From owner-biophys@hgmp.mrc.ac.uk Wed Aug 29 17:54:56 2001 Return-Path: Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by mercury.hgmp.mrc.ac.uk (Postfix) with ESMTP id 0CAE317B7E for ; Wed, 29 Aug 2001 17:54:51 +0100 (BST) Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by mercury.hgmp.mrc.ac.uk (Postfix) with ESMTP id E02B317B77 for ; Wed, 29 Aug 2001 17:54:36 +0100 (BST) Received: from niobium.hgmp.mrc.ac.uk (niobium [193.62.192.41]) by mercury.hgmp.mrc.ac.uk (Postfix) with ESMTP id 1769D17B78 for ; Wed, 29 Aug 2001 17:54:15 +0100 (BST) Received: (from news@localhost) by niobium.hgmp.mrc.ac.uk (8.9.3+Sun/8.8.8) id RAA11527 for biophys-list@hgmp.mrc.ac.uk; Wed, 29 Aug 2001 17:43:32 +0100 (BST) X-Authentication-Warning: niobium.hgmp.mrc.ac.uk: news set sender to using -f Reply-To: "Jim Pappas" From: "Jim Pappas" X-Newsgroups: alt.physics.undergraduate,alt.sci.physics,bionet.biophysics,bit.listserv.physics,cu.physics.ugrads,git.physics,harvard.physics,ubc.physics,uiuc.org.biophysics,ut.physics.general,uwo.physics References: Subject: Re: Animal Magnetism? Lines: 147 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4522.1200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4522.1200 Message-ID: Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2001 16:38:15 GMT X-Complaints-To: abuse@mediaone.net Organization: Road Runner To: biophys@hgmp.mrc.ac.uk Sender: owner-biophys@hgmp.mrc.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Wonderful idea! Interesting that you brought up the head, since I have only tried it over the stomach or hand. So far, it seems that the head gives an opposite effect, which would have been nice for you based on the terms of your bet. Good try! Again, my question has nothing to do with what I "believe"--let's try another one? Why would an object (such as a necklace) begin to move when held still over a person? "William L. Bahn" wrote in message news:FC%i7.973$eK5.216322@news.uswest.net... > > Jim Pappas wrote in message ... > >I'm sorry. The message was a modified version of a letter I sent to a > >researcher. > > > >However, upon re-reading the message, I fail to see how you concluded I was > >looking for someone who had NOT conducted research on the issue. > > > >Here is the passage in question: "If you have not conducted or read any > >research on the topic, would you > >please advise me as to how I might find the answer to this question?" > > > > Take a group of people and divide them into two groups. The first group > (Group A) is composed of people that HAVE conducted research (or read about > it) and the second group (Group B) is the people that have NOT do so. You > statement is saying, "If you are in Group B, would you advise me...?" > > > You are telling them what you would like them to do if they have NOT > conducted or read any research. What do you want them them to do if they > HAVE conducted such research? You aren't asking those people to do anything. > > Look at it another way. What if someone wrote: "If you have conducted or > read any research on the topic, would you please advise me as to how I might > find the answer to this question?" > > Do you see how this is very different from what you wrote? > > > >The way I read it, I am actually LOOKING for someone with the requisite > >knowledge to answer this question! I did not say, "Provided that you have > >not..." > > > >BTW, you call it "babble", yet it is something that can be isolated and > >tested because it will happen every single time you do it; swing in a > circle > >over a female and in a pendulum over a male. My question has nothing to do > >with whether or not it occurs, but WHY it occurs. > > > >It is only "babble" to those who have NOT tried it. > > You actually believe this? > > Tell you what. Here is what we'll do: > > We'll arrange a sheet in such a way so that people can come in through a > door and sit down in a chair and you won't be able to see them. I get to set > the room up and select the groups, but a representative from each of us will > record the gender of the person entering the room. You will know where their > head is positioned and you can then swing a necklace of your choice over > their head and declare whether they are female or male and we will record > it. > > We will do this for groups of 10 people that have one person of one gender > and the rest of the other gender. For each group you get one point for > declaring whether the odd person in the group is male or female and one > point for correctly identifying which person is the odd person (even if you > get the genders wrong). We'll do this for ten groups. So at the end you can > have a maximum of 20 points. Since you claim that this phenomenon will > happen EVERY time, you should have complete confidence that you will score > 20 points. Tell you what, if you score more than 15 points I will give you > $10,000. If you score less than 15 points you give me just $1000. If you > score exactly 15 points, neither owes anyone anything. > > We will each come to the party with a certified check for the specified > amount and the checks will be held by a third party (such as a Title Company > escrow agent) and given to the winner (or returned in case of a score of > 15). > > It's an easy $10,000 for you. How soon do you want to schedule time and > location? > > > > > > >--Jim P. Pappas > > > >"William L. Bahn" wrote in message > >news:O3Hi7.2663$Vx4.441701@news.uswest.net... > >> I noticed that you are only looking for advice from people who had NOT > >> conducted or read any research on the topic. Wonder why? Perhaps that is > >> because anyone who has actually tried it knows that it is a bunch of > >babble? > >> > >> Jim Pappas wrote in message ... > >> >I am not a physicist, but I am looking for an answer to the following > >> >question: > >> > > >> >Why is it that if you hold a necklace just a few centimeters over a male > >> (of > >> >any species), it will begin to swing like a pendulum, whereas, if you > >hold > >> a > >> >necklace over a female, it will begin to move in a circular motion? > >> > > >> >I have heard of this technique being used in a variety of areas, from > the > >> >identification of gender in animals, where the gender is not obvious, to > >> >pregnant women trying to discern whether they are carrying a male or a > >> >female (by hanging it over their lower abdomen). > >> > > >> >If you have not conducted or read any research on the topic, would you > >> >please advise me as to how I might find the answer to this question? > >> > > >> >Thank you so much for your time and consideration. > >> > > >> > > >> >--Jim P. Pappas > >> > > >> > > >> > > > > > .