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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 15, 1978)
Hagen) i HE BAi TALiON WEDNESDAY. NOVEMBER 15, 1978 ZHHZ 30C Gytu) Ci©ll> 4103 S. TEXAS AVE Bryan Place Bldg. Suite 208 846-5018 Saturdays by Appointment 10% DISCOUNT ON STYLES OR MERCHANDISE WITH THIS Psychic powers doubtful, study says THE EUROPE CLUB United Press International LONDON — Professor John Taylor was so impressed at a per formance by psychic Uri Geller’s apparent psychic metal bending that he insisted whatever powers were involved were worthy of scientific investigation. Three years after what New Sci entist magazine called his “gullible endorsement,” the Kings College mathematician has reported that experiments have failed to confirm abnormal powers in faith healers, dowsers, metal benders and other psychics. Taylor’s long research, published in Nature magazine, was. based on the theory that only electromagnetic (EM) radiation could account for abnormal effects and if it were ab sent, it had to be assumed there was extrasensory perception (ESP) side. Re-examination found that the subjects had inadvertently touched the cylinder creating static which induced charges on the needle and gave the appearance of psycho kinesis — the movement of an ob ject without physical contact. Since Taylor was sharply criticized by New Scientist as “the man who more than any other estab lished the credibility of Uri Geller,” his metal bending experiments were of major interest. He said he conducted 268 trials with 68 subjects under four sets of conditions. The first three involved sensitive instruments to guard against faking and no metal bending resulted. Tests without instruments, con stituting the “more relaxed environment” requested by some of the subjects, did produce some bending but Taylor could not detect any electromagnetism. Nor was there any EM present when faith healers attempted cures by laying on of hands or when telepathists or distant-viewers — who profess to be able to describe a distant site with out being there — were tested. “Nor,” said Taylor,” did the tests show evidence of the subjects being successfvd in telepathic transmis sions.” Taylor said some effects were noted among dowsers — who claim to be able to find water — and faith healers, but these had natural ex planations. Dowsers, he claimed, are responding by muscular twitches to subconcious mentalj tivity and faith healers haul psychological effect on theirj tients. In the case of metal said: “There is no known mechanisul the body to achieve a peakf output of gigawatts (the level 1k!| lieves necessary for metal-bent It is difficult to suppose would be possible without i tissue damage.” presents a talk by DR. CORRADO PIRIZIO-BIROLI Special Advisor for Economic Affairs at the Washington Delegation of the European Communities to the United States. “EUROPE and the DOLLAR” NOVEMBER 20, 1978 8 p.m. RUDDER 302 FREE ADMISSION taking place. In other words, al leged ESP in the absence of EM must be viewed with suspicion. For example, in one test, subjects managed to deflect a needle sus pended in a Perspex cylinder by a fine thread. There was no EM regis tered at the time. When an anti static ointment was rubbed over the cylinder the effect disappeared showing it was induced from out- DECEMBER GRADUATES The Association of Former Students invites graduat ing seniors and those receiving advanced degrees in December to a steak dinner at the Ramada Inn at 6:30 p.m., Monday, November 20. Pick up your Free ticket by 5 p.m. Friday, November 17, at the Forsyth Alumni Center in the MSC. Admis sion by advance ticket only. If you are a member of the Class of 1978, this senior induction banquet is for you, who are grad uating in December. Although it hailed hisconvenj New Scientist cautioned I may be an unknown physicale nation for paranormal phenot* that does not conform to Tai criterion of electromagnetism ] Claimed as John the Baptist Egyptian monks find coffii United Press International CAIRO, Egypt — Monks at a remote monastery, who believe they possess the remains of John the Baptist, have unsealed a sec ond coffin containing the body of Elisha, a lesser-known prophet, the Egyptian newspaper Al Ahram said Tuesday. The second body is intact and still attached to its head, dis counting the possibility it is the remains of John, the beheaded hermit who prophesied the com ing of Jesus and then baptized Him. In response to the alleged dis coveries, Patriarch Shenudah III, leader of Egypt’s Coptic Or thodox Church, has established a committee of Egyptologists, ar chaeologists and Bible experts to conduct an investigation. Ameri can scholars have discounted the discoveries. Al Ahram, which originally broke the story Monday, carried a second article Tuesday an nouncing the discovery of the second body below the church at the 1,600-year-old St. Makar Monastery, 60 miles northwest of Cairo. According to the tradition of the Coptic Church, the bodies of John the Baptist and the Jewish prophet Elisha were brought from Palestine to the Mediterra nean city of Alexandria in the 4th century A. D. About 600 years later, they were transferred to St. Makar Monastery because of persecu tion of Christians, so the tradi tion goes. The author of Al Ahram’s arti cle, reporter Ezzat El-Saadany, said it was only logical to assume John the Baptist’s body would be headless, since he was beheaded by King Herod at the request of the belly dancer Salome. When the ancient wooden cof fin was opened, in the presence of five monks and Abdel Rahman Abdel Tawab, a professor of Christian and Islamic antiquities, the head was joined to the body. “In the glow of a candle, the face looked kind. It was neither old nor young. The hair was more black than white. The eyes were closed, as if he were asleep. The beard, with its black i white hairs, was long. Thehai were folded on his chest, andi liody was reclining on its i side,” El-Saadany said. A monk said it could bet body of Elisha, a little-bm prophet named by Elijah ; successor. The other coffin, a monks may contain the remains i the Baptist. El-Saadany wanted thei opened, but the monkssaidtl could not because they ders against it from the headj the monastery. Father "\h the Poor,” who was bedriddeil El-Saadany said theopenirq the coffin believed to contain! remains of John will haveto* for some time, but he promisdj third article on the allegedi covery Wednesday. The Grand Rector of Al: Mosque, Sheikh Gad Elk said if the discovery was traf| would be a “blessing” to thel,- of Egypt. Moslems recognize John Baptist as a major prophet, refer to him by the namej Yehia. :ad d [aunfe md at CHILE mRLOR &BEERGARDEN 4410 College Main 846-9438 Grins & Friends go to gether for Lunch, Sup per & Whiz-Bang Good Times. Farmers plan trip toWashingto say they verge on ‘going broke Imanc hmwil Owri youf'owTi baqk^ by" QjTfistmas. Simply deposit $200 in a new or existing account, and this 3 Coin Register Bank is yours for only $5.00. Constructed of heavy-gauge steel, these handsome banks make perfect Christ mas gifts for young and old alike. The bank rings, registers and adds deposits of nickels, dimes and quarters with special slots in the back for saving pennies, halves and bills. The bank locks after 25 cents is deposited and cannot be opened until $10 has been registered. For over 70 years, the Reg ister Bank has been teaching youngsters thrift, coin identi fication, and addition. Stop in or call to get your very own 3 Coin Register Bank today. Bank College Station Bank - Pending (future location 1501 Texas Avenue) ‘'Member FDIC United Press International OKLAHOMA CITY — American Agriculture Movement officials Tuesday said they will mount their tractors and ride to Washington, D.C., in January to protest federal farming policies. Objectives of the 18-day trek across the country is to lobby for 90 percent parity pricing provided by the 1977 farm act, said AAM spokesman Gerald McCatheran of Hereford, Texas. “We are on the verge of going broke and if the farmers go broke, there definitely will be a depres sion,” said Leighton Kersey, a Un- adillo, Ga., farmer. McCatheran said farmers plan to begin their tractor pilgrammage in seven or eight cities just east of the Rocky Mountains. He said he did not know how many farmers would participate in the march to Washington, but plans are to travel on major highways. "We hope to gain support from people along the way,” McCatheran said. “It’s hard to convince the Ameri can people we are going broke when they are paying twice what they did five years ago for a loaf of bread. The truth is farmers are getting half of what they did five years ago for their wheat," McCatheran said. About 75 AAM leaden fro: states were in Oklahoma Cityli day to plan the tractorcade. ub Unit- Kersey, who lives about 30a from Presdent Carter’s hometa m\]"j Plains, Ga., said he thinkstlit|i an-Am ident “has a personal vent ( s was against the farmers. I(j 0m -j If present trends are alloutpe Dep continue, foreign investors anil Cast corporate farming operations * gestu control this country’s agricti!®e airl industry and farmers won’t be to go to Washington for help The tractorcade will be tlif ond farmers have staged in a> edundi 36 p< and tl ana to e th MSC Great Issues Irani nn >artme !r lists < Presents Robert S. Cohen speaking on H8TJ STER “Academic • Inpi Freedoms in Eastern Europe. 5 5 HMK.j comp •AM/ November 16 Rudder 701 12:30 p.m. Admission Free
