(NOTE - many equations to be added in this chapter)
METAL
FRACTURE PHYSICS USING SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY AND THE THEORY OF TELENEURAL
INTERACTIONS
by Wilbur Franklin, Ph.D., Department of Physics,
Kent
State University, Kent, Ohio.
Published for the first time with the
permission of the author.
Introductory Background
The recent
investigations of neuronal functions utilizing network theory,(1-5) stochastic
models of neuroelectric activity,(6) and a tunneling model to describe a neural
state vector(7) have provided substantial new insights into the complexities of
the functioning of the central nervous system. The question as to whether the
comprehensive function of the mind is greater than the measurable sum of the
neural interactions that constitute the total brain function has been raised, in
part, by Delgado.(8) In his book, Physical Control of the Mind, he says,
"The mind should not be considered identical with its supporting organ, the
brain . . . The mind is related not only to the structure of neurons but also to
their spatial-temporal relations and to important extracerebral factors."
Science dwells, in general, on physically measurable quantities. If some of
the functions of the mind depend, in part, on fields or influences that are not
physically measurable at the present time with contemporary techniques, then
sophisticated methods of interpretation of the results of these influences may
be needed in order for one to infer the properties of the unknown influence
function. Material results of certain altered states of consciousness have been
observed; their causal fields have evidently not been measured or isolated in
the laboratory. In addition, teleneural interactions between a human being and
material objects have been reported with no evidence for an interaction
field.(9) In the expansive literatures (most of which is popular in vein)
dealing with parapsychology, there is no satisfactory explanation or theory of
teleneural phenomena, such as bioinformation transfer or retrieval from both
living and inanimate objects or teleneural interaction with matter, that
correlates theory with experimental observations. This, perhaps, is the prima
facie reason for the historical rejection by many scientists of most of the
observations in the field of parapsychology; the desire for a reasonable
explanation seemingly governs, to a certain extent, one's belief. Another
reason, to be sure, is the fact that certain of the experimental observations
and techniques have been of questionable validity.(11) The points to be made
from a review of both the experimental and theoretical work that has been done
in the past are that results of a definitive nature have been lacking, for the
most part, and that the evidence for teleneural interactions, particularly with
matter, has often not been convincing.
In November and December of 1972,
laboratory-controlled experiments were conducted at the Stanford Research
Institute (SRI) with a young Israeli, Mr. Uri Geller.(12) The author took part
in a portion of those experiments. (For the full set of experiments see pages
61-66.)
The SRI results with Mr. Geller were recorded on film and video tape
and included the following results of laboratory-controlled experiments:
telepathy; reproducing, reasonably well, simple sketches enclosed inside two
opaque envelopes; producing a magnetometer reading of approximately 1/2 gauss
without touching the probe; correctly choosing, without touching any of the
cans, which of ten small metal cans held an object (twelve correct, two abstain,
and zero wrong, giving a chance probability of 1 in 10 to the power 12); telling
which side of a die faced upward after the die had been shaken inside a closed
opaque box (eight correct, zero wrong, giving a chance probability of 1 in 1.68
x 10 to the power 6); and causing a real or an apparent change of weight in a
dynamic balance enclosed in a bell jar. The results of the latter experiment
were recorded on a strip chart recorder. Certain of the results obtained with
Mr. Geller, namely, the latter two experiments, have no apparent means of
explanation within the accepted framework of theoretical physics. For this
reason it is important to consider carefully these experiments and the
metallurgical results(13) that are reported here. It will be of equal importance
to perform similar experiments in other laboratories with different subjects and
to investigate their theoretical implications. It is the author's opinion, based
on the observations that have already been made, that theoretical constructs
need not await further experimental results to corroborate and extend the SRI
experiments, but that the formulation of theoretical models is, in fact, one of
the most important considerations in the constructive development of this field.
Without the contributions of physicists, engineers, and others in the "hard
sciences" who understand physical laws, the field of teleneural phenomena will
not become understandable scientifically, but will remain on the fringes of
quasi-scientific endeavor, where a large domain of potential usefulness to
society may remain dormant.
The material reported here is both theoretical
and experimental in perspective. The new theory given is, for the most part,
generally applicable regardless of the type of interaction involved. In this
sense, it seems wise, at this stage of the development of the field, to find
theoretical paradigms that have general applicability, and are not dependent on
the type of field or interaction involved, until the nature of the interaction
or interactions in certain teleneural phenomena can be ascertained. Known
electromagnetic theory is, of course, applicable to certain types of teleneural
interactions that are known with reasonable certainty to be electromagnetic in
nature. Some electromagnetic aspects will be discussed below.
The
experimental investigations that are reported are made up of metallurgical
studies of two metal objects that were broken by Mr. Uri Geller. These results
are reported in more detail elsewhere.(13) A scanning electron microscope (SEM)
analysis of the fracture surfaces and rnicrohardness test results on one of the
specimens are reported. While some of the experimental evidence reported here is
principally metallurgical in nature, the photographic evidence, which stems from
scanning electron microscopy, is, we feel, clear even to the nonspecialist. The
metallurgical analysis that has been performed is not as complete as possible.
Metallurgical testing of the specimens prior to, and concurrent with, fracture
was not performed. One of the reasons for this deficiency is that insufficient
funds were available for a complete investigations However, enough evidence was
obtained through the use of the SEM at SRI and through donated services to give
the results reported here.(15)
The fracture surfaces studied were those of
two common household items, specifically, a stainless steel spoon and a platinum
alloy ring. The following section, Fracture Conditions, is a brief statement
about the conditions under which fracture was observed to occur.(16) The next
section deals with the SEM analysis of the fracture surfaces, and includes
fracture photographs of the specimens and their controls. In the theoretical
section that follows, some new theoretical constructs are presented, together
with a discussion of electromagnetic effects. Finally, a brief summary and
conclusions are given.
Regarding the nature of the process or processes
involved in the fractures reported on here, the possibilities that have been
proposed from the outset of our work with, and observation of, Mr. Geller
include the following: (1) magic trickery, (2) perpetrated fraud, (3) group
hypnosis of the investigators, (4) self-hypnosis or self-
control by the
subject in order to facilitate fracture of the specimens, and (5) a real event.
From the SEM analysis of the fracture surfaces of two out of four fractures
investigated in three different specimens,(17) it was concluded that (1) and (4)
are not reasonable possibilities as an explanation of the observations without
the inclusion of (2), (3), or (5). In the SRI experiments, which involved
manifestations of teleneural interactions other than metallurgical fractures, it
was considered highly unlikely that (2.) or (3) could have occurred since both
film and video-tape records were made of the experiments and since security
measures were followed in the processing and storage of the films. Also, the SRI
experiments were monitored visually by observers outside the laboratory using
direct TV transmission to a neighboring room. Important additional evidence that
(2) or (3) is not involved in the fractures induced by Mr. Geller is a movie
from which the pertinent frames have been published.(18) It shows a metallic
specimen in the process of being fractured with no apparent force being applied
by Mr. Geller. (See Plate 18.)
Fracture Condition
The nature of
the energy fields of subjects with special teleneural powers has not been
determined except for those categories that are classifiable with reasonable
certainty as being within the framework of known electromagnetic theory. The
conditions for fracture that are described in this section do not appear to be
within the domain of known theoretical physics. Therefore, it is important to
consider the conditions under which fracture occurred as well as the analysis of
the fractures themselves. However, it must be stated again that the results that
are reported here for the fractured specimens deal with the unusual nature of
the metallurgical observations and not with the subject of experimental
methodology.(16)
The specimens were fractured in a room-temperature setting
and were observed by the author and others during the process of deformation and
fracture. The spoon was broken with no apparent strain by Mr. Geller, who bent
it back and forth for three cycles or less to angles of approximately forty-five
degrees from the vertical. (Another spoon from the same set of tableware was
also seen to be broken by Geller without bending.) The author tested another
spoon from the same set and found it impossible permanently to deform the handle
manually by more than about ten degrees.(19) The spoon was made of work-hardened
ferritic stainless steel with an ultimate tensile strength of approximately
110,000 Psi (estimated from hardness measurements) and was 1/16-inch thick and
3/16-inch wide at the point in the shank where fracture occurred.
The
platinum ring was fractured as it was held gently by an associate of the
author's in the proximity of Mr. Geller. After the appearance of the first
fracture, Mr. Geller held the ring and gently bent a segment outward until a
second fracture occurred. The surface of the second break appeared to be ductile
fracture distorted by shear. The surface of the first fracture was not
characteristic of ductile failure, fatigue, or shear, and is described in the
next section.
Metallurgical Analysis
The scanning electron
microscope (SEM) is especially useful in the examination of fracture surfaces
since it has good depth of field, the natural "as broken" surfaces can be
examined directly without replication, and since both low and high
magnifications can he utilized easily. The possibility of surface distortion,
dissolution, or the removal of loose segments was minimized by examining the "as
fractured" surfaces with no cleaning of any sort. The Cambridge Stereoscan Mark
2A SEM at SRI was used and all the photographs were taken between, November 9
and 2.2, 1972. In the following paragraphs the nature of the fracture surfaces
of the stainless steers spoon and its control and of the platinum ring is
described.
The locations of the fracture surfaces of the two breaks in the
stainless steel spoon, one of which was induced by Geller and the other made in,
the laboratory by bending, are shown in Figure 1.(20) The comparison fracture
surfaces, shown in Plates 8 and 9, are quite similar in nature and portray a
dimpled pattern that is typical in the metallurgical literature, of ductile
failure. It is not known whether the slight differences between Plates 8 and 9
are significant.
Fig. 1. A common household spoon showing the location of
the fracture produced by Geller. In addition, the locations of the laboratory
fracture and cuts from the cut-off wheel are shown. Microhardness measurements
were made on the three small pieces.
A striking difference from usual
room-temperature fractures caused by tension or bending can be seen in Plates 10
and 11, which show a progression of increasing magnification. The shank of the
spoon in the foreground of Plate 10 shows a crack along the left vertical edge,
which is magnified in the next two figures. The profile of the upper and lower
edges of the crack match reasonably well. This, together with the upward
displacement of material, indicate that the crack was caused by separation
(pulling apart) rather than by a piece's falling out. The bottom of the crack,
as shown in Plates 11 and 12, displays an unusual viscous appearance that is not
typical of ductile failure from tensile or bending loads at room temperature.
The fracture surface of the first break in the platinum ring was very
different from that in the spoon. Plate 13 shows an overview of the fracture
surface. There was essentially no evidence of necking down, as is expected in a
ductile metal under tensile failure, or of bending. In Plate 13 the higher
regions of the fracture surface, especially the left side and the upper right
corner, appeared to have been distorted by shear. This may have occurred when
the opposing faces of the broken ring, which were in contact, were rubbed, since
the ring spread open after the crack was formed.
Plate 14 shows the lower
right quarter of the fracture surface and Plates 15-17 show regions taken from
the field of view of Plate 14 at a higher magnification. Small rounded-over
protuberances are characteristic of the region around the depression shown in
Plate 15, which is taken from the upper left corner of Plate 14. Plates 16 and
17 are taken from the lower right corner of Plate 14 and show a terraced
structure with distinct geometrical forms that are close to hexagonal in
symmetry. The latter are inclusions and/or cavities, which reflect the symmetry
of the face-centered-cubic structure of platinum. The fields of view in and
around those displayed in Plates 15-17 are unusual in nature, particularly when
the possible types of room-temperature fracture are considered. Ductile failure
in platinum alloys, such as that caused by tension, results in microstructures
similar to those shown in Plates 8 and 9. Usually necking down on a visually
macroscopic scale occurs in tension and lateral cracking in bend failure in a
metal of this sort. If the fracture occurred by shear, then macroscopic shear
deformation should appear adjacent to the fracture surface. The flat terraced
surfaces with the included geometrical shapes are difficult to explain as a
result of room-temperature fracture. Geometrical shapes of the type shown can
occur in high-temperature creep specimens that have had sufficient time for the
formation of vacancy clusters and/or inclusions. The flat terraced surfaces have
the appearance of low-
temperature (liquid nitrogen) cleavage.
Microhardness measurements were made with an 800-gm load on the pieces
adjacent to the Geller and laboratory fractures in the spoon. The average of
twenty impressions in the matrix material gave an average Knoop hardness of 240,
which corresponds to an ultimate tensile strength of 109,000 Psi ñ 5%. The
measured values for hardness immediately adjacent to the Geller and laboratory
fractures were 254 and 2.53, respectively, which correspond to an ultimate
tensile strength of 113,000 Psi. This is less than 4% higher than the hardness
of the matrix material. No change of hardness with respect to that of the matrix
occurred at the cuts made with the cut-off wheel. Metallographs of the
microstructure of the spoon and Microhardness measurements with a lighter load
(200 gms) indicated that small (approx. 10 micro) hard inclusions - probably
carbides - were present. There were, however, no regions of significant
softening. The steel was a ferritic stainless, which is easier to fracture than
one of the austenitic type, but had, nonetheless, a high ultimate tensile
strength. The minimum bending load required to bend the spoon by mechanical
means was probably greater than sixty pounds. Assuming a 6o-pound load, a total
bend distance (in three cycles of motion) of six inches, and a time of ten
seconds, the minimum required power was roughly 3 to 4 watts. This power is
within the capacity of human biomechanics; humans burn energy at the rate of
approximately 100 watts (approx. 10 watts for the brain alone) when at rest and
1000 watts in heavy work. From our work with Mr. Geller an upper limit to the
diameter of an object that can be bent or broken and the fracture speed (in
first Pt fracture) has not been established.
Theoretical Constructs
This section will include some introductory theoretical approaches to the
physical understanding of teleneural phenomena that may be applied to
interactions between living systems and matter. First an effective stress due to
teleneural causes is introduced and is added to the electromagnetic
stress-energy tensor. The next section deals with field and information theory
concepts. This is followed by a brief presentation of some electromagnetic
effects and models of interaction of electromagnetic radiation with a living
system.
Effective Stress-Energy Tensor
If the specimens were
fractured with less than the mechanical stress
for failure required for
fractures to occur by normal means, then we can postulate the existence of a
force or influence field, exerted by the subject (or due to the presence of the
subject), that produces an effective stress PE in the specimen. An effective
stress is postulated since the nature of the interaction between subject and
specimen is unknown. Let us define a total stress-energy tensor by:
Tuv =
Muv + Suv + Puve
where M, S, and Pe are the stress-energy tensor densities
for matter, electromagnetic interactions, and non-electromagnetic teleneural
interactions, respectively. We postulate that the gradients of these densities
are given by:
(partial derivatives go here) (2)
where f and X, are
the separate but, perhaps, coupled electromagnetic and teleneural force
densities, respectively. Then
(partial derivatives go here) (3)
L
Following Robertson and Noonan,(21) an equation that represents the
conservation of energy in an isotropic fluid (22) is obtained; it is given by:
(equation goes here) (4)
where u is the u component of the world
velocity, c is the velocity of light, po is the pressure, and p = p,, + p,,/c'
where P, is the total proper energy density (including the rest, thermal,
nuclear, and teleneural energies). The equation for the force density can also
be derived, and is, following Robertson and Noonan,(21) given by:
(equation
goes here) (5)
where xxx is the Minkowski metric tensor. In the above
argument xxx represents the effective force. In our case, it is postulated that
was applied to the metallic specimens and produced the portion of the
deformation not produced by electromagnetic or mechanical forces.
it is
apparent from the argument given here that the addition of a new effective
stress-energy tensor for teleneural phenomena leads to conservation and force
equations in which an interchange can occur between the electromagnetic and
teleneural types of interaction. This is appealing because if the normal
operation of the neural system of a subject is assumed to be electromagnetic in
nature then the teleneural mode of operation might then involve the creation of
PE from S. This raises the question as to whether PE arises from some special
electromagnetic origin such as a new effect due to strong nonlinearities, or
from a new type of influence that differs from the usual gravitational,
electromagnetic, and nuclear forces, or other new construct.
Field and
Information Theory Concepts
We will postulate, following the suggestion
of other authors(10) in the field of teleneural phenomena, that a field, psi,
for teleneural interactions exists and propagates with a velocity that will be
assumed to be finite. (We must note, however, that action-at-a-distance is also
a possibility to be considered and tested). If the field is characterized by
space and time dependence, then psi = psi(r,t) where r = rR - rS, and t = tR -
tS, where R and S denote receiver and source, respectively. We will also
postulate that the strength of the field (or number of particles, if the field
is quantized) is characterized not only by space and time, but by two subjective
quantities - the "psychological factors," phi, and the amount of information,
HR, known by the subject about the object or receiver. Then n=n( equation goes
here). The quantity psi includes effects of other living systems, climactic
factors, geomagnetic disturbances, physiological factors, state of mental
consciousness, etc. on the ability of the subject to emit the psi field. HR
represents the quantity of information received consciously or subliminally by
the subject about the object or receiver with which interaction occurs. Certain
aspects of a teleneural field theory can probably be developed following
traditional field theories for known interactions. Geometrization of the field
might also lead to fruitful results.
Now a general theoretical construct,
which applies to fields of any type, namely, information theory, will be
considered briefly. One role of information theory in the process of
bioinformation transfer has been shown, assuming an electromagnetic model, by
Kogan.(23) In terms of bits, a telepathic percipient receives H bits of
information for a particular situation in which there are N possibilities to
choose from (all of equal probability) and a choice is made n times. This stems
from the information theory equation for equal probabilities, which is given by
H = n ln2N.
The question of whether information theory plays an important
role in teleneural interaction with matter arises from a consideration of the
information content in a material object and the role of object perception in
the interaction. If cognitive or subliminal perception is important in
teleneural interaction with matter, then the information in the object may be
stored by the subject. We do not consider here the mechanism of
teleneural interaction with matter; rather, we deal with the object of
interaction as a quantity of information. This raises the question of the amount
of information stored in an object or a segment of an object. If we consider
that a mass of 1 gm has approximately 10 to the power 22 atoms, then we find
that the information content for the identification of each atom and nuclear
state and for assigning all the degrees of freedom individually is a very large
number - greater than 10 to the power 22 bits.(24) If we consider the bit rates
that have been measured in bioinformation transfer experiments, we find that it
is too large a number for a subject to receive and store in a reasonable time.
(Bit rates from 1 to 10 to the power -3 bit/see appear to be typical of short-
to long-range information transfer.(23,25)) In addition, an upper limit assumed
for long-term memory is approximately 10 to the power 20 bits for a person
thirty years old, since each neuron transmits approximately ten digital
impressions per second, there are about 10^10 neurons, and thirty years is 10^9
seconds. Smaller upper limits of 10^13 - 10^14 bits in a lifetime have been
estimated; they include effects of various loss mechanisms. Thus, if the
information transfer rate in a subject's teleneural perception of matter is
similar to that in bioinformation transfer and does not greatly exceed neural
information capacities, we can make an important observation regarding
teleneural interaction with matter: either the information is not stored by the
subject, or the information stored is a macroscopic rather than a
microscopic description of the object. If it is stored by the subject and the
interaction is macroscopic, then the quantity of information about the fracture
surfaces in the ring (and needle - see Reference 13) falls within the amount
that could be received and stored by a subject in a reasonable amount of time.
For example, if a subject is capable of receiving and storing 0.1 bit/see for
ten minutes, this amounts to 60 bits of information, which is more than adequate
to describe a simple geometrical object in macroscopic terms. Thus, the storage
of information in atomistic detail in macroscopic effects such as fractures
appears to be outside the domain of possible teleneural interactions unless a
very high degree of symmetry and purity exists in the objects. This observation
does not imply, however, that atomistic teleneural events are impossible if the
event does not require a prohibitively high bit rate. We should also note that
the upper limits on storage capacity of the central nervous system and of the
bioinformation transfer rate may be substantially higher than postulated
previously.
Electromagnetic Interactions
Bioinformation transfer
by electromagnetic radiation has been considered theoretically by Kogan(23) from
the standpoint of the information theory. The relationship for the bit rate, C,
in terms of the band width, W, and the source and noise powers, Ps and Pn,
respectively, is given by
C--W In @(6)
The band width is 1/tau where tau
is the time required for information transfer per bit. The noise power is
assumed to be kT/tau, and the critical signal power required to send a certain
critical bit rate, C, is given by
p* 47rr2 kT (2c*7. - l)e&r r S(r -
h) + S(h - r (7)
where r, SA, T, and alpha are the distance, antenna area,
temperature,
and attenuation coefficient, respectively. The wave-guide
effects of the ionosphere are accounted for crudely by the square brackets in
which h is the height of the ionosphere and S(r - h) is the step function. The
requisite biocurrent for generation of P' is obtained from P' = (I')^2*R where R
is the antenna resistance. The resulting biocurrents calculated using Equation
(7), together with elementary antenna theory, give typical values of 10^-10 amps
or less for distances of a few meters and for typical conditions in
bioinformation transfer experiments in which there are a small number of
possible choices, N. This theory assumes no power losses except for the
attenuation factor exp(alpha*r), which is very small except for distances
greater than a few hundred miles. It represents, therefore, the optimum
information transfer conditions, assuming an r^-2 fall-off for r < h and an
r^-1 decrease of power for r > h. If losses are low, the electromagnetic
theory seems reasonable for communication for small r and even for large r if
tau is also large. However, interference of the signal caused by electronic
noise is a very significant factor in interactions with the electromagnetic
mechanism and, in addition, living organisms are not known to generate power
levels sufficient for intermediate- to long-range communication.
The
transfer of information by biological systems through the use of electromagnetic
sources and sensors has been studied or considered by many authors.(23,26-33) In
recent reviews, Bullock(26) and Hopkins(27) have summarized work on sensory
mechanisms for low-frequency electromagnetic radiation in sharks and other fish,
certain species of which have thresholds for electric field sensation in water
as low as 1 micro Volt/m. Nelson(28) and Callahan(29) have considered direct
electromagnetic reception of various frequency ranges by insects. The effects of
electromagnetic fields in the radio range on the electroencephalogram of humans
has been reported by Presman(30) in a good review of Russian work concerning
electromagnetic radiation fields and living systems. Aceto, Tibias, and
Silver(31) have recently reviewed the theories of the interaction of
electromagnetic radiation and of static magnetic fields with living systems. The
biological effects of magnetic fields have been reviewed by Kolin.(34) Changes
in reaction time of human beings by exposure to 0.2 Hz magnetic fields of
approximately 5-17 gauss have been observed by Friedman, Becker, and
Bachman,(35) whereas static and 0.1 Hz fields produced no significant effect.
Bawin et al.(36) reported large behavior changes in monkeys exposed to 147 MHz
modulated by 0-30 Hz.
The measurement of electric and magnetic fields of and
around human bodies have been reported, respectively, by Burr(37) and Cohen.(38)
Magnetic fields Of 5 X 10^-6 and 5 X 10^-9 gauss around contracting muscles and
cranial regions, respectively, were measured.(38) There are reports of
indications that certain people with special capabilities of self-control are
able consciously to control and produce magnetic fields of much higher
magnitudes.(9) Electric fields were found to be a function of emotional state or
state of consciousness in humans.(32,37) A theory of the generation of
electromagnetic fields from neuronal activity has been given by Anninos.(39)
The possible mechanisms of interaction of biological systems with
electromagnetic radiation include molecular vibration, rotation, and
conformation states, and electronic and nuclear states in frequency ranges
extending from the upper-microwave to the X-ray region. At frequencies in the
microwave region and less, collective modes of molecular clusters and cellular
structures become significant. The possibility of interaction of extremely low
frequencies with the Larmor precession frequency of protons in biological
materials in the earth's magnetic field has been considered.(40) The Larmor
frequency for protons in the earth's field is approximately 2000 Hz. A
possibility may also exist for quasi-
resonance interactions of extremely
low frequencies with antiferromagnetic modes in cell membranes.(41)
The
above review of electromagnetic interactions with living systems reveals that
bioinformation transfer occurs at frequencies down to less than 1 Hz.(26,36) At
extremely low frequencies the attenuation of a Faraday cage is low. In this
regard it is interesting to note that Puharich(42) and Puthoff and Targ(9) have
done bioinformation transfer experiments with human subjects with the source or
receiver in a Faraday cage. Further tests of bioinformation transfer are needed
in which bit rates are measured as a function of distance both inside and
outside a very good Faraday cage and in a "mu" metal cage.
It is interesting
to compare biological communication in the ELF, regime with that developed for
submarine applications in a program called Project Sanguine.(43-45) Frequencies
less than 100 Hz and antenna powers of 1-2 MW were utilized in the Sanguine
communication project. The transmitter antenna covers 30-50 square miles, giving
about 100 W/acre of power, and the receiving antenna is approximately 100 m
long.(45) The bit rate is low; approximately one bit per 60 cycles is evidently
possible.(45) The radiated power is less than the antenna power because of
radiation resistance, but it is still several orders of magnitude larger than
the maximum possible power radiated from a human being in the ELF regime.
Historically, it is interesting to note that Nikola Tesla, in 1899, proposed
using the ELF regime for a world-wide communication system. His huge spark-gap
transmitter drained the power supply of the city of Colorado Springs! The point
of these observations is that the power levels and antenna systems required for
ELF electromagnetic communication are several orders of magnitude larger than
those required for bioinformation transfer between humans. Therefore, it is
extremely unlikely that mental telepathy can be propagated at great distances by
biosystems in the ELF electromagnetic regime.(46)
Summary and
Conclusions
The detailed metallurgical analysis of three fracture
surfaces in two metallic specimens broken by, or in the presence of, Mr. Uri
Geller revealed two distinct types of fracture-surface microstructure in the SEM
photographs. One type appeared quite similar to normal room-temperature ductile
failure caused by mechanical loading, except for a viscous appearance at the
bottom of a small lateral crack (see Plates 10 and 11).
In the second type
of fracture surface, the predominant microstructures were not typical of ductile
failure, fatigue, stress-corrosion, or shear failure, nor of room-
temperature cleavage. In the platinum specimen, which exemplified the second
type of fracture, localized regions of two types were observed on the same
fracture surface only 0.02 cm apart. One region looked like ductile failure in
an area that had been heated to the point of incipient melting (see Plate 15;
the melting point of platinum is 1773 degrees C). The second region looked like
low-temperature cleavage, with inclusions or vacancy clusters also appearing in
the field of view (see Plates 16 and 17). These observations, which are not
typical of SEM fractographs of failures by mechanical loading, indicate that the
cause of fracture was not mechanical in nature nor was it a result of usual
mechanical methods of fracture. In fact, the possible methods of, reconstruction
of the fracture surface in the platinum ring by known techniques seem to require
procedures such as partial cleavage at liquid nitrogen temperature (- 195
degrees C) followed by ductile failure of the noncleaved portion and subsequent
exposure of this portion to a small beam from a powerful laser in selected
regions and a shear force in other regions. Such a project would not only be
difficult to carry out, but could not, in fact, be conducted unless a number of
people actually perpetrated fraud. Consequently, it is not considered as a
reasonable possibility. In view of the nature of the fracture surfaces,
especially those of the platinum ring, it is concluded that the specimens were
not broken by techniques known to induce laboratory fractures. The evidence,
based on metallurgical analysis of the fracture surfaces, indicates that a
paranormal influence must have been operative in the formation of the fractures.
Since the metallurgical analysis of the fractured specimens was completed, a
number of reports of other subjects who can bend and/or fracture metal objects
have been published. Taylor,(47) in his recent book, has given detailed reports
of many children in England as well as people with paranormal teleneural
capabilities who could bend and fracture metals. At the international conference
on the Physics of Paranormal Phenomena, Taylor, Hasted, Byrd, Owen, and
Franklin(48)
reported results of metal-bending and fracture studies, These
included, in the work of Owen, Price, and Taylor, studies of subjects other than
Geller. In addition, there have been many reports in the popular press of metal
bending that may or may not have been accomplished by paranormal means. The fork
that was filmed during fracture(18) is presently being investigated by the
author, as is a 2-mm-thick key fractured by Matthew Manning in the presence of
Dr. A. R. G. Owen(49) and two items bent by children in the Akron, Ohio, area.
In a historical perspective, it would be interesting to analyze the knife that
fractured in the presence of Carl Jung;(50) an attempt is being made to obtain
this specimen for metallurgical examination.
Effects, either direct or
indirect, or electromagnetic fields of frequencies less than those of the
microwave regime have been observed on the central nervous systems of living
organisms. It appears, therefore, that there will be a new area of research
concerned with the mechanisms of communication of information and biological
effects by low-frequency electromagnetic radiation interacting with living
organisms. Information transfer has been observed in sharks and other
fish(26,27) at frequencies in the range 0.3-30 Hz. Hence, further consideration
should be given to low-frequency biocommunication in other living organisms,
both animal and plant. It is known that information transfer rates, measured by
the bit rate in information theory, are small for low frequencies. Therefore,
reasonably long periods of time (in comparison to verbal or telegraphic
communication rates, for example) are required for the transfer of low-frequency
information. Frequencies in the radio range have been shown to affect
electroencephalographs.(30) Also, a magnetic field oscillating at the ELF of 0.2
Hz was found to reduce reaction rates in human subjects.(35) The major portion
of the power spectrum of human brain waves lies in the ELF range from 0-30 Hz
and most of this power is at less than a few Hz.(51) Also, the peaks of the
frequency spectra of contracting muscles usually occur at less than 100 Hz.(38)
Higher body frequencies have, however, also been noted.(39) Since the power
levels of brain waves and contracting muscles are orders of magnitude less than
that required for electromagnetic stimulation of known effects on humans and
still less than that required for the weakening or fracture of metal objects, it
would seem to be important to consider non-electromagnetic theories as well as
the new aspects of ELF communication.
Whether there exists a channel of
bioinformation transfer other than electromagnetic fields and other known
channels is an important question, especially when the experimental results with
unusual and with normal subjects, which have been reported recently, are
considered. In the Geller experiments at SRI the side of a die facing upward
inside an opaque container, after being shaken, was guessed or sensed correctly
eight times in a row.(9) The transfer of information in this experiment could
not have been electromagnetic in nature, assuming known electromagnetic theory
(unless some extremely sensitive unknown mechanism exists). In addition to
information transfer, which does not appear to be electromagnetic in nature, the
apparent change of mass in the dynamic balance experiment at SRI and the unusual
fracture surfaces of the metal specimens reported here give evidence that
requires further investigation outside known theoretical constructs. Then, too,
there is a question regarding the modality of communication in teleneural
information transfer between living organisms, especially at large
distances.(23) If more than one channel of teleneural interaction exists then it
is possible that electromagnetic radiation may either interfere with or enhance
the second type of interaction mechanism.
The development of theoretical
paradigms that deal constructively with the observations in unexplained
teleneural phenomena will demand new insights into the fundamentals of physical
laws. Mehra(52) has recently considered the role of the observer in quantum
mechanical measurements and the difference between a complete and a quantum
mechanical representation. Bohm has also discussed new aspects of the role of
the observer and, in addition, the implications of a holographic concept of
quantum states. The generality of information theory is appealing for use in
teleneural theory since objects can be described as quantities of information
regardless of the types of force or influence they are subjected to. The
statement of Eigen,(54) regarding organization in biological systems - "We need
organization in a different 'space,' which one may call information
space" - may apply, in a broader sense, to teleneural phenomena as well. The
recent work of Prigogine(55), regarding the evolutionary origin of the
organization in living systems may be significant in its contribution to new
methods of treating many phenomena, including those of a teleneural nature, in
living systems. It is interesting to compare the questions being asked by
paraphysicists and parapsychologists with those being asked in another field in
which there seem to be more questions than there are answers: astrophysics. In a
recent article the noted astrophysicist John Wheeler questions, "In what way, if
any, is the universe, the observed, affected by man, the observer? Is the
universe deprived of all meaningful existence in the absence of the mind? . . .
In brief, are life and mind irrelevant to the structure of the universe - or are
they central to it?" Questions of this nature have been asked recently by
physicists who have observed and considered the nature of paranormal events.
REFERENCES
1. Griffith, J. S., Mathematical Neurobiology
(New York: Academic Press, 1972).
2. Harth, E. M. and S. L. Edgar,
Biophysical Journal, 7, 689-717, 1967.
3. Harth, E. M., T. J.
Csermely, B. Beek, and R. D. Lindsay, Journal of Theoretical Biology, 26,
93-120, 1970.
4. Caianiello, E. R., Journal of Theoretical Biology,
1, 204-35, 1961.
5. Caianiello, E. R., A. DeLuca, and L. M. Ricciardi,
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6. Cowan, J. D., in Towards a
Theoretical Biology 4: Essays (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1972).
7. Walker, E. H., Journal of the Study of the Conscious, 5, 46-63;
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8. Delgado, J. M. S., Physical Control of the Mind
(New York: Harper & Row, 1969).
9. Putoff, H. and R. Targ, Stanford
Research Institute news release, March 10, 1973. The initial experiments with
Mr. Uri Geller, done in November and December 1972, were reported by SRI in this
news release. In addition, a movie of the laboratory experiments with Mr. Geller
was made; it has been shown to over 3000 scientists and engineers. Subsequently,
results of telepathy and clairvoyance tests with Geller, Ingo Swann, Patrick
Price, and other subjects was reported in Nature, 251, 602-607, 1974.
10. The following books, together with their references, provide an
introduction to the literature of parapsychology: Soal, S. G. and F. Bateman,
Modern Experiments in Telepathy (London: Faber & Faber, 1954); Rhine,
J. B. and J. G. Pratt, Parapsychology: Frontier Science of the Mind
(Springfield, Illinois: Charles C Thomas, 1957); C. D. Broad, Lectures on
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11. Kennedy, J. L., Proceedings of the American Philosophical
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12. Mr. Uri Geller is an Israeli who was
studied in Israel by Dr. Andrija Puharich before he came to the United States in
August 1972 and was studied at SRI and other laboratories.
13. Franklin,
Wilbur, New Horizons Journal, 2, No. 1, 8-13,1975; Wilbur Franklin and
Edgar Mitchell, "SEM Study of Fracture Surfaces Pertaining to the Question of
Teleneural Fields From Human Subjects," available on request from Kent State
University, Kent, Ohio.
14. Progress in the fields of parapsychology and
paraphysics has been severely hindered by the lack of financial support. Unless
the scientific community and the government agencies that provide financial
resources decide to support high-level research in these fields, the potential
usefulness of societal applications will not he developed beyond their present
status of parlor curiosities in most scientific circles.
15. SRI financed
the SEM study and EDMA, Inc. supported the author during the experiments at SRI
with Mr. Geller.
16. The studies of the metal specimens and the conclusions
drawn from them are based principally on metallurgical evidence. This
evidence is much more substantial than merely visual, video-tape, or
cinematography evidence of the subject performing the experiment since all these
modes of monitoring may be questionable. For example hypnotists and magicians
can cause metallic objects to appear to bend or, in the case of magicians,
actually to bend and fracture. Also, it is well known to metallurgists that
small amounts of mercury and other agents can, under certain conditions, cause
intergranular fracture when the specimen is exposed to stress-corrosion
situations.
17. The results of the investigation of three specimens are
reported in Ref. 13 whereas the summary of that work presented in this article
includes the results of only two of the three specimens.
18. Vaughan, A.,
"The phenomena of Uri Geller," Psychic, Vol. 4, No. 5, 13, 1973.
19.
After a very small deformation, evidently the work-hardening was sufficient to
preclude further bending by manual means.
20. The magnification, angle from
the vertical, and date taken are recorded in the captions that accompany the
photographs of the fracture surfaces.
21. Robertson, H. P. and T. W. Noonan,
Relativity and Cosmology
(Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders, 1968), p.
129.
22. The tensor properties of the stress in a solid can be incorporated
but the isotropic fluid model is shown here to keep the model simple.
23.
Kogan, I. M., Telecommunications and Radio Engineering, 21, 75, 1966; 22,
141, 1967; 23, 122, 1968.
24. A perfect crystal could be constructed with a
much lower H utilizing translational and rotational symmetry operators and a
distribution of momentums. However, a polycrystalline sample with a typical
concentration of impurities, atomic defects, dislocations, and nonhomogeneous
strains would have a much higher information content than a perfect crystal.
Nevertheless, crystals with defects would still have less information content
than glasses and plastics, which have little or no rotational or translational
symmetry, and might, therefore, be easier for a subject to interact with.
25. The author has done bioinformation transfer experiments with a graduate
student up to 380 miles. The bit rates were comparable to those reported by
Kogan.(23) However, further work is needed to establish bit rates versus
distance with greater reliability.
26. Bullock, T. H., American
Scientist, 61, 316-25, 1973.
27. Hopkins, C. D., American
Scientist, 62, 426, 1974.
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American Society of Engineers, 9, 398-405, 1966.
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Applied optics, 7, 1425-30, 1968.
30. Presman, A. S.,
Electromagnetic Fields and Life (New York: Plenum Press, 1970).
31.
Aceto, Jr., H., C. A. Tibias, and I. L. Silver, IEEE Transactions,
Magnetics MAG-6, 368-73, 1970.
32. Ravitz, L. J., Journal of the American
Society of Psychosomatic Dentistry and Medicine, 17, 119-27, 1970.
33.
Mutschall, V., Foreign Science Bulletin, 4, 1-12, 1968.
34. Kolin,
A., Physics Today, November 1968.
35. Friedman, H., R. O. Becker, and
C. H. Bachman, Nature, 213, 949-50, 1967.
36. Bawin, S., R. G.
Medici, W. Adey, and L. Kaczmarek, Conference at the New York Academy of
Science, Feb. 12-15, 1974.
37. Burr, H. S., Blueprint for Immortality
(London: Neville Spearman. 1972).
38. Cohen, D., Science, 161, 784-86, 1968;
D. Cohen and E. Givler, Applied Physics, Letters, 21, 114-16, 1972.
39. Anninos, P. A., Journal of Life Sciences, 3, 15-18, 1973.
40.
Rocard, Y., in Biological Effects of Magnetic Fields, edited by M.
Barnothy (New York: Plenum Press, 1964), PP. 279-86.
41. Grodsky, I.,
Conference at the New York Academy of Science, Feb. 12-15, 1974.
42.
Puharich, A., The Sacred Mushroom (New York: Doubleday, 1959), Appendix
1; Journal of Neuropsychology, 2, 474, 1966.
43. Wait, J. R.,
Science, 178, 272, 1972.
44. Wait, J. R., "The Sanguine Concept," in
Proceedings of the Symposium on Engineering in the Ocean Environment (New
York: IEE, 1972).
45. Ricardi, L. J., Lincoln Laboratories, personal
communication.
46. Franklin, W., Bulletin of the American Physical
Society, 19, 821, 1974.
47. Taylor, J., Superminds: An Inquiry into
the Paranormal (New York: Macmillan, 1975).
48. "The Physics of
Paranormal Phenomena," International Conference, February 1975, Tarrytown, New
York; author's notes are available on request.
49. Owen, A. R. G., New
Horizons Journal, 1, No. 4, 172, 1974.
50. Rhine, 1. B., personal
communication.
51. Vidal, J. J., Annual Review of Biophysics and
Bioengineering, 2, 157, 1973.
52. Mehra, J., American Scientist
61, 722, 1973.
53. Bohm, D., Foundations of Physics, 3, 139 1973.
54. Eigen, M., Naturwiss. 58, 465 1971.
55. Prigogine, I., G.
Nicholis, and A. Babloyantz, Physics Today, 25, 23, 1972.
56.
Wheeler, J., American Scientist, 62, 683, 1974.
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