Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research Lab

The Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research (PEAR) was a research program at Princeton University that studied parapsychology.[1] Established in 1979 by then Dean of Engineering Robert G. Jahn, PEAR conducted formal studies on two primary subject areas, psychokinesis (PK) and remote viewing.[2][3] Owing to the controversial nature of the subject matter, the program had a strained relationship with Princeton and was considered by the administration and some faculty to be an embarrassment to the university.[4][5][6][7][8] Critics suggested that it lacked scientific rigor, used poor methodology, and misused statistics,[9][10][11] and characterized it as pseudoscience.[1] PEAR closed in February 2007, being incorporated into the "International Consciousness Research Laboratories (ICRL).[5]

  1. ^ a b Pigliucci, Massimo (2010-05-15). Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk. University of Chicago Press. p. 77. ISBN 9780226667874.
  2. ^ Hopkins, Peter L. (2002-04-11). "Princeton studies mind reading - or did you already know that?". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 2014-12-03.
  3. ^ "Experiments". princeton.edu. Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research.
  4. ^ *Burnett, D. Graham (Summer 2009). "Games of chance". Cabinet. No. 34 Testing.
  5. ^ a b Carey, Benedict (2007-02-10). "A Princeton lab on ESP plans to close its doors". The New York Times.
  6. ^ Shallit, Jeffrey (2006-11-19). "The PEAR has finally rotted". Recursivity. Blogger. Retrieved 2014-12-05.
  7. ^ "Princeton to close ESP lab". USA Today. Associated Press. 2007-02-11. Retrieved 2014-12-05.
  8. ^ Reed, J.D. (2003-03-09). "Mind over matter". The New York Times.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference SkepDic was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Merolla, Lisa (2007-02-23). "'Pseudoscience' lab closes at Princeton". The Daily Free Press. Boston.
  11. ^ Pigliucci 2010, p. 79.