journal on these
grounds alone. Two referees also felt that the authors had
not taken into account the lessons learnt in the past by
parapsychologists researching this tricky and complicated
area.
1
(2)The three referees were particularly critical of the
method of target selection used, pointing out that the
choice of a target by "opening a dictionary at random" is
a naive, vague and unnecessarily controversial approach to
randomisation. Parapsychologists have long rejected such
methods of target selection and, as one referee put it,
weaknesses of this kind reveal "a lack of skill in their
experiments, which might have caused them to make some
other mistake which is less evident from their writing".
2R 3LP
:
(to use one phrase). This in itself might be sufficient to
raise doubt that the experiments have demonstrated the
existence of a new channel of communication which does
not involve the use of the senses.
(4) Two of the referees felt that it was a pity that the
paper, instead of concentrating in detail and with meti-
culous care on one particular approach to extra-sensory
phenomena, produced a mixture of different experiments,
using different subjects in unconnected circumstances and
with only a tenuous overall theme. At the best these were
more "a series of pilot studies . . . than a report of a
completed experiment".
On their own these highly critical comments could be
grounds for rejection of the paper, but it was felt that
other points needed to be taken into account before a final
decision could be made.
(1) Despite its shortcomings, the paper is presented as a
scientific document by two qualified scientists, writing
from a major research establishment apparently with the
unqualified backing of the research institute itself.
(2) The authors have clearly attempted to investigate
under laboratory conditions phenomena which, while
highly implausible to many scientists, would nevertheless
seem to be worthy of investigation even if, in the final
analysis, negative findings are revealed. If scientists dispute
and debate the reality of extra-sensory perception, then
the subject is clearly a matter for scientific study and
reportage.
' (3) Very considerable advance publicity-it is fair to
say not generated by the authors or their institute-has
preceded the presentation of this report. As a result many
scientists and very large numbers of non-scientists believe,
as the result of anecdote and hearsay, that the Stanford
Research Institute (SRI) was engaged in a major research
programme into parapsychological matters and had even
been the scene of a remarkable breakthrough in this field.
The publication of this paper, with its muted claims, sug-
gestions of a limited research programme, and modest data,
is, we believe, likely to put the whole matter in more reason-
able perspective.
(4) The claims that have been made by, or on behalf of,
one of the subjects, Mr Uri Geller, have been hailed pub-
licly as indicating total acceptance by the SRI of allegedly
sensational powers and may also perhaps now be seen in
true perspective. It must be a matter of interest to scientists
to note that, contrary to very widespread rumour, the
paper does not present any evidence whatsoever for
Geller's alleged abilities to bend metal rods by stroking
them, influence magnets at a distance, make watches stop
or start by some psychokinetic force and so on. The publi-
cation of the paper would be justified on the grounds of
allowing scientists the opportunity to discriminate between
the cautious, limited and still highly debatable experi-
mental data, and extravagant rumour, fed in recent days
by inaccurate attempts in some newspapers at precognition
of the contents of the paper.
(5) Two of the referees also felt that the paper should
be published because it would allow parapsychologists, and
all other scientists interested in researching this arguable
field, to gauge the quality of the Stanford research and
(3) All the referees felt that the details given of various
safeguards and precautions introduced against the pos;
sibility of conscious or unconscious fraud on the part of
One or other APRESYGEctorRelease20A3604MgiCIA-RDR9600787RQQ070005000260 parapsychology.
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560
Nature Vol. 251 October 18 1974
-* (6) Nature; although sean by somsas onpgfhs /2003/04Ff8CAROPot00967H0007000500desieramongst
most respected journals cannot afford to livenon respect -.
ability. We believe that our readers expect us to be a home
'for the occasional 'high-risk' type of paper. This is hardly to
assert .that we regularly fly in the face of referees' recom- ~
mendations (we always consider the possibility of publishing,
as. in this case, a summary of their objections). It is to
say that the unusual must now and then be allowed a
toe-hold in the literature, sometimes to flourish, more
often to be forgotten within a year or two.
The critical comments above were sent to the authors
who have modified their manuscript in response to them.".
We have also corresponded informally with the authors on
one or two issues such as whether the targets could have
been forced by standard magical tricks, and are convinced
that this is not the case. As a result. of these exchanges
. and the above considerations we have decided to publish
in the belief that, however flawed the experimental pro-
cedure and however difficult the process of distilling the
essence of a complex series .of events into a scientific
manuscript, it was on balance preferable to publish and
maybe stimulate and advance the -controversy rather than
-keep it out of circulation for a further period.
Publishing in a scientific journal is not a process of
receiving,a seal of approval from the establishment; rather
it is the serving of notice on the community that there is
something worthy of their attention and scrutiny. And this
.some to repeat the experiments with even more . caution.
To:this end the #New Scientist .does a service by publishing
this week the results of Dr Joe Hanlon's own investiga-
tions into a wide range of phenomena surrounding Mr
.Geller. If the subject is to be investigated further-and no
scientist is likely to accept more than that the SRI experi-
ments provide a prima facie case for more investigations-
the experimental technique will have to take account of
Dr Hanlon's strictures, those of our own referees and those,
doubtless, of others who will be looking for - alternative
explanations.
Perhaps the most important issue raised by the circum-
stances surrounding the publication of this paper is whether
science has yet developed ithe competence ;to confront
claims of the paranormal. Supposedly paranormal events
frequently cannot be investigated in the calm, controlled
and meticulous way that scientists are expected .to work,
and so there is always a danger that the 'investigator, swept
up in the confusion that surrounds many . experiments,
abandons his initial intentions in order to go along with his
subject's desires. It may be that all experiments of this sort
should be exactly prescribed beforehand by one group, done
by another :unassociated group and evaluated in terms of
. performance by the first group. Only by increasing austerity
of approach by scientists will there be any major progress
in this field.
For those in peril on the factory floor
In this article Peter J. Smith argues
that a greater commitment (in deed . plete overthrow of the capitalist system; .
as well as word) .to community
science by the Scientific Establish-
ment might help the world of science
regain some of the public respect it trial system. Fortunately, one can easily
has lost.
THE question of who speaks, or should .
speak, on behalf of the scientific com-
munity has been debated on many oc-
casions, most often without result. On
the face of it, such lack of resolution
is hardly unexpected, for scientists and
scientific institutions are not noted for
their ready ability to achieve con-
sensus. Yet there is no doubt that they
can put up a pretty collective front
when they feel so moved. The one
famous occasion on which a near con-
sensus was reached was when the
scientific community saw itself put at
risk financially by the Rothschild pro- .
posals. Then individuals and institu-
tions miraculously found a common
cause of self-preservation.
But when it comes to the defence of
Jess privileged groups it is quite a dif-
ferent story; the voice of the British
scientific community is seldom to be .
heard, whether taking a moral stance,
exerting humanitarian pressure, supply-
ing expertise or even simply providing
information. A good case in point is
provided by a new Socialist Worker
pamphlet entitled Asbestos: The Dust
that Kills in the Name of Profu. As
the title hints, the object of Socialist
Worker is nothing less than the com-
.and one of the ways of achieving this
aim, it seems, is to give strident publi-
city to defects in the capitalist-indus-
avoid a sharp turn to the left and
still admit that what some British
workers have been subjected to in the
name of asbestos production is beyond
the limit of acceptability in a .humani-
tarian society.
For what clearly emerges from the
rhetoric of the pamphlet in question is
a picture of men and women .reacting
in some bewilderment to the long-term
ill effects of a technological activity. .
The chief consequence is, of course,
asbestosis-a killing disease acquired
by breathing in asbestos fibres. The
bulk of the pamphlet is devoted to
case histories of men to whom asbes-
tosis has come as a shock after a
decade or so in the industry. But more.
instructively, there is also a short ac-
ccount of the fight for safety put up
by a small group of the 7/162 Glasgow
insulation workers' branch of the
Transport and General Workers Union
against the obstruction of the asbestos
companies, the indifference of politi-
cians, the weakness of the Factory
Inspectorate, the silence of much of
the press, the impotence of health
authorities, the equivocal official stance
of unions in general, and, last but not
least, apathy among many of the
asbestos workers themselves.
And there is certainly something
to fight. about. According to Patrick
Kinnersly (The Hazards of Work: How
Jo Fight Them, Pluto Press, 1973),
asbestosis is taking an increasing toll:
64 are known to have died in 1965,
107 in 1970 and 113 in 1971. The
number of new cases diagnosed rose
from 82 in 1965 to 153 in 1970.
Moreover, asbestosis is only one of
the asbestos-induced diseases. Lung
cancer appears to require a smaller
exposure to asbestos. There is also
another form of cancer known as
mesothelioma which involves growths
in the linings of the lungs and stomach.
Almost all mesotheliomas are caused
by asbestos; but no one knows how
many workers in Britain are killed by
them, partly because they take so long
to develop and partly because they are
not always identified. The TUC Cen-
tenary Institute of Occupational Health
has suggested that, 30 years after first
exposure, about one in 200 will be
found to have died of mesothelioma;
but Dr Irving J. Selikoff of Mount
Sinai Hospital in New York is ap-
parently .more .pessimistic. He has
recently been quoted as saying that,
for every 100,000 workers entering the
asbestos industry under the safety
standards obtaining in the United
States as recently as 1971, he would
expect 20,000 to die of lung cancer,
7,000 of mesothelioma and 7,000 of
other cancers and asbestosis. .
Approved For Release 2003/04/18 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000700050002-0
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602
Nature Vol. 251 October 18 1974
"".Legon poses, as a challenstovedurch Terefaset:008/04/18 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000700050002F .WILKIE
>work from the mixing of two ideal gases in :an isolated
.Department of Physiology,
system of constant total volume. It is elementary that tif
University College London,
the mixture is allowed to form by merely withdrawing ia
Gower Street,
London WCIE 6BT, UK
"partition between the gases we have a good example cof
a completely irreversible process with maximal entropy .
creation (+11.53 J K-1 if we started with 1 mol of each
Received December 3, 1973; revised June 4, 1974.
at 300 K) and no performance or storage of work. . On the
other hand, by introducing into the system -a suitable
machine, the uniform mixture could be allowed to form
in such a way that a weight within the system. was raised.
(The machine described by Planck (ref. 8, page 219) may
4 Wilkie, D. R., Nature, 242, 606 (1973).
be readily adapted for this purpose.) At the end of :the
" Wilkie, D. R., Nature, 245, 457 (1973).
' Legon, A. C., Nature, 244, 431 (1973).
latter mixing process the isolated system would accordingly
contain more mechanical energy than it did at the begin-
ning. From the First Law it follows that the system must
necessarily contain less thermal energy; that is, its tempera-
ture must have fallen. In the limit, where the mixing
was reversible, the maximum possible work would have
been performed and transferred to the weight (2,769 J'rif
the gases were monatomic) and the temperature .would
11
Thomson, W., Phil. Mag., Series 4, 5, 102 (1853).
have fallen to 189 K. In this reversible case the -change
in entropy arising from mixing (+11.53 J K-1) .is exactly
counterbalanced by that attributable to cooling (-11.53 2]
K-1): no entropy is created.
At this point it might be objected that the change in the
gases is not exactly the same as if they had mixed
irreversibly, because their thermal energy and temperature
have decreased. This is a simple consequence of the First
Law which applies equally no matter whether one is
considering an isolated system, a non-isolated one or the
whole Universe. If a change is conducted in such a way
that a weight is lifted then all the other bodies involved
cannot possibly end up in the same state as if the weight
had not been lifted. -
Failure to apply to nonisothermal systems. Legon ex-
presses doubts about the validity of the equation for
entropy creation (refs 3 and 4) save for "the trivial
case for which the temperature Te of the environment is .
equal to the temperature T of the system throughout the
process"". On what grounds are these doubts based? Legon
does not discuss, let alone dismiss, any of the sources
quoted in my article'. Other relevant sources which should
be considered are Keenan and Hatsopoulos13 and the classic
accounts by Maxwell" and by Gouy1.
Legon's quotation from Planck (ref. 8, page 104) con-
cerning "dissipated energy" deserves close consideration.
It seems to state that the maximum work is a definite
quantity only for isothermal processes. If true this would
directly contradict the views of Thomson" (later Lord
Kelvin) "On a universal tendency in Nature to the dissi-
pation of mechanical energy". On pages 113-117 of ref. . 8,
however, Planck discusses his own statement (ref. 8, page
104) and we see that there is in fact no contradiction. What
Planck demonstrates is that although the change in Helm-
holtz free energy, -dA =- d(U-TS), measures Wmax under
isothermal conditions, it cannot conveniently be used
to determine wmax under nonisothermal conditions because
the term S dT that then appears is frequently indeterminate.
The same point has already been made in a footnote .by
Gouy (ref. 15, page 506) who had also given the correct 1
equation for determining Wmar under nonisothermal con-
ditions. Accordingly I find no substance in Legon's objec-
tions under this heading.
If it is thought that there is conflict between the 'work'
view of thermodynamics and the 'entropy' view it is high
time that the idea was abandoned. The two views are
different, but symmetrical, aspects of the same reality.
Spontaneous processes of all kinds fall somewhere within
the pattern shown in Table 1, their position depending
on the efficiency of the machinery used for the extraction
of work.
1 Bridgman, P. W., The Nature of Thermodynamics, 116
(Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts,
1943).
2 Everett, D. H., Chemical Thermodynamics, 216 =(Longman,
London, 1971).
"" Butler, J. A. V .. , Chemical Thermodynamics, fourth ed.
(Macmillan, 1955).
7 Carnot, S., Reflections on the motive power of fire (1824),
translation (Dover, New York, 1960).
' Planck, M., Treatise on Thermodynamics, third ed., trans.
from seventh German ed., 1922 (Dover, New York, 1958).
' Joule, J. P., Phil. Mag., Series 4, 5, 1 (1853).
" Maxwell, J. C., Theory of Heat, fifth ed., chapter XII (Long-
mans Green, London, 1877).
12 Guggenheim, E. A., Thermodynamics, third ed. (North Hol-
land, Amsterdam, 1957).
13 Keenan, J. H., and Hatsopoulos, G. N., Principles of General
Thermodynamics (Wiley, New York, 1965).
14 Gouy, M., J. de Phys., 2ª serie, t.VIII (Novembre 1889).
"'Thomson, W., Phil. Mag., Series 4, 4, 304 (1852); corrections
in ibid, 5, viii.
Information transmission under
conditions of sensory shielding
WE present results of experiments suggesting the existence of
one or more perceptual modalities through which individuals
obtain information about their environment, although this
information is not presented to any known sense. The litera-
turel-3 and our observations lead us to conclude that such
abilities can be studied under laboratory conditions. .
We have investigated the ability of certain people to describe
graphical material .or remote scenes shielded against ordinary
perception. In addition, we performed pilot studies to determine
if electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings might indicate
perception of remote happenings even in the absence of correct
overt responses.
We concentrated on what we consider to be our primary
responsibility-to resolve under conditions as unambiguous
as possible the basic issue of whether a certain class of para-
normal perception phenomena exists. So we conducted our
experiments with sufficient control, utilising visual, acoustic
and electrical shielding, to ensure that all conventional paths of
sensory input were blocked. At all times we took measures to
prevent sensory leakage and to prevent deception, whether
intentional or unintentional.
Our goal is not just to catalogue interesting- events, but to
uncover patterns of cause-effect relationships that lend them-
selves to analysis and hypothesis in the forms with which
we are familiar in scientific study. The results presented here
constitute a first step towards that goal; we have established
under known conditions a data base from which departures as a
function of physical and psychological variables can be studied
in future work.
REMOTE PERCEPTION OF GRAPHIC MATERIAL
First, we conducted experiments with Mr Uri Geller in
which we examined his ability, while located in an electrically
shielded room, to reproduce target pictures drawn by experi-
menters located at remote locations. Second, we conducted
double-blind experiments with Mr Pat Price, in which we
measured his ability to describe remote outdoor scenes many
miles from his physical location. Finally, we conducted pre-
Approved For Release 2003/04/18 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000700050002-0
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Nature Vol. 251 Octonprovedl For Release 2003/04/18 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000700050002-0
603
liminary tests using EEGs, in which subjects were asked to
perceive whether a remote light was flashing, and to determine
whether a subject could perceive the presence of the light,
even if only at a noncognitive level of awareness.
In preliminary testing Geller apparently demonstrated an
ability to reproduce simple pictures (line drawings) which had
been drawn and placed in opaque sealed envelopes which he
was not permitted to handle. But since each of the targets was
known to at least one experimenter in the room with Geller,
it was not possible on the basis of the preliminary testing to
discriminate between Geller's direct perception of envelope
contents and perception through some mechanism involving
the experimenters, whether paranormal or subliminal.
So we examined the phenomenon under conditions designed
to eliminate all conventional information channels, overt or
subliminal. Geller was separated from both the target material
and anyone knowledgeable of the material, as in the experiments
of ref. 4.
In the first part of the study a series of 13 separate drawing
experiments were carried out over 7 days. No experiments
are deleted from the results presented here.
At the beginning of the experiment either Geller or the
experimenters entered a shielded room so that from that time
forward Geller was at all times visually, acoustically and
electrically shielded from personnel and material at the target
location. Only following Geller's isolation from the experi-
menters was a target chosen and drawn, a procedure designed
to eliminate pre-experiment cueing. Furthermore, to eliminate
the possibility of pre-experiment target forcing, Geller was kept
ignorant as to the identity of the person selecting the target
and as to the method of target selection. This was accomplished
by the use of three different techniques: (1) pseudo-random
technique of opening a dictionary arbitrarily and choosing the
first word that could be drawn (Experiments 1-4); (2) targets,
blind to experimenters and subject, prepared independently by
SRI scientists outside the experimental group (following
Geller's isolation) and provided to the experimenters during
the course of the experiment (Experiments 5-7, 11-13); and (3)
arbitrary selection from a target pool decided upon in advance
of daily experimentation and designed to provide data concern-
ing information content for use in testing specific hypotheses
(Experiments 8-10). Geller's task was to reproduce with pen
on paper the line drawing generated at the target location.
Following a period of effort ranging from a few minutes to
half an hour, Geller either passed (when he did not feel con-
fident) or indicated he was ready to submit a drawing to the
experimenters, in which case the drawing was collected before
Geller was permitted to see the target.
To prevent sensory cueing of the target information, Experiments
1 through 10 were carried out using a shielded room in SRI's facility
for EEG research. The acoustic and visual isolation is provided
by a double-walled steel room, locked by means of an inner and
outer door, each of which is secured with a refrigerator-type locking
mechanism. Following target selection when Geller was inside
the room, a one-way audio monitor, operating only from the inside
to the outside, was activated to monitor Geller during his efforts.
The target picture was never discussed by the experimenters after the
picture was drawn and brought near the shielded room. In our
detailed examination of the shielded room and the protocol used in
these experiments, no sensory leakage has been found.
The conditions and results for the 10 experiments carried out in the
shielded room are displayed in Table 1 and Fig. 1. All experiments
except 4 and 5, were conducted with Geller inside the shielded room.
In Experiments 4 and 5, the procedure was reversed. For those
experiments in which Geller was inside the shielded room, the target
location was in an adjacent room at a distance of about 4 m, except
for Experiments 3 and 8, in which the target locations were, respec-
tively, an office at a distance of 475 m and a room at a distance of
about 7 m.
A response was obtained in all experiments except Numbers
5-7. In Experiment 5, the person-to-person link was eliminated
by arranging for a scientist outside the usual experimental
group to draw a picture, lock it in the shielded room before
Geller's arrival at SRI, and leave the area. Geller was then led
DEVIL
TARGET
RESPONSE 1
1.
RESPONSE 2
TARGET
RESPONSE
TARGET
RESPONSE 1
RESPONSE 2'
RESPONSE 3
b
Solan Syste
TARGET
1
TARGET
BRIDGE
TARGET
1
URI GELLER: 18
RESPONSE
RESPONSE
RESPONSE
TARGET
RESPONSE
e
f
g
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Fig. I Target pictures and responses 9 9 6y BP896-QA787000700060002-0
1
a
1

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Nature Vol. 251 October 18 1974
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Table 1 .Remote perception of graphic material
Experiment
Date
Geller Location
Target Location
Target
Figure
1
8/4/73
Shielded room 1*
la
2
8/4/73
Shielded room 1'
Adjacent room (4.1 m)t
Adjacent room (4.1 m)
Office :(475 m)
Firecracker
Grapes
1b
3
8/5/73
Shielded room 1
Devil
1c
4
8/5/73
Room adjacent to
Shielded room 1
Solar system
1d
shielded room 1
(3.2.m)
5
8/6/73
Room adjacent to
Shielded room 1
(3.2 m)
Rabbit
No drawing
6
8/7/73
Shielded room 1
Adjacent room (4.1 m)
Tree
'No drawing
7
8/7/73
Shielded room 1
Adjacent room (4.1 m)
Remote room (6.75 m)
Camel
9
8/8/73
Shielded room 1
Adjacent room (4.1 m)
Bridge
Seagull
1f
10
8/8/73
Shielded room 1
Adjacent room (4.1 m)
1g
11
8/9/73
Shielded room 2+
Computer (54 m)
Church (computer memory)
2b
13
8/10/73
Shielded room 2
Computer (54 m)
Computer (54 m)
Arrow through heart
2c
(computer CRT, zero
intensity)
*EEG Facility shielded room (see text).
+Perceiver-target distances measured in metres.
#SRI Radio Systems Laboratory shielded room (see text).
by the experimenters to the shielded room and asked to draw
the picture located inside the room. He said that he got no clear
impression and therefore did not submit a drawing. The elimina-
tion of the person-to-person link was examined further in the
second series of experiments with this subject.
Experiments 6 and 7 were carried out while we attempted to
record Geller's EEG during his efforts to perceive the target
pictures. The target pictures were, respectively, a tree and an
envelope. He found it difficult to hold adequately still for good
EEG records, said that be experienced difficulty in getting
impressions of the targets and again submitted no drawings.
Experiments 11 through 13 were carried out in SRI's Engin-
cering Building, to make use of the computer facilities available
there. For these experimenters, Geller was secured in a double-
walled, copper-screen Faraday cage 54 m down the hall and
around the corner from the computer room. The Faraday cage
provides 120 dB attenuation for plane wave radio frequency
radiation over a range of 15 kHz to 1 GHz. For magnetic fields
the attenuation is 68 dB at 15 kHz and decreases to 3 dB at
60 Hz. Following Geller's isolation, the targets for these
experiments were chosen by computer laboratory personnel
not otherwise associated with either the experiment or Geller,
and the experimenters and subject were kept blind as to the
contents of the target pool.
For Experiment 11, a picture of a kite was drawn on the face
of a cathode ray tube display screen, driven by the computer's
graphics program. For Experiment 12, a picture of a church
was drawn and stored in the memory of the computer. In
Experiment 13, the target drawing, an arrow through a heart
(Fig. 2c), was drawn on the face of the cathode ray tube and
then the display intensity was turned off so that no picture
was visible.
To obtain an independent evaluation of the correlation be-
tween target and response data, the experimenters submitted
the data for judging on a "blind' basis by two SRI scientists
who were not otherwise associated with the research. For the
10 cases in which Geller provided a response, the judges were
asked to match the response data with the corresponding
target data (without replacement). In those cases in which
Geller made more than one drawing as his response to the
target, all the drawings were combined as a set for judging.
The two judges each matched the target data to the response
data with no error. For either judge such a correspondence has
an a priori probability, under the null hypothesis of no in-
formation channel, of P = (10!)-1 = 3 x 10-7.
A second series of experiments was carried out to determine
whether direct perception of envelope contents was possible
without some person knowing of the target picture.
One hundred target pictures of everyday objects were drawn
by an SRI artist and sealed by other SRI personnel in double
envelopes containing black cardboard. The hundred targets
were divided randomly into groups of 20 for use in each of the
three days' experiments.
On each of the three days of these experiments, Geller passed.
That is, he declined to associate any envelope with a drawing
that he made, expressing dissatisfaction with the existence of
such a large target pool. On each day he made approximately 12
recognisable drawings, which he felt were associated with the
entire target pool of 100. On each of the three days, two of his
drawings could reasonably be associated with two of the 20
daily targets. On the third day, two of his drawings were very
close replications of two of that day's target pictures. The
drawings resulting from this experiment do not depart signific-
antly from what would be expected by chance.
In a simpler experiment Geller was successful in obtaining
information under conditions in which no persons were know-
ledgeable of the target. A double-blind experiment was per-
formed in which a single 3/4 inch die was placed in a 3 x 4 x 5
inch steel box. The box was then vigorously shaken by one of the
experimenters and placed on the table, a technique found in
control runs to produce a distribution of die faces differing non-
significantly from chance. The orientation of the die within the
box was unknown to the experimenters at that time. Geller
would then write down which die face was uppermost. The
target pool was known, but the targets were individually pre-
pared in a manner blind to all persons involved in the experi-
ment. This experiment was performed ten times, with Geller
passing twice and giving a response eight times, In the eight
times in which he gave a response, he was correct each time.
The distribution of responses consisted of three 2s, one 4, two
5s, and two 6s. The probability of this occurring by chance is
approximately one in 106.
In certain situations significant information transmission can
take place under shielded conditions. Factors which appear to
be important and therefore candidates for future investigation
include whether the subject knows the set of targets in the target
pool, the actual number of targets in the target pool at any
given time, and whether the target is known by any of the
experimenters.
It has been widely reported that Geller has demonstrated the
ability to bend metal by paranormal means. Although metal
bending by Geller has been observed in our laboratory, we have
not been able to combine such observations with adequately
controlled experiments to obtain data sufficient to support the
paranormal hypothesis.
REMOTE VIEWING OF NATURAL TARGETS
A study by Osis' led us to determine whether a subject could
describe randomly chosen geographical sites located several
miles from the subject's position and demarcated by some
Mature V
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.
8
8/8/73
Shielded room 1
Kite (computer CRT)
20
12
8/10/73
Shielded room 2
(month, day, year)
shielded room 1
Envelope
No drawing
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Fig. 2 C

Nature Vol: 25/Bproved For-Release 2003/04/18 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000700050002-0
605
appropriate means (remote viewing). This experiment carried
out with Price, a former California police commissioner and
city councilman, consisted of a series of double-blind, demon-
stration-of-ability tests involving local targets in the San
Francisco Bay area which could be documented by several inde-
pendent judges. We planned the experiment considering that
natural geographical places or man-made sites that have
existed for a long time are more potent targets for paranormal
perception experiments than are artificial targets prepared in the
laboratory. This is based on subject opinions that the use of
artificial. targets involves a 'trivialisation of the ability' as com-
pared with natural pre-existing targets.
In each of nine experiments involving Price as subject and
SRI experimenters as a target demarcation team, a remote
location was chosen in a double-blind protocol. Price, who
remained at SRI, was asked to describe this remote location, as
well as whatever activities might be going on there.
Several descriptions yielded significantly correct data per-
taining to and descriptive of the target location.
In the experiments a set of twelve target locations clearly
differentiated from each other and within 30 min driving time
from SRI had been chosen from a target-rich environment (more
than 100 targets of the type used in the experimental series)
prior to the experimental series by an individual in SRI manage-
ment, the director of the Information Science and Engineering
Division, not otherwise associated with the experiment. Both
the experimenters and the subject were kept blind as to the
contents of the target pool; which were used without replace-
ment.
· An experimenter was closeted with Price at SRI to wait 30 min to
begin the narrative description of the remote location. The SRI
locations from which the subject viewed the remote locations con-
sisted of an outdoor. park (Experiments 1; 2), the double-walled
copper-screen Faraday cage .discussed earlier (Experiments 3, 4, and
6-9); and an office (Experiment 5). A second experimenter would then
obtain a target location from the Division Director from a set of
travelling orders previously prepared and randomised by the Director
and kept under his control. The target demarcation team (two to
four SRI experimenters) then proceeded directly to the target by
automobile without communicating with the subject or experimenter
remaining behind. Since the experimenter remaining with the subject
at SRI was in ignorance both as to the particular target and as to
the. target pool, he was free to question Price to clarify his descrip-
tions. The demarcation team then remained at the target site for
30 min after the 30 min allotted for travel. During the observation
period, the remote-viewing subject would describe his impressions of
the target site into a tape recorder. A comparison was then made
when the demarcation team returned.
Price's ability to describe correctly buildings, docks, roads,
gardens and so on, including structural: materials, colour,.
ambience and activity, sometimes in great detail, indicated the
functioning of a remote perceptual ability. But the descriptions
contained inaccuracies as well as correct statements. To obtain
a numerical evaluation of the accuracy of the remote viewing
experiment, the experimental. results were subjected to inde-
pendent judging on a blind basis by five SRI scientists who were
TARGET
.
TARGET
TARGET
el
RESPONSE. 1.
RESPONSE 1 ......
RESPONSE
RESPONSE 2
RESPONSE 2
a
b
Fig. 2. Computer Approved ForRelease2003/04/18 GARDR960078700000050002drawing stored.
computer memory only; c, computer drawing stored on video- display with zero intensity."
-L.
ring
targe
ofthe
passed
rawing.
indt

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Nature Vol. 251 October 18 1974
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. Descriptions chosen by judges
not otherwise associated with the research. The judges were
asked to match the nine locations, which they independently
visited, against the typed manuscripts of the tape-recorded nar-
ratives of the remote viewer. The transcripts were unlabelled
and presented in random order. The judges were asked to find a
narrative which they would consider the best match for each
of the places they visited. A given narrative could be assigned
to more than one target location. A correct match requires that
the transcript of a given date be associated with the target of
that date. Table 2 shows the distribution of the judges' choices.
Among all possible analyses, the most conservative is a per-
mutation analysis of the plurality vote of the judges' selections
assuming assignment without replacement, an approach inde-
pendent of the number of judges. By plurality vote, six of the
nine descriptions and locations were correctly matched. Under
the null hypothesis (no remote viewing and a random selection
of descriptions without replacement), this outcome has an a
priori probability of P = 5.6 x 10-4, since, among all possible
permutations of the integers one through nine, the probability
of six or more being in their natural position in the list has that
value. Therefore, although Price's descriptions contain in-
accuracies, the descriptions are sufficiently accurate to permit
the judges to differentiate among the various targets to the
degree indicated.
EEG EXPERIMENTS
An experiment was undertaken to determine whether a
physiological measure such as EEG activity could be used as an
indicator of information transmission between an isolated
subject and a remote stimulus. We hypothesised that perception
could be indicated by such a measure even in the absence of
verbal or other overt indicators.",".
It was assumed that the application of remote stimuli would
result in responses similar to those obtained under conditions
of direct stimulation. For example, when normal subjects are
stimulated with a flashing light, their EEG typically shows .a
decrease in the amplitude of the resting rhythm and a driving
of the brain waves at the frequency of the flashes®. We hypothe-
sised that if we stimulated one subject in this manner (a sender),
the EEG of another subject in a remote room with no flash
present (a receiver), might show changes in alpha (9-11 Hz)
activity, and possibly EEG driving similar to that of the sender.
We informed our subject that at certain times a light was to
be flashed in a sender's eyes in a distant room, and if the subject
perceived that event, consciously or unconsciously, it might be
evident from changes in his EEG output. The receiver was
seated in the visually opaque, acoustically. and electrically
shielded double-walled steel room previously described. The
sender was seated in a room about 7 m from the receiver.
To find subjects who were responsive to such a remote
stimulus, we initially worked with four female and two male
volunteer subjects, all of whom believed that success in the
experimental situation might be possible. These were designated
'receivers'. The senders were either other subjects or the
experimenters. We decided beforehand to run one or two
sessions of 36 trials each with each subject in this selection
procedure, and to do a more extensive study with any subject
whose results were positive.
A Grass PS-2 photostimulator placed about 1 m in front of the
sender was used to present flash trains of 10 s duration. The receiver's
EEG activity from the occipital region (Oz), referenced to linked
mastoids, was amplified with a Grass 5P-1 preamplifier and associated
driver amplifier with a bandpass of 1-120 Hz. The EEG data were
recorded on magnetic tape with an Ampex SP 300 recorder.
On each trial, a tone burst of fixed frequency was presented to both
sender and receiver and was followed in one second by either a 10 s
train of flashes or a null flash interval presented to the sender. Thirty-
six such trials were given in an experimental session, consisting of 12
'null trials-no flashes following the tone-12 trials of flashes at 6 f.p.s.
and 12 trials of flashes at 16 f.p.s., all randomly intermixed, deter-
mined by entries from a table of random numbers. Each of the trials
generated an 11-s EEG epoch. The last 4 s of the epoch was selected
for analysis to minimise the desynchronising action of the warning
cue. This 4-s segment was subjected to Fourier analysis on a LINC 8
computer.
Spectrum analyses gave no evidence of EEG driving in any receiver,
although in control runs the receivers did exhibit driving when
physically stimulated with the flashes. But of the six subjects studied
initially, one subject (H. H.) showed a consistent alpha blocking effect.
We therefore undertook further study with this subject.
Data from seven sets of 36 trials each were collected from this
subject on three separate days. This comprises all the data collected
to date with this subject under the test conditions described above.
The alpha band was identified from average spectra, then scores of
average power and peak power were obtained from individual trials
and subjected to statistical analysis.
Of our six subjects, H. H. had by far the most monochromatic
EEG spectrum. Figure 3 shows an overlay of the three averaged
spectra from one of this subject's 36-trial runs, displaying
changes in her alpha activity for the three stimulus conditions.
Mean values for the average power and peak power for each
Table 3 EEG data for H.H. showing average power and peak power
in the 9-11 Hz band, as a function of flash frequency and sender
Flash
Frequency
0
6
16
0
6
16
Sender
Average Power
Peak Power
J.L.
94.8 84.1 76.8
357.7 329.2 289.6
R.T.
41.3 45.5 37.0
160.7 161.0 125.0
No sender
(subject
informed)
25.1 35.7 28.2
87.5
95.7
81.7
J.L.
54.2 55.3 44.8
191.4 170.5
149.3
J.L.
56.8 50.9 32.8
240.6 178.0
104.6
R.T.
39.8 24.9 30.3
145.2
74.2
122.1
No sender
(subject
86.0 53.0 52.1
318.1 180.6 202.3
informed)
56.8 49.9 43.1
214.5 169.8 153.5
-12% -24%(P<0.04)
-21 %-28%(P<0.03)
1
2
3 -
4
5
6
7
8
9
Hoover Tower
Baylands Nature Preserve
1
ABCDE
2
ABC
E
Radio Telescope
3
ACD
BE
Redwood City Marina
4
CD
ABDE
E
.
ABD
DCE
Bridge Toll Plaza
Drive-In Theatre
6
B
A
C
E
Arts and Crafts Garden Plaza
Church
8
C
AB
Rinconada Park
9
CE
AB
Of the 45 selections (5 judges, 9 choices), 24 were correct. Bold type indicates the description chosen most often for each place visited, Correct
choices lie on the main diagonal. The number of correct matches by Judges A through E is 7, 6, 5, 3, and 3, respectively. The expected number
of correct matches from the five judges was five; in the experiment 24 such matches were obtained. The a priori probability of such an occurrence
by chance, conservatively assuming assignment without replacement on the part of the judges, is P == 8:10-20.
f the sever
measures w
even .peak
power mea
which the
Run 3). It
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Each entry is an average over 12 trials
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Nature . V
Places visited by judges
D
D
D
-
7
ABCE
not
Averages

607
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Nature Vol. 251 October 18 1974
of the seven experimental sets are given in Table 3. The power
measures were less in the 16 f.p.s. case than in the 0 f.p.s. in all
seven peak power measures and in six out of seven average
power measures. Note also the reduced effect in the case in
which the subject was informed that no sender was present
(Run 3). It seems that overall alpha production was reduced
for this run in conjunction with the subject's expressed appre-
hension about conducting the experiment without a sender.
This is in contrast to the case (Run 7) in which the subject was
not informed.
Siegel's two-tailed t approximation to the nonparametric randomi-
sation test' was applied to the data from all sets, which included two
sessions in which the sender was removed. Average power on trials
associated with the occurrence of 16 f.p.s. was significantly less than
when there were no flashes (t = 2.09, d.f. = 118, P <0.04). The
second measure, peak power, was also significantly less in the 16 f.p.s.
conditions than in the null condition (t = 2.16, d.f. = 118, P<0.03).
The average response in the 6 f.p.s. condition was in the same direc-
tion as that associated with 16 f.p.s., but the effect was not statistically
significant.
Spectrum analyses of control recordings made from saline with a
12 ks2 resistance in place of the subject with and without the addi-
tion of a 10 Hz, 50 uV test signal applied to the saline solution,
revealed no indications of flash frequencies, nor perturbations of the
10 Hz signal. These controls suggest that the results were not due to
system artefacts. Further tests also gave no evidence of radio fre-
quency energy associated with the stimulus.
Subjects were asked to indicate their conscious assessment for each
trial as to which stimulus was generated. They made their guesses
known to the experimenter via one-way telegraphic communication.
An analysis of these guesses has shown them to be at chance, in-
dicating the absence of any supraliminal cueing, so arousal as evid-
enced by significant alpha blocking occurred only at the noncognitive
level of awareness.
We hypothesise that the protocol described here may prove to be
useful as a screening procedure for latent remote perceptual ability
in the general population.
Potential (arbitrary units)
6
-16
10 Hz
: 15 Hz
Fig. 3. Occipital EEG spectra, 0-20 Hz, for one subject (H.H.)
acting as receiver, showing amplitude changes in the 9-11 Hz
band as a function of strobe frequency. Three cases: 0, 6, and 16
f.p.s. (12 trial averages) ...:
CONCLUSION
From these experiments we conclude that:
.A channel exists whereby information about a remote location
can be obtained by means of an as yet unidentified perceptual
modality.
.As with all biological. systems, the information channel
appears to be imperfect, containing noise along with the
signal.
· While a quantitative signal-to-noise ratio in the information -.
theoretical sense cannot as yet be determined, the results of
our experiments indicate that the functioning is at the level
of useful information transfer. .
It may be that remote perceptual ability is widely distributed
in the general population, but because the perception is generally
below an individual's level of awareness, it is repressed or not:
noticed. For example, two of our subjects (H. H. and P. P.) had.
not considered themselves to have unusual. perceptual ability
before their partici Approved For Release 2003/04/18 : CIAL Up9600787100U/666500
Our observation of the phenomena leads us to conclude that
experiments in the area of so-called paranormal phenomena can
be scientifically conducted, and it is our hope that other
laboratories will initiate additional research to attempt to
replicate these findings.
This research was sponsored by The Foundation for Parasen-
sory Investigation, New York City. We thank Mrs Judith
Skutch, Dr Edgar D. Mitchell of the Institute of Noetic
Sciences-as well as our SRI associates, Mr Bonnar Cox,
Mr Earle Jones and Dr Dean Brown-for support and
encouragement. Constructive suggestions by Mrs Jean Mayo,
Dr Charles Tart, University of California, and Dr Robert
Ornstein and Dr David Galin of the Langley Porter Neuro-
psychiatric Institute are acknowledged.
RUSSELL TARG
HAROLD PUTHOFF
Electronics and Bioengineering Laboratory,
Stanford Research Institute,
Menlo Park, California 94025
Received March 11; revised July 8, 1974.
1 Pratt, J., Rhine, J. B., Stuart, C., and Greenwood, J., Extra
Sensory Perception after Sixty Years (Henry Holt, New
York, 1940).
2 Soal, S., and Bateman, F., Modern Experiments in Telepathy
(Faber and Faber, London, 1954).
3 Vasilliev, L. L., Experiments in Mental Suggestion (ISMI Pub-
lications, Hampshire, England, 1963).
' Musso, J. R., and Granero, M., J. Parapsychology, 37, 13-37
(1973).
" Osis, K., ASPR Newsletter, No. 14 (1972).
' Tart, C. T., Physiological Correlates of Psi Cognition, Int. J.
Parapsychology, V, No. 4 (1963).
" Dean, E. D., Int. J. Neuropsychiatry, 2 (1966).
" Hill, D., and Parr, G., Electroencephalography : A Symposium
... on its Various Aspects (Macmillan, New York, 1963).
Siegel, S., Nonparametric Statistics for the Behavioral
Sciences, 152-156 (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1956) ..
The stability of a feasible
random ecosystem
THE weight of the evidence, and the beliefs of most biologists,
seem to support the view1 that ecosystems tend to be more
stable, the larger the number of interacting species they con-
tain. It is puzzling, therefore, that a variety of mathematical
models of complex ecosystems appear to give the contrary
answer: that complexity makes for instabilityª.
Prominent among such models is the complex system with
random interactions, studied in various forms by Gardner and
Ashby3 and May4; but their results cannot be applied as they
stand to ecological systems. In an ecosystem, the interacting
variables are species populations (or species biomass) which
cannot take on negative values. Thus, for example, the equili-
brium population values must be positive, and it is convenient
to denote this necessary property of an ecosystem model by
saying that it must be 'feasible'.
The work referred to imposed no such constraint on equili-
brium populations in the samples considered. It is of some
interest, therefore, to examine the stability of a random model
capable of representing ecosystems, by imposing the restriction
: that the sample be feasible.
I report here the results of computer calculations on such a
model. The interaction equations were of the well-known
quasi-linear type, in which the rate of fractional increase of a
species population is a linear function of the current populations
in all T species. That is, the number N, in the ith species obeys
dNi/dt = N, (b, + E, a, N).
and the self-regulating
. coefficients an as -1. The feasiBinty reculfement was that the
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