57 lines
3.2 KiB
Plaintext
57 lines
3.2 KiB
Plaintext
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- Reprinted(typed?) by Marc at epsilon from the
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- June/July 1986 issue of Bulletin Board Systems Magazine.
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SPECIAL INTERESTS
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Paranet BBS Explores Fringe Sciences
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In James J. Speiser's opinion, the exploration of paranormal phenomenon
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is beset by two warring camps.
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On one side are the believers, who Speiser says have been accused of
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careless or even fraudulent research. On the other side are scientists
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who close their minds to anything other than mainstream science.
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"Unfortunately, for those of us in the middle, caught in a seemingly
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endless cycle of ignorance, the questions always get posed in the likes of
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The National Enquirer, while the "answers" are published in the Skeptical
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Inquirer. What you have are two monologues, where there should be one
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dialogue."
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To encourage such a dialogue, Speiser started ParaNet/The Other Side, an
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Arizona bulletin board dedicated to "filling the information gap between
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believers and non-believers in the fringe sciences."
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The unusual is the ordinary on Speiser's BBS. It regularly deals with
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Unidentified Flying Objects, astral projection, mysterious burning deaths,
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extrasensory perception, reincarnation and the possibility of plesiosaurs
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in our lakes.
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"Man is surrounded by mysteries," said Speiser. "His Fascination with the
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unknown is as old as knowledge itself. But untill now, much of our
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ignorance of these subjects could be ascribed to lack of suitable mass
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communications. Many of the myths surrounding these mysteries were
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propagated because there was no way to get the right knowledge to the
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right people."
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The BBS is operated by The National Fringe Sciences Information Service in
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Fountain Hills, Arizona. It is the flagship board of the ParaNet System,
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which is a planned network of such boards around the country, dedicated to
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the enlightenment of individuals seeking the truth about the paranormal.
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"I envision ParaNet as a series of bulletin boards around the country,
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collecting data in the form of new and significant studies, and
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disseminating it to interested individuals, including high school and
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college students, housewives, telecommunications magazine editors, and
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theoretical physicists," said Speiser.
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He said he expects and welcomes challenge and skepticsm and hopes that not
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only scientists but also average people will take part in the dialogue.
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The BBS includes brief reports of unusual occurrences, such as a fireball
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spotted over Vancouver, British Columbia in Febuary and an obituary for
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Edgar Cayce biographer Gladys Davis Turner. Other files include an
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article on ancient astronauts and several on UFOs.
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Speiser's BBS uses the BBS-PC software. It's open twenty-four hours at
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602-837-0062. His voice number is 602-837-9838.
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The UFO Information Service in Seattle, Washington, share's Paranet's
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interest in UFOs. The board stocks both news articles and research
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reports and is used primarily by researchers, doctors, military brass, and
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other experts in the field.
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The BBS, which requires sysop verification for access, is online at
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206-722-5738
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