Nexus - 1404 - New Times Magazine-pages

Page Content (OCR)

NEWSCIENCENEWSCIENCENEWSCIENCE PROJECT ALPHA by Michael Prescott © 2007 [False: no such announcement was made.] OMNI magazine did a spread on Banachek. Discover magazine said ‘his demonstrations were just phenomenal’. Even the National Enquirer called him a ',..Prodigy. Nobody like him in his field.' "Mid bow for the McDonnell folks James Randi drops his bomb that Banachek had been working for him for the past three years and, what's more, everything he did was an illusion. Remember? Illusions are ideas creating misleading appearances. And mislead PROJECT ALPHA [False: no such announcement was’ who was a participant in some of the by Michael Prescott © 2007 made.] OMNI magazine did a spreadon events, writes in a straightforward, Banachek. Discover magazine said ‘his engaging style and lays out the key facts r “Joday areader, Travis, asked me demonstrations were just phenomenal’. and timeline in the clearest possible way. about Project Alpha, the famous Even the National Enquirer called him a The case is also covered, in less detail, episode from the early 1980s in '...Prodigy. Nobody like him in his field.'. by John Beloff in Parapsychology: A which supersceptic James Randi arranged "Mid bow for the McDonnell folks Concise History [St Martin's Press, for two young magicians to infiltratea James Randi drops his bomb that 1993). arapsychology lab in order to confound Banachek had been working for him for As both Beloff's and Thalbourne's the researchers. the past three years and, what's more, accounts make clear, there is much less Over the years, this strange incident everything he did was an illusion. to Project Alpha than its cheerleaders as assumed almost legendary Remember? Illusions are ideas creating would have us believe. Regardless of roportions in the minds of some sceptics misleading appearances. And mislead what the National Enquirer may have and reporters, who claim that the said, the researchers never publicly researchers were totally fooled. committed themselves to the view that Here, for instance, is the way the story the phenomena they observed were was told in Las Vegas Style magazine genuine. They remained properly date not given; Ed.], with my comments cautious in their published remarks. and corrections in brackets and in bold Indeed, they privately came to the font. conclusion that the two test subjects were "By 1979, Banachek [one of the not worth studying any further, and magicians in question, whose real olitely terminated the experiments. name is Steve Shaw] was starting to As both Beloff's and ven wo, Randi had the chutzpah to hold draw national attention as a gifted Thalbourne's accounts a press conference. ceuming that the lab performer in extrasensory perception . ad been successfully duped—a story crafts. That was also the year that make clear, there Is that is repeated to this day. McDonnell Douglas Aircraft awarded a much less to Project To nail down this point, I direct your $500,000 grant to Washington Alpha than its attention to the appendix that follows University in St Louis for the the bibliography in Thalbourne's establishment of the McDonnell cheerleaders would paper, where the published have us believe. Laboratory for Psychical Research. conclusions of the researchers are Incorrect: the grant was not reproduced. This document is dated bestowed by the corporation but by September 1, 1981, more than one James S. McDonnell as a private year before Randi's January 1983 gift.] The lab was supposed to come press conference exposing the hoax. up with evidence that things like Regarding the test subject Mike ending a fork with your thoughts Edwards (Shaw's partner in trickery), was areal thing. If the idea of the researchers write: spending half a million clams on "The outcome of this research is fork-bending seems just a little soft in suggestive of psychokinesis but the head, you're not alone. James inconclusive, due to its exploratory Randi was an internationally known nature... However, ordinary magician and an active investigator of Banachek did. You know you have a_ explanations exist for these effects, given paranormal claims when McDonnell major coup in your pocket when you _ the conditions under which they have Douglas [sic] made the grant. He sting the National Enquirer. [Really?] been observed. Thus, although several decided to send two young illusionists The guys at the Laboratory for Psychical events of interest have transpired, we do into the McLab to debunk it. Banachek [Research] were crushed." [False: they not claim that evidence conclusive of was one of the illusionists. had already suspected Shaw and his ‘psychic ability’ has yet been "For three years [he] was subjected to partner of fraud, and had dismissed demonstrated in our research [emphasis every test the pros could come up with to them both more than a year earlier.] added]." oo prove he had authentic psychic powers. I guess Las Vegas Style subscribes to He bent things, burned things, moved _ the motto, "Print the legend". The actual [Source: Michael Prescott's Blog, 21 things and knew things. He passed every facts behind this case are thoroughly March 2007, http://michaelprescott. test with flying colors [false: see presented in a paper I found online in typepad.com/michael_prescotts_blog/ Michael Thalbourne's article; link PDF (Adobe) form: "Science Versus 2007/03/project_alpha.html; for Michael below] and at the end of the three-year Showmanship: A History of the Randi Thalbourne's paper, see http://www. period the McDonnell Laboratory for Hoax", by Michael A. Thalbourne. aiprinc.org/para-c05_Thalbourne_ Psychical Research proudly announced to Originally I had thought of summarising 1995.pdf; the Las Vegas Style article is the scientific community that they had this article, but there's no need to do so posted at www.banachek.org/nonflash/ the real thing in the form of Banachek. _ because it speaks for itself. Thalbourne, Articles/las_vegas_style_magazine.htm. ] make clear, there is much less to Project Alpha than its cheerleaders would [Source: Michael Prescott's Blog, 21 March 2007, http://michaelprescott. typepad.com/michael_prescotts_blog/ 2007/03/project_alpha.html; for Michael Thalbourne's paper, see http://www. aiprinc. org/para-cO5_Thalbourne_ 1995.pdf; the Las Vegas Style article is posted at www.banachek.org/nonflash/ Articles/las_vegas_style_magazine.htm. ] JUNE — JULY 2007 NEXUS = 51 _As both Beloff's and Thalbourne's accounts have us believe. www.nexusmagazine.com