Poll: Poll: Investing (tax) money in researching paranormal science?

[Kenjitsuka]

Fellow Escapees,

as you might know the CIA and KGB spent many millions of dollars in the Cold War on so called "Fringe Science". Stuff that sounds like nonsence to the general public: mind reading, telekinesis, mind control, eternal life, channeling, dowsing, Extra-sensory perception, etc. etc.

My question to you; is money spent on scientists experimenting with stuff like Extra-sensory perception and the like a waste? For example, the money could go to the poor instead, or other science like better fuels.

Keep this in mind tho; tell someone from the 1940's about a microwave oven and he'll think you a weirdo; instantly heating matter with invisible rays?!
Another example; Intel (from the CPU's) has demonstrated wireless electricity some months ago!

Your toughts, please!

 

[Sethzard]

Ok, i belive that all people have basic powers over the mind, it is strongest in children and deteroriates as people grow older, so if they do do it, it should start with children and progress onto adults, but i think for now, stick with private money.

 

[Deathsong17]

Not tax money, spending what little money we have on wild goose chases is pointless when it could be spent on healthcare, or education, or strippers.

 

[Kenjitsuka]

No, we should invest all of our money in genetic research. /shifty eyes

Interesting. Which aspect would you like to see researched?
Better crops, animals as human orgon donors, disease resistant humans, gene therapy, something else?

 

[Sassafrass]

as you might know the CIA and KGB spent many millions of dollars in the Cold War on so called "Fringe Science". Stuff that sounds like nonsence to the general public: mind reading, telekinesis, mind control, eternal life, channeling, dowsing, Extra-sensory perception, etc. etc.

Did this include trying to explode sheeps hearts by staring at them and trying to walk through walls?

OT: They should use it to fund people who have been involved in accidents and give it to charities.

 

[nimbeljack]

Until we start producing Space Marines it's all lesser science in the eyes of the God Emperor, his name be praised.

 

[ioxles]

Ok, first read "The men who stare at goats" A brilliant read into the expenditure of the US into Paranormal Sciences (I mean, If you really want to know more about it)

Tesla first demonstrated the wireless transmission of electricity over one hundred years ago, but he was crushed by that bastard Edison and on his death in poverty (mostly because he lied to Rockerfeller about what he was researching) all his patents and inventions were seized by the US govt. They have had the plans for the wireless transmission of electricity for years - but ran into the same problems Tesla did (mostly the required infrastructure and delicacy of transmission)

As for the paranormal sciences - It's not so much it's fringe nature, but the research on how to conduct measurable experiments that blocks the path forward. Once we are able to measure something we would be able to advance on it - and until we have the technology and a correct way of interpreting the data (think MRI as Aura scanners and you'll get what I mean) nothing truly advantageous can be done.

 

[Avaholic03]

No, we should invest all of our money in genetic research. /shifty eyes

Interesting. Which aspect would you like to see researched?
Better crops, animals as human orgon donors, disease resistant humans, gene therapy, something else?

Mutant supermen, naturally.

Actually any of those options sound good. And there have been plenty of private investments (especially in better crops). But using tax dollars when there are so many more important priorities to address is not smart. We should spend money on education so that maybe in a few generations, we're smart enough to tackle those topics.

Tesla first demonstrated the wireless transmission of electricity over one hundred years ago, but he was crushed by that bastard Edison and on his death in poverty (mostly because he lied to Rockerfeller about what he was researching) all his patents and inventions were seized by the US govt. They have had the plans for the wireless transmission of electricity for years - but ran into the same problems Tesla did (mostly the required infrastructure and delicacy of transmission)

No, the biggest problem with wireless electricity is how to charge for it. That is the #1 reason why we built the massive power grid...so the people who own it can get rich. It's always about money.

 

[somekindarobot]

Oh, hell no! I don't want a cent of my or any other citizen's money being wasted on pseudo-scientific bullshit! Hell, the only reason the CIA did it was because the KGB was doing it, and maybe the KGB was only doing it because they thought the CIA was doing it. Besides, I never trusted the CIA with much anything, really. I think we should only study real science, not this hokey paranormal crap.

 

[Cargando]

Hell. Yes. I think explaining Unexplained phenomena is a good idea. It means we won't get any more nutjobs claiming they've seen ghosts.

"What's wrong Harry? You look you've seen a... Oh wait..."

Good idea.

 

[Naheal]

I think it should, but only on achievable goals. Like an adamantium skeleton is way out, but I think we should get busy with genetic engineering and cybernetic implants. Anything "magical" is a waste of time.

"The world is round" used to be a "magical" idea and was also considered to be a "waste of time". As was the idea that there are other planets. And that the earth isn't the center of the universe.

 

[Kenjitsuka]

I think it should, but only on achievable goals. Like an adamantium skeleton is way out, but I think we should get busy with genetic engineering and cybernetic implants. Anything "magical" is a waste of time.

"The world is round" used to be a "magical" idea and was also considered to be a "waste of time". As was the idea that there are other planets. And that the earth isn't the center of the universe.

I understand your point, and not to detract from it, did you know this?

"The modern belief that medieval Christianity believed in a flat earth has been referred to as The Myth of the Flat Earth. In 1945, it was listed by the Historical Association (of Britain) as the second of 20 in a pamphlet on common errors in history."

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth_of_the_Flat_Earth for more on that one.
The main thing tho, is that wether the Earth is flat or not can -and could back then- be proven, for example with some very basic math or just by sailing around on it.

The main problem with the things I mean is that there is no good way to either prove or disprove them as of now. So should people invest money into making it possible to prove/measure these phenomena first, or should people just put money into it because they want to believe it's true?

 

[Proteus214]

I think it should, but only on achievable goals. Like an adamantium skeleton is way out, but I think we should get busy with genetic engineering and cybernetic implants. Anything "magical" is a waste of time.

"The world is round" used to be a "magical" idea and was also considered to be a "waste of time". As was the idea that there are other planets. And that the earth isn't the center of the universe.

The concept of the paranormal has been around for even longer than that aaaaaannnd guess which one is STILL considered a waste of time?

 

[Dufaunce]

Could be a good thing, but then we could end up as Wolfenstein style super nazi soldiers.

 

[AvsJoe]

I believe it's a good thing because of the off-chance that we actually discover a working mind-control technique or whatever. Who knows? Stranger things have been discovered (think of the discovery of germs. That shook both science and religion to their cores).

 

[Crimsane]

If we're going to waste our money, I'd rather we do it building giant robots or something equally flashy yet pointless.

 

[cobra_ky]

Keep this in mind tho; tell someone from the 1940's about a microwave oven and he'll think you a weirdo; instantly heating matter with invisible rays?!
Another example; Intel (from the CPU's) has demonstrated wireless electricity some months ago!

Your toughts, please!

Neither of those inventions had anything to do with paranormal research. both were the result of good, solid, mainstream science.

"The world is round" used to be a "magical" idea and was also considered to be a "waste of time". As was the idea that there are other planets. And that the earth isn't the center of the universe.

the hell it was. the ancient greeks knew the world was round, and most ancient cultures recognized that the visible planets were different from stars, although they may not have known their true nature.

EDIT: sorry, didn't mean to rehash the three posts above me.

 

[saxist01]

Didn't this also include research in things like levitation and invisibility, and other things that EVENTUALLY led or are leading toward practical applications. I guess without looking into such things, our technology and society would tend to stagnate. So sure, spend some public and private money on it.

 

[saxist01]

Keep this in mind tho; tell someone from the 1940's about a microwave oven and he'll think you a weirdo; instantly heating matter with invisible rays?!
Another example; Intel (from the CPU's) has demonstrated wireless electricity some months ago!

Your toughts, please!

Neither of those inventions had anything to do with paranormal research. both were the result of good, solid, mainstream science.

I think the point is that at one point using invisible waves to heat matter would have been considered pseudo-science. And, as some people are suggesting, if we didn't spend any time and money researching what was then considered a "fringe" science, we wouldn't have the technology we have today. So the study and funding of what is considered paranormal sciences could still lead to inventions and technologies that become mainstream science later in history.