Tiny Matters Ghosts and cyborgs: A specter skeptic and the promise (and perils) of biohybrid robots
Oct 30, 2024
Join Chris French, an expert in anomalistic psychology, and Vicki Webster-Wood, a leader in biohybrid robotics, as they explore the spectral and mechanical realms. French dives into the psychology of ghost sightings, examining how expectations and environmental factors mislead ghost hunters. He also discusses the intrigue of ghost-hunting gear. Meanwhile, Webster-Wood unveils the promises of biohybrid robots, from biodegradable actuators to using them for environmental monitoring, while emphasizing the ethical concerns of integrating human tissues in robotics.
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Evolutionary Bias Toward Detecting Agents
- Humans evolved a bias to assume potential threats or agents are present because false alarms are less costly than misses.
- This threat-detection bias helps explain widespread beliefs in spirits across cultures.
The Rise And Fraud Of Spirit Photography
- Spirit photography surged with portrait photography and Civil War mourning, producing double exposures that looked like ghosts.
- William Mumler became famous and was later tried for fraud when repeat ghostly images appeared across customers' photos.
What EMF Meters Actually Measure
- EMF meters measure electric, magnetic, and radio fields by detecting voltages caused by moving electrons in plates and loops.
- Devices like the TriField meter target artificial sources but similar sensors can also detect natural fields.
