Paranormal phenomena ranging from mindreading to alien abduction were looked at when U3A members attended a science session at the Royal Institution.
Prof Chris French demonstrated his ability to read minds when he asked the audience to think of a number between one and 50, where the two digits were odd and not the same. The majority of the audience picked 37, which is apparently is the most common response rather than anything weird.
His lecture explained his work as head of the Anomalistic Psychology research unit at Goldsmith’s University where staff examine paranormal claims to see if they can be scientifically proved. Prof French said that most of the research showed that such supernatural things had a rational explanation, but he kept an open mind.
Prof French’s talk was one of three during the day which was held at the Royal Institution in Mayfair, London.
The second session was about the development of fusion energy with a global initiative aimed at trying to develop a self-perpetuating fuel source by replicating the power of the sun.
In contrast to this positive note, Dr Jenny Rohn group leader in the division of medicine at University College, London warned that unless we took action now advances made with antibiotics would be lost and we would be back to a situation where people would die as a result of a single infected cut or injury.
“If we don’t do something now we will go back to an era where a scratch or a cut could kill.”
For a full report on the day see the next edition of Sources magazine.