XPost: alt.out-of-body   
   From: david@edenroad.demon.co.uk   
      
   On Sat, 11 Nov 2006 23:08:02 -0800, rolandberry wrote:   
      
   > Can you think of a suitable protocol for an experiment for testing the   
   > objective reality of the OB state that would require beating at least a   
   > one in a million chance? I think this would be useful and good   
   > protocols are hard to come up with.   
      
   The simple protocol I recommend to get people started is that of remotely   
   observing a number of playing cards in a difficult location.   
      
   Typically, I suggest that people shuffle a pack, and deal one or more   
   cards face up onto a high surface, such as a shelf or wardrobe.   
      
   Getting the colour of the cards correct has odds of 2^n, where n is the   
   number of cards, getting the values correct has odds of 1/(52*51*50...)   
   where there are the same number of terms in brackets as there are cards.   
      
   So, with four cards, the odds of getting them exactly right is 1/6,497,400   
      
   FWIW, in all the time I've been suggesting this protocol, no-one has ever   
   told me they have succeeded with even _one_ card.   
      
   --   
   =======================================================================   
   = David    --- No, not that one.   
   = Mitchell ---   
   =======================================================================   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)