I really like this thread, including the insight it offers us into the private lives of other people. For example, people who brush their teeth while watching TV. Or Don McBurney, who first reveals the shocking truth during a discussion of after-images that he never uses PowerPoint and now tells us that he doesn't have an electric toothbrush either. Consequently, he misses the opportunity to observe phenomena of great psychological importance. Before we have further speculation on this topic, we have two competing hypotheses to consider: a) the perceptual hypothesis, which explains the jiggle effect as an optical illusion generated within our own nervous system, or at least within the nervous system of Faith's student. b) the electromagnetic energy hypothesis, in which the phenomenon is ascribed to physical factors external to the individual. Two simple tests can distinguish between them. Faith, could you ask your student to do the following, and report back to us? 1) Induce the jiggle effect by brushing her teeth. Ask other people to report whether they also see the jiggle effect. 2) Run the electric toothbrush outside the mouth, and with no contact between the toothbrush and its student. Does the student still observe the jiggle? If the answers to both 1) and 2) are yes, we have strong support for hypothesis (b). If the answers are both no, we have support for hypothesis a). If we get one yes and one no, we have a problem. I'm betting on hypothesis (b). -Stephen Note added in proof: ok, I just ran my electric toothbrush at my computer monitor. No jiggle, not even when it's in my mouth. This does not seem to be a robust phenomenon. Of course, neither was cold fusion. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stephen Black, Ph.D. tel: (819) 822-9600 ext 2470 Department of Psychology fax: (819) 822-9661 Bishop's University e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Lennoxville, QC J1M 1Z7 Canada Department web page at http://www.ubishops.ca/ccc/div/soc/psy Check out TIPS listserv for teachers of psychology at: http://www.frostburg.edu/dept/psyc/southerly/tips/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------
