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"The data are irrelevant": Response to Reber & Alcock (2019)

Cardeña, Etzel LU orcid (2019) In Journal of Scientific Exploration 33(4). p.593-598
Abstract
The rebuttal by Reber and Alcock (2019a,b) to an umbrella review
of multiple meta-analyses on the evidence for parapsychological (psi)
phenomena (Cardeña 2018) did not engage deliberately with its data or
analyses. Instead, the authors proposed that because they and some physicists
consider psi phenomena to be impossible, “the data are irrelevant”
(Reber & Alcock 2019b). After presenting some background information,
this Commentary discusses how: 1) Reber and Alcock’s disregard for the
data goes against a core tenet of science, 2) eminent physicists have not
considered psi phenomena to be incompatible with their discipline and
some have even proposed theories to explain it, so no defi nitive... (More)
The rebuttal by Reber and Alcock (2019a,b) to an umbrella review
of multiple meta-analyses on the evidence for parapsychological (psi)
phenomena (Cardeña 2018) did not engage deliberately with its data or
analyses. Instead, the authors proposed that because they and some physicists
consider psi phenomena to be impossible, “the data are irrelevant”
(Reber & Alcock 2019b). After presenting some background information,
this Commentary discusses how: 1) Reber and Alcock’s disregard for the
data goes against a core tenet of science, 2) eminent physicists have not
considered psi phenomena to be incompatible with their discipline and
some have even proposed theories to explain it, so no defi nitive conclusion
can be advanced with regard to the possibility or impossibility of psi
phenomena based on physics, and 3) Reber and Alcock misrepresent the
history and current status of psi research. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
parapsychology, psi, physics, philosophy of science
in
Journal of Scientific Exploration
volume
33
issue
4
pages
593 - 598
publisher
Society for Scientific Exploration
ISSN
0892-3310
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a46f8464-55f9-4fd7-950b-56b8dcf9dea1
date added to LUP
2019-12-18 13:19:35
date last changed
2021-04-22 02:26:26
@article{a46f8464-55f9-4fd7-950b-56b8dcf9dea1,
  abstract     = {{The rebuttal by Reber and Alcock (2019a,b) to an umbrella review<br>
of multiple meta-analyses on the evidence for parapsychological (psi)<br>
phenomena (Cardeña 2018) did not engage deliberately with its data or<br>
analyses. Instead, the authors proposed that because they and some physicists<br>
consider psi phenomena to be impossible, “the data are irrelevant”<br>
(Reber &amp; Alcock 2019b). After presenting some background information,<br>
this Commentary discusses how: 1) Reber and Alcock’s disregard for the<br>
data goes against a core tenet of science, 2) eminent physicists have not<br>
considered psi phenomena to be incompatible with their discipline and<br>
some have even proposed theories to explain it, so no defi nitive conclusion<br>
can be advanced with regard to the possibility or impossibility of psi<br>
phenomena based on physics, and 3) Reber and Alcock misrepresent the<br>
history and current status of psi research.}},
  author       = {{Cardeña, Etzel}},
  issn         = {{0892-3310}},
  keywords     = {{parapsychology; psi; physics; philosophy of science}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{593--598}},
  publisher    = {{Society for Scientific Exploration}},
  series       = {{Journal of Scientific Exploration}},
  title        = {{"The data are irrelevant": Response to Reber & Alcock (2019)}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/73337921/responsetorebe.pdf}},
  volume       = {{33}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}