What is open-minded?

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <petertwitch@hotmail.com>
To: <piclist@mit.edu>
Sent: Friday, August 01, 2008 4:07 PM
Subject: [OT]politics - I shouldn't be posting it anyway but 
Ihavenorestraint


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> Lindy Mayfield wrote:
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>
>> And I admit that I don't have a very open mind about some topics. Things
>> like magic spells, astrology, talking plants and flying horses I don't
>> have much use for. I would be willing to discuss such things if they
>> are exposed to the scientific method and written up in scholarly
>> scientific journals subject to peer review. Now that, my friend, would
>> yield some great discussions that I could learn a lot from.
>
> Can't help on sci journals, but I did wire plants up to bio-feedback 
> circuitry & got some fascinating experimental results...
>
>  The device was a wheatstone bridge detecting changes of resistance from 
> electrodes attached to stems of Foxgloves & houseplants.  Output created a 
> rising needle & rising audio pitch if resistance rose, & the converse if 
> resistance reduced..
>
>  With Foxglove, once the needle stabilised I tried talking to it, no 
> difference or a small fall.  Tried torturing a leaf, slight rise.  Then a 
> motor cycle passed by noisily, & the needle & pitch shot up, then slowly 
> went down again.
> Then a gust of wind blew, & the needle fell.
>
>  With a houseplant wired, I tried talking to it, small fall.  I tried 
> torturing a leaf, barely discernable rise that quickly fell.  Then I asked 
> a colleague to have a go.  He wasn't interested but with cajoling he 
> turned & looked at the plant -from 15 feet distance the plant screamed! 
> Needle & pitch went off the scale & I had to turn down sensitivity & 
> readjust.  He thought I was taking the piss.
>   I gave it a few minutes, there was a small fall, stabilised, then I 
> stepped away & asked Phil again to try.  Once again from several yards 
> away he simply looked at the plant, & the plant's resistance shot up & a 
> scream came from the loudspeaker.  This time there was no fakery possible 
> from me - I too was several yards away.
>
>  I make no attempt to publish 'findings', & instead invite that others 
> also experiment...
>
> Peter
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