Seven Experiments That Could Change the World: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Revolutionary Science (2nd Edition with Update on Results)

Amazon.com

I consider myself an open-minded person, but I tend to become itchy and skeptical when I encounter most books about the "unexplained"--there are just too many secret Soviet laboratories, mysterious disappearances (of the phenomena, and the investigators and data for that matter). And, I must admit, I've was somewhat skeptical of Sheldrake's previous books on "morphic resonance".

But being an open-minded person, I am glad when I can change my mind, and I am glad to report that this is a worthy book--because of its practicality. Sheldrake confronts some of the outstanding questions facing "PSIence"--and proposes level-headed experiments that readers themselves can become engaged in. Science has often made its greatest advances not when areas of the unknown were summarily dismissed--but when a proper balance between paradigm shifts and experimentation fell into place. It is conceivable that books such as this may help with the evolution of PSI to science.

Book Description

Examines the realities of unexplained natural phenomenon and provides explanations that push the boundaries of science.

â€¢ Looks at animal telepathy and the ability of pigeons to home.

â€¢ Proves the point that "big questions don't need big science".

â€¢ Noted scientist Rupert Sheldrake is a former research fellow of the Royal Society.

â€¢ New Edition with an Update on Results.

How does your pet "know" when you are coming home? How do pigeons "home"? Can people really feel a "phantom" amputated arm? These questions and more form the basis of Sheldrake's look at the world of contemporary science as he puts some of the most cherished assumptions of established science to the test. What Sheldrake discovers is that certain scientific beliefs are so widely taken for granted that they are no longer regarded as theories but are seen as scientific common sense. In the true spirit of science, Sheldrake examines seven of these beliefs. Refusing to let intellectual dogmatism influence his search for the truth, Sheldrake presents simple experiments that allow the curious and the skeptical to join in his journey of discovery. His experiments look at how scientific research is often biased against unexpected patterns that emerge and how a researcher's expectations can influence the results. He also examines the taboo of taking pets seriously and explores the question of human extrasensory perception. Perhaps most important, he questions the notion that science must be expensive in order to achieve important results, showing that inexpensive methods can indeed shake the very foundations of science as we know it.

In this compelling and intelligent book, Sheldrake offers no preconceived wisdom or easy answers--just an open invitation to explore the unknown, create new science, and perhaps, even change the world.

Customer Reviews:

SCIENTIFIC SHADOW BOXING.......2000-07-24

Neither a skeptic nor a believer in science, the author was searching for an opponent to box with -- more like friendly sparring. His theory of morphic resonance states that all matter and energy is governed or shaped by some sort of evolutionary habit or cumulative memory. If his perspective were broader he would fit in with David Bohm and other science mystics, but Rupert chose to fence himself in the "little science" surrounding pet dogs, homing pigeons, migrating birds, termite colonies, phantom limbs, evil eyes, and the placebo effect. Why Rupert thinks that clearcut experimental results in these areas of anecdotal, imaginative tall tales would support his morphic field theory, I haven't a clue. What is more likely is that these animals and insects have the hidden ability to detect Gaia's gravitational curved space (much like air and ship LORAN navigators read lines of position).

The author was forever hinting that chaos theory, Jung's collective unconscious or other ideas would someday reveal the whole story without telling what that would gain us (for instance, if we accepted that the fundamental constants were slightly variable). Although I would encourage new viewpoints such as morphic fields to shape the matter of the universe, I was left with the impression that this writer bit off way more than his dog could chew.

Seven Experiments that could change the world.......2000-01-15

I thought that this book gave an intriguing insight into our world, and that it brings up topics that i would never have even thought about had i not read this book. 5 stars for Rupert Sheldrake. He has an unparalleled mind when it comes to evolutionary science

Perfection.......1999-05-08

This is quietly on of the most influential books of the century. It is accelerating the rightfull and belated death of Scientism, the AMA, and the FDA.

Sheldrake is a genius.......1998-12-04

Okay, I do not have much time to respond but I just had to voice some opposition to the single reader review this book has posted. Sure, the experiments outlined are a bit more involved than your run of the mill fourth grade level chemical mixing but they are that much more involved. Sheldrake does not provide many answers but the ones he does provide are exceptionally enlightening. He does something even more important though; he demonstrates that nobody out their in the scientific community really has all the answers they claim to. Steven Hawking may be really smart, but it is Sheldrake who future generations will recognize as the man of our time whose ideas were well beyong his time.

Credulous author tries unsuccessfully to spark a revolution.......1997-12-16

I picked up this volume because its title suggested that it would encourage hands-on science activities that are essential to good teaching and effective learning. Unfortunately, I discovered on reading it that the author combines a deep antagonism for the scientific "establishment" with credulity for numerous fringe ideas. The first experiment that he suggests tests the hypothesis that your pet uses psychic powers to tell when you'll be home for dinner! Sheldrake frequently presents anecdotes as "evidence". The "do it yourself" promise of the title is broken for the reader who doesn't intend to begin raising homing pidgeons or doesn't happen to work in a laboratory capable of measuring the physical constants (such as the speed of light) to nine significant figures. Far too few cautions about the pitfalls of psychic research are given (in chapters about the feeling of being stared at, or "feeling" the touch of a severed limb). Despite the nearly fatal flaws of the book, I liked a part of its message, that important science can still be done by amateurs. That's about the only aspect of this book that is commendable.

Seven Experiments that could change the World - A Do It Yourself Guide to Revolutionary Science

Average customer rating:

Seven Experiments that could change the World - A Do It Yourself Guide to Revolutionary Science
Rupert Sheldrake
Manufacturer: Riverhead Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTOZGC

Product Description

Can science explain the unexplainable? i.e. How does your pet know when you are coming home, how do pigeons home, can people really feel a "phantom" amputated arm? Just an open invitation to explore the unknown, create new science, and perhaps, change the world.

Average customer rating:
Tremellales (Flora neotropica ; monograph no. 6)
Bernard Lowy
Manufacturer: Published for Organization for Flora Neotropica by New York Botanical Garden
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Plants | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Botany | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0893272205

Average customer rating:
Keys to Genera of the Tremellales
Alexander Hanchett Smith
Manufacturer: University of Michigan Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Fungi | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007HOFZM

Average customer rating:
A review of the Tremellales (fungi) of western Pennsylvania
LeRoy Kershaw Henry
Manufacturer: Carnegie Museum]
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007H6GLI

Average customer rating:
Revision of the North Central Tremellales
G. W. Martin
Manufacturer: Lubrecht & Cramer Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 376820636X

Average customer rating:
The Tremellales of Kansas
Charles L Kramer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007KDWM6

Average customer rating:
The Tremellales of the north central United States and adjacent Canada (University of Iowa studies in natural history)
G. W Martin
Manufacturer: University of Iowa
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Fungi | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007EOWX0

Book Description

Fodor's Spain 2001 "Fodor's guides cover culture authoritatively and rarely miss a sight or museum." - National Geographic Traveler

"The king of guidebooks." - Newsweek

No matter what your budget or whether it's your first trip or fifteenth, Fodor's Gold Guides get you where you want to go.

Color planning sections help you decide where to go with region-by-region virtual tours and cross-referencing to the main text.

Insider info that's totally up to date. Every year our local experts give you the inside track, showing you all the things to see and do -- from must-see sights to off-the-beaten-path adventures, from shopping to outdoor fun.

Hundreds of hotel and restaurant choices in all price ranges -- from budget-friendly B&Bs to luxury hotels, from casual eateries to the hottest new restaurants, complete with thorough reviews showing what makes each place special.

Smart Travel Tips A to Z section helps you take care of the nitty gritty with essential local contacts and great advice -- from how to take your mountain bike with you to what to do in an emergency.

Full-size, foldout map keeps you on course.

Here's a helpful guidebook that complements Fodor's Spain 2001. To learn more about it, just enter the title in the keyword search box. Fodor's Exploring Spain: An information-rich cultural guide in full color.

Customer Reviews:

out of date and overhyped.......2001-02-23

i did not particularly find this book helpful. i took it with me to spain, hoping to get a good feel for the area. however, there were a lot of inaccuracies and plain omissions. some of these are perhaps editorial choices, which are discretionary. but others, like the blatantly erroneous metro map of barcelona, were inexcusable. also, the emphasis is top-heavy on the touristy areas, with very little content on the more 'homey' and genuine aspects of the country. i guess it's ideal for people who travel just to see a mirror image of their own home. for those interested in seeing the real aspects of life in other countries, you might be better off buying something else.

Customer Reviews:

very disappointing.......2007-09-28

In all honesty, I was rather disappointed with this one. The story is that of Jeanne, a survivor of the mass genocide in Rwanda in 1994. Now living with a foster family in Germany, Jeanne told her story to her new mother, who in turn put the words on paper. It's not that the story itself isn't good, because it is...what that poor child went through is inconceivable to most. I was interested in the story line, but the way it was narrated bothered me.

First of all, at the start of every chapter, the foster mother/author, Hanna Jansen writes a page or two. Usually some sort of anecdote, or a story of some sort. Which is all fine and good, but lady, I didn't buy the book to read what you think. Were you in Rwanda running for your life? Didn't think so. So shush and let the girl tell her story. It frustrated me.

My second complaint is the overall language used in the book. There's no way that those words came out of a teenagers mouth. Sorry, but it feels to me like Jansen edited and embellished where she saw fit. Maybe something got lost in the translation and its not Jansen's fault at all, I don't know. Regardless, it irriated me.

The book has so much potential. I was so excited to read it when I picked it up, but seriously folks, it was a disappointing one.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too.......2007-02-12

OVER A THOUSAND HILLS I WALK WITH YOU is the horrifying novel that is based on a true story about the 1994 Rwandan genocide. This was a subject that I didn't know too much about until I read this book, which made me realize how horrible events such as this one are still happening in today's society. How we could let this happen is beyond me.

The book is written by the adoptive mother of Jeanne to tell the story that is often called the modern day Holocaust. As with the original Holocaust, many children were left to fight for themselves and try and find a new way to survive. Jeanne's family is killed and she is left to fend for herself, and the book is about how she achieves that.

When you read this book you aren't on the basic level of thinking. You are much beyond that. The imagery in this book is not good, because in no way do you want this to happen to anyone, but at the same time it's very real. I felt as if I were standing the fields and forests and homes of these people and was surrounded by people fighting for their lives.

Reviewed by: Taylor Rector

Touching Story.......2006-08-02

Hanna Jansen's OVER A THOUSAND HILLS I WALK WITH YOU is a touching tribute to her adopted daughter who was orphaned in the Rwandan war. Based on her daughter's recollections of her childhood--memories both pleasant and bittersweet--Jansen weaves a tale of sorrow, hope, fear, joy, and love. For example, the early chapters of the book feature a young girl living life large. She is visiting her grandmother. She's playing with her cousins. She's fighting with her sister and brother. Her mom works outside the home, her dad is away a lot...and she has an incredibly whiny sister that she struggles with on a daily basis. She's vibrant and unaware that her world would change in just a few short years. Later chapters reveal the pain, the loss, the confusion, the fear of not knowing if one is going to survive another day. Witnessing such atrocities as seeing your parents and siblings killed by strange soldiers. Seeking help from family friends, yet being turned away because they don't want to risk dying too. Her survival story is inspiring.

The story is beautifully told, Jansen has done a great job here. Her book is definitely worth reading.

Book Description

This volume considers the genetic variability of human populations, particularly in the tropics: its origins and maintenance, and its contribution to the phenotypic variability of complex characters. The first section deals with the ways of analysing genetic variation and provides a valuable review of relevant developments in molecular biology. The origin and maintenance of genetic diversity is considered in the second section with data presented for Pacific, African, Asian and Central American populations. The final section concerns characters in which the genetic contribution to variability is complex and shows how such characters may be used to elucidate biological problems of affinity and differentiation, of adaptation and survival. Published as part of the Decade of the Tropics research programme of the International Union of Biological Sciences, this volume will be of particular interest to human geneticists, physical and biological anthropologists.

Average customer rating:
Radiation Damage in Crystals
Lewis T. Chadderton
Manufacturer: Methuen & Co Ltd/John Wiley & Sons Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0000CMJH5

Average customer rating:
Visible radiation damage effects of 40-MEV alpha particles on sodium chloride crystals (NASA technical note)
Michael Hacskaylo
Manufacturer: National Aeronautics and Space Administration ; [For sale by the Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical Information, Springfield, Virginia 22151]
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007I92X6

Average customer rating:
Annealing of gamma-ray damage in impurity conducting Sb-doped germanium (Arkiv foÌˆr fysik)
GoÌˆsta Swenson
Manufacturer: Almqvist & Wiksell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007IKJPQ

Average customer rating:
Laser-induced damage threshold and certification procedures for optical materials (SuDoc NAS 1.61:1395)
NASA
Manufacturer: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Langley Research Center NASA Center for AeroSpace Information, [distributor] National Technical Information Service, [distributor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00010XEZW

Average customer rating:
Radiation damage in crystals
Lewis T Chadderton
Manufacturer: J. Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Crystallography | Chemistry | Science | Subjects | Books
General & Reference | Chemistry | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006BMLUU

Average customer rating:
RADIATION DAMAGE IN CRYSTALS.

Manufacturer: Methuen & Co. , Ltd. ,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GS4JC6

Average customer rating:
Radiation Damage in Crystals.

Manufacturer: 0
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000ICEOOS

Average customer rating:
Structural characterization and gas reactions of small metal particles by high-resolution, in-situ tem and ted semi-annual technical report for the period ... to June 30, 1985 (SuDoc NAS 1.26:176949)
K. Heinemann
Manufacturer: Eloret Institute National Aeronautics and Space Administration National Technical Information Service, distributor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00010OVK4

Average customer rating:
Study of radiation damage in organic crystals: Progress summary report (PRNC)
Amador Cobas
Manufacturer: Puerto Rico Nuclear Center
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007JU4ZU

Book Description

Modern technological systems rely on sophisticated control functions to meet increased performance requirements. For such systems, Fault Tolerant Control Systems (FTCS) need to be developed. Active FTCS are dependent on a Fault Detection and Identification (FDI) process to monitor system performance and to detect and isolate faults in the systems. The main objective of this book is to study and to validate some important issues in real-time Active FTCS by means of theoretical analysis and simulation. Several models are presented to achieve this objective, taking into consideration practical aspects of the system to be controlled, performance deterioration in FDI algorithms, and limitations in reconfigurable control laws.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books