Jessica Utts: Remote possibilities

Complex Presentiment (by Kazimir Malevich)

Upon first glance, Professor Jessica Utts seems "normal" enough.  After all, "Statisticians Gone Wild" isn't a likely title for your average reality show.

Nevertheless, this Department of Statistics Chair from the University of California at Irvine (UCI) has had more than 15 minutes' worth of paranormal fame.  Interspersed on her UCI Home Page - right there alongside the "Statistical Methods" and

"Linear Models" course offerings – is a section called "Parapsychology Links."  Furthermore, there is a course listing titled "Integrated Studies 8C, Testing Psychic Claims."  This course (which included numerous readings from The Conscious Universe by Dean Radin, then-President of the

Parapsychological Association) was taught by none other than Utts herself.

Utts - who holds a BA in Math and Psychology from SUNY Binghamton, plus an MA and  PhD from the Department of Statistics at Penn State – has received a host of accolades and awards for her innovative applications of statistics.  She has been a strong advocate for "teaching students the skills necessary to properly interpret statistical results in scientific studies."

Wikipedia also reports that she served on a 1995 panel that evaluated the Stargate Project ("a project investigating remote viewing for espionage applications… which was funded by the Central Intelligence Agency and Defense Intelligence Agency…").  Utts' report concerning this project indicated that some psychic functioning (especially precognition) did exist, and that it should be further studied in order to be more fully utilized.

Resources

http://www.ics.uci.edu/~jutts/

http://www.greaterreality.com/uttscredentials.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Utts

Copyright November 8, 2012 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved