Psi Testing, part 2

In case anyone was in doubt about the entry I wrote the other day about psi testing: it was a joke.

The Remillard Institute for Metapsychic Research does not exist, and “Milieu Theory” is a reference to Julian May’s Galactic Milieu and Pliocene novels. (The Many-Coloured Land, The Golden Torc, The Nonborn King, The Adversary, Intervention, Jack The Bodiless, Diamond Mask, and Magnificat) These novels deal with the emergence amongst humans of “metapsychic” powers: telepathy, psychokinesis, coercion, farseeing, redaction (mental healing), and creativity. Intervention is the linking book between the two series, and is set partly in Edinburgh. Hence the joke.

The photos of Fiona with electrodes strapped to her head are real, but I took them while she was having her hearing tested. Now this is very cool and 21st century: the audiologist stuck plastic headphones over her ears, and attached electrodes to her head. A computer played sounds of varying loudness and frequency through the headphones, and then the electrodes measured her brain’s response to the sounds. It’s a more sophisticated version of ringing a bell and watching to see if the baby twitches.

And yes, Fiona’s hearing seems to be just fine.

Interestingly, Edinburgh University actually has a real department of parapsychology, where they perform genuine, serious research into psychic abilities and phenomena.