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  STANFORD RESEA1
            ICH INSTITUTE
  MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA 94025
  (415) 326-6200
  October 6, 1975
  Mr. Dennis Flanagaa,
  Scientific American
  415 Madison Avenue
  New York, New York
  To the Editor:
  We would likc,,. to tak
  Martin Gardner in hi
  report, "Development
  cat-Lon" ,
  Editor
  1.001-7
       this opportunity to reply to the comments of
  October 1975 critique of our NASA research
  of Techniques to Enhance Man/Machine Communi-
  'Cho research pertains to the use of an automatic, solid state machine
  which randomly selects from among four hidden targets while a subject
  tries to choose which target was selected. The machine provides
  immediate feedback as to the machine state, and rings a bell- for
  correct subject responses, to allow him to try to use this feedback
  and reinforcement to improve his scores. Of the 147 volunteer sub-
  jocLs, six were identified whose learning performarice was significant
  at the 0.01 level or better; the binomial probability of his occurring
  by chance is less than 0.004. At the other extreme, no subject had
  a negative learning slope of equal significance. Tn our report we
  took those preliminary findings to indicate that, "there is evidence
  for paranornal functioning from our work with the ESP teaching machine".
  This evidence includes one subject to achieved scores at: the p< 10-6
  level of significance in his 2500 trials.
  Gardncr',e, major criticism of the experiments is based on an error in
  fact, namely his misconception of the manner in which data were
  collected. Subjects made runs of 25 trials. Those trials were auto-
  maLically.printed on continuous fan-fold paper tape, which carries a
  permanent record of every trial, machine state, and trial number from
  I Lo,25 for each run. After a series of eight to ton run.s, the sub-
  ject would bring, the continuous fan-fold tape to one of the experi-
  mcnLers for entry into the experimental log. The Lapes were always
  (tolivered to us intact With all runs recorded. They were never torn
  into "disconnected bits and pieces" as Gardner asserts, (implying that
  an individual could, post hoc, select which runs lie turned. in). Since
  we were interested in evidence of learning within each day's sess] , Oa,
  it was of particular importancQ to us to have the complete intact tape.
  We think that it is important for the reader to be aware that in.
  Gardner's own book, "In the Name of Science," he makes his position
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  CARLI. STANnLS, MENLO PARK / 1VVX 910 313 124G

 Approved For Release WO/08/1 0 CIA-RDP96-00787RW2001,50001-5
 Mr. T)(mn~is FianagaL-i, Editor October .6, 1975
 ScionLific American
 Now York, New York
 on research in this area quite cl-ear. Ile introduces his chapter on ESP
 with the sLaLe-ment, "There is obviously an eriornious irraLiona]- prejudice
 mi Liie part of mosL Americall pSycho.1-0gj5t--111uc11 greater Lhan in England,
 for exampl.o--aga ins t even the possibility of extra sensory mental powers.
 IL is a prejudice which, I myse-Lf to a certain dogree, share."
 Russell. Targ
 Ilarol-d Puthoff
 E'.'Lectronics and [~:LoenE;ineering Laboratory
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 Approved For Release 2000/08/10 : CIA-RDP96-00787ROO0200150001-5