Predictions Theory. " 1

Parapsychological Review A} I have a serious concern that I would like to present to the physics community at large. It appears to me that there is a small but dedicated group of scientists—some with quite respectable reputations—who nevertheless dabble in things that most of us would not call science. (The terms "pseudoscience" and "pathological science" come to mind.) Occasionally attempts are made to dress up this type of work and anoint it with the trappings of "real science" and then usher it into publication in prestigious journals along with mainstream material—giving it the mantle of undeserved legitimacy. For example, in the 1 July 1994 issue of Physical Review A there appeared an article by Henry P. Stapp, "Theoretical Model of a Purported Empirical Violation of the Predictions of Quantum Theory." This paper develops an acausal theoretical model of nonlinear quantum mechanics that is loosely based on work by Steven Weinberg. It is clear that this article was specifically created to explain the apparently anomalous results found in experiments designed to establish the physical reality of supposed paranormal phenomena: Stapp's reference 8 is to the telekinesis experiments of Helmut Schmidt, published in the Journal of Parapsychology. Schmidt claims to have demonstrated that human beings are able to use psychic powers to retroactively alter the decay rate of naturally occurring radioactive isotopes months before the actual experiment took place. Schmidt's conclusion— which Stapp has tried to model theoretically in PRA—is that the test subjects used their psychic powers to alter the laws of quantum mechanics and Einstein causality.