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When the infamous fictional character,

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Carrie White, left her high school[br]prom hall ablaze,

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and brought terror upon her town,

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she relied on her powers of telekinesis,

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the ability to manipulate physical[br]objects using the power of the mind alone.

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But while Carrie is just a fictional film[br]based upon a fictional book,

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belief in telekinesis[br]isn't fictional at all.

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For centuries, humans have claimed[br]they really do have the power

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to control the motion of objects[br]using only their minds.

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Levitation, opening doors at will[br]and spoon bending

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are all intriguing examples.

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It happens in the Matrix when Neo[br]freezes bullets midair,

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and it's a skill that [br]Yoda has honed to a T.

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But is telekinesis real,

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or just as fictional as [br]Carrie, Yoda and Neo combined?

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To investigate, we need to evaluate[br]telekinetic claims

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through a scientific lens[br]using the scientific method.

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Telekinesis is part of the discipline[br]called parapsychology,

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in which researchers study [br]psychic phenomena.

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Parapsychologists regard what they [br]do as a science,

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but other scientists disagree.

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Let's start with a few basic observations.

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Observation #1:

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While there are loads of anecdotes out[br]there about telekinesis,

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there's no scientific proof [br]that it exists;

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no studies conducted according to[br]the scientific method

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and repeated under lab conditions[br]can show that its real.

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In the 1930s, the so-called father[br]of parapsychology, Joseph Banks Rhine,

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tested in the lab whether people[br]could use telekinesis

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to make a dice roll the way [br]they wanted it to.

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But afterwards, scientists couldn't[br]replicate his results,

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and since replication is key[br]to proving an idea,

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that was a problem.

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Aside from scientists,

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there are also countless[br]self-proclaimed telekinetics,

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but all have been exposed as tricksters,

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or can't perform under conditions[br]where they're not totally in control,

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suggesting that they manipulate the[br]situation to get the results they want.

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Today, there's even a huge stash of prize[br]money available from lots of organizations

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for anyone who can prove that psychic[br]abilities, like telekinesis, are real.

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But these riches remain unclaimed.

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Observation #2:

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When we investigate telekinesis,

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there's no consensus about[br]what exactly is being measured.

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Are powerful, Yoda-like brainwaves[br]at work perhaps?

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Since nobody agrees, it's difficult[br]to apply a research standard,

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something required in all [br]other types of science

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to test the validity of ideas.

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Observation #3:

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The point of science is to[br]discover the unknown,

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and in the history of [br]scientific investigation,

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it's definitely happened

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that new discoveries have [br]gone against established science,

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and even overturned [br]whole branches of science.

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Such discoveries must be [br]proven extra carefully

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to withstand skepticism.

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In the case of telekinesis,

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the idea goes against established science,

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but lacks the powerful[br]evidence in favor of it.

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Our universe is controlled[br]and explained by the laws of physics,

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and one of these laws tells us[br]that brain waves can't control objects

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because they're neither strong[br]nor far-reaching enough

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to influence anything [br]outside of our skulls.

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Physics also tells us that the only forces[br]that can influence objects from afar

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are magnetic and gravitational.

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Probably the closest thing to [br]telekinesis that science can explain

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is the use of thoughts[br]to control a robotic arm.

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In the brains of stroke [br]patients who can't move,

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researchers can implant tiny wires[br]into the region that controls movement,

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and then train the patient to [br]concentrate on moving a robotic arm,

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which acts like an extension[br]of their minds, and it works.

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It's amazing, but it isn't telekinesis.

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The patients thoughts aren't just vague,[br]undetectable things.

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They're measurable brain signals,[br]

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translated through wires into a robot.

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Science can measure, test[br]and explain the motion,

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and that's how we've shown that [br]this kind of mind control is real.

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Science is a slow process of accumulating[br]

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the evidence that either stands [br]for or against an idea.

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When we stack up evidence,

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we can see which tower grows tallest,

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and in the case of telekinesis,[br]it's not the tower showing that it exists.

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Some say this mystical phenomenon[br]can't fit within the confines of science,

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and that's okay.

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But then telekinesis becomes purely[br]a matter of personal conviction.

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If something can't be [br]assessed scientifically,

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then it can't be described[br]as scientific either.

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So the results of our investigation

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reveal that however much [br]we may want to believe

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that the force really is within us,

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the case for telekinesis[br]remains weak.

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Sorry Neo, Carrie and Yoda.

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Your skills are mind-blowing,[br]but for now, they belong in the movies.