Turing the Gospel, ESP

[rj]

> I have a hard time seeing how lie detectors measure thought waves 
> transmitted/received from person to person. They measure various aspects of 
> the human metabolism.  Perhaps many of these same aspects (or corresponding 
> ones) are discernible by a careful observer or listener.

This was my point. A lie detector measures electrical activity within
the brain (perhaps certain other physiological responses also) in order
to determine the truth or falsity of statements made by a human subject.
This electrical activity within the brain cannot be seen or heard by a
human observer. Even a good lier will be found out: for all intents and
purposes the machine (hypothetically) can read the subject's mind.

ESP is also a phenomenon which seems to involve similar, or the same,
unseen or unheard stimuli. I simply asked whether the term
"extra-sensory" might be inappropriate, that perhaps ESP (if it should
exist) would be better classified as a sensory faculty: another sense,
not something "outside" the senses. I guess it's a semantic issue
residing in the word "extra", which can mean both another and
extraneous. Another sense, or just non-sense?

> I think it is important to work hard to keep the aptness of a resonant 
> metaphor from being taken in as fact rather than what it is -- 
> interpretation or meaning. I think that this is a particular danger for 
> literary types.

In other words, "you're talking through your hat, shut up"? Sometimes
I'm a sporty "type" as well. Does that count?

> It was a bit like fingernails on a chalkboard (remember those?) for me when 
> rj wrote

So it seems. Whatcha gonna do?