MAGNETIC PATTERN ERASURE: A PROPOSED METHOD OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY
by Ronald S. Hawke, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, Livermore,
California.
Ronald S. Hawke received a B.S.E.E. degree from the University
of California at Berkeley in 1961, and did graduate work in electromagnetics
and solid state physics. A scientist at the Lawrence Livermore
Laboratory of the University of California since 1961, he has
published more than a dozen articles in several fields, including
plasma physics, microwaves, Raman spectroscopy, and high pressure
physics. Hawke spent a year on sabbatical leave at the Max Planck
Institute. He is currently doing research on metallic hydrogen
at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory.
Hawke's paper serves two functions. First, it presents a
series of events that occurred during a visit by Geller to the
Lawrence Livermore Laboratory in late 1974, events that, Hawke
says, might be suggestive of paranormal happenings, but cannot
be offered as unequivocal proof. In the second part of the paper,
Hawke gives a detailed outline of some tightly designed experiments
to which he feels Geller should be subjected.
Hawke's observations presented here involve Geller's influence
on magnetic program cards. Such cards typically contain information
that is to be fed to a computer. The information is not printed
in ink on each card, but is contained on the surface of the card
in the form of certain magnetic patterns; each pattern conveys
a different piece of information. A layer of plastic covers all
of the patterns on a given card. Rubbing a magnetic program card
with one's fingers, as Geller did, will not alter its pattern.
However, an extraneous magnetic field can change a program.
Published for the first time, with the permission of the
author.
Abstract
This paper summarizes a meeting with Uri Geller, during which
the magnetic pattern stored in the iron oxide layer of a magnetic
program card was erased. In order to determine the mechanism
of the erasure, a detailed outline for a possible experiment is
given. The method is based on the known properties of iron oxide
and would ultimately lead to a fundamental understanding of what
is happening, whether it be normal or paranormal.
Introduction
There has been a considerable amount of effort spent in validating
paranormal phenomena,(1) not to mention what has been spent in
disproving it. There has been much less work done to determine
exactly what happens at a macroscopic, microscopic, molecular,
atomic, or nuclear level during a psychokinetic (PK) event. Ultimately,
greater understanding would not only reduce the mystery surrounding
these events, but also would make it possible to develop useful
scientific theories and/or practical applications, as there has
been profit from studying seriously other originally mysterious
phenomena, such as magnetism, electricity, radioactivity, etc.
Basically, unstudied phenomena remain mysterious and debatable,
but studied phenomena enhance understanding and usefulness. This
paper gives an example of a proposed method for the detailed investigation
of a single phenomenon that might or might not be paranormal.
The first part of the paper is a brief summary of a meeting with
Uri Geller at which we began to observe a class of possible PK
phenomena that seems to be unusually susceptible to quantitative
scientific study. We present the results of preliminary tests;
then we outline a systematic method that would lead to an understanding
of what kind of phenomena causes the particular result of a test
without assuming or precluding the existence of a paranormal or
anomalous nature.
Nature of the Phenomenon
The particular phenomenon chosen for this discussion results
from a meeting of a few colleagues and myself with Uri Geller
in late 1974. Additional study is warranted by the following
event, which should not be construed as a conclusive demonstration
of a paranormal phenomenon, but rather as a suggestion for an
interesting area to investigate more thoroughly.
An attempt was made to erase or at least alter the highly ordered
magnetic pattern corresponding to a specific routine encoded on
a magnetic program card normally used with a Hewlett Packard Model
65 pocket calculator. The cards consist of a .0004-inch-thick
layer of iron oxide bonded to a .008-inch-thick plastic base.
Plate 35 is a photograph of a typical card and Plate 36 shows
the magnetic pattern stored in the iron oxide layer. The magnetic
pattern is made visible by a magnetic viewer,(2) which utiises
a colloidal suspension of fine iron oxide particles. The stored
magnetic field in the card penetrates the colloidal solution and
condenses the particles along the lines of force, causing the
formation of a dark region, which can be photographed.
During the meeting with Geller, the erasure of three cards and
the change of one card were attempted. The first card (Card 1)
given to Geller for erasure was sealed in a glass bottle with
its plastic top glued in place. The bottle was opened and the
card, inspected after the meeting, was found to be unchanged.
The second and third cards (Cards 2 and 3) were directly rubbed
by Geller with his fingers. After each attempt the card was inserted
into an HP 65 calculator, which will reject the program if the
pattern is ambiguous. Both Cards 2 and 3 were accepted prior
to Geller's attempts and rejected afterward. Subsequent inspection
with a magnetic viewer after the meeting with Geller revealed
that the magnetic patterns had been altered, as shown in Plates
37 and 38. (Of course, mere rubbing normally has no effect on
the magnetic pattern.)
The fourth card (Card 4) was lightly touched, but not rubbed,
by Geller; his intention was to "change" the program
rather than erase it. It remained operable in the calculator and
subsequent inspection did not indicate any change had occurred.
The first point to determine is whether the magnetic program
cards responded to an applied magnetic field, and/or other applied
forms of energy, or if their behavior was anomalous. If it is
found that there is a sufficient causal magnetic field present
during the cards' alteration, then the next step is to determine
the source of the field. If, on the other hand, a magnetic field
of sufficient intensity is not present during an alteration, then
the next step is to study other known possible causes. If all
known causes are excluded, then research at the molecular and
atomic level is indicated. Below is a summary of what is already
known about the magnetic, thermal, electric, and ultrasonic properties
of the program cards.
Properties of the Magnetic Program Cards(3)
Magnetic
Normally the magnetic field intensity required to erase the magnetic
pattern is about 265 oersteds (Oe). A slight altering of the
pattern can occur at an intensity as low as 150 Oe. For comparison,
the earth's magnetic field intensity at the surface is of the
order of 0.5 Oe. Common permanent magnets have field intensifies
of about 1000 to 20,000 Oe at the surface of the poles.
The minimum duration of the applied magnetic field needed to alter
the magnetic pattern is about 50 nanoseconds (ns).
Thermal
Temperatures above the Curie temperature can cause a randomization
of the magnetic pattern. For iron oxide the Curie temperature
is about 450 degrees C. The base material is plastic, which permanently
distorts at about 100 degrees C., much lower than the Curie temperature;
hence distortion of the base would accompany a thermally induced
erasure.
Ultrasonic
Ultrasonic waves do not erase or alter the magnetic pattern without
eroding the iron oxide layer. Again, inspection of the card would
indicate damage.
Electrical Conductivity
The cards are fabricated completely of high-resistance materials,
so small voltages would not be able to cause sufficient currents
to generate magnetic fields intense enough to alter the magnetic
pattern.
Electrostatic
Electrostatic fields up to the point of breakdown in air (about
10 kV/cm) do not cause any observable changes in the magnetic
pattern. If the voltage gradient is high enough for the air to
break down, an electric arc will occur. An arc is capable of
producing a magnetic field intense enough to alter the magnetic
pattern. A sufficiently intense arc would probably be audible
and would leave a charred area. A record of electric field intensity,
however, would be advisable.
Proposed Experimental Setup
For the purpose of answering the question, "Is the alteration
of the magnetic pattern caused by a magnetic field?" the
following setup or its equivalent would be suggested.
Magnetometers
At least two magnetometers should be placed with their sensitive
axes aligned with the plane of the iron oxide layer and orthogonal
to each other, as shown in Figure 1. If possible, a third magnetometer
should be aligned orthogonally to the plane of the card. The
magnetometers should be set at a sensitivity such that they can
detect a very concentrated magnetic field at a distance much greater
than that at which the magnetic pattern can be altered.(4)
Inductive Pickup Coils
Magnetometers respond slowly, compared to the switching time of
the program cards. They alone, therefore, are not adequate. Inductive
pickup coils can be used to detect more rapid changes of a magnetic
field. Such coils develop a voltage output that is proportional
to the number of turns in the coil, the cross-sectional area,
and the time rate of change of the magnetic field. Figure 2,
shows the frequency regions covered by magnetometers (Hall-type)
and two types of coils with few and many turns.(5) The coil with
a few turns should have inductance low enough to respond to pulses
50 ns or shorter. The coil with many turns is to provide larger
signals at the lower frequencies. The inductive pickup coils
should also be more sensitive than the program cards; they can
be tested with pulsed magnetic fields produced by a pulsed current,
of variable duration, applied to a low-inductance coil. Sensitivity
can be established for a variety of pulse lengths and applied
field orientations.
Fig. 2. Frequency response of Hall magnetometers and inductive
pickup coils
Electrostatic Field Detectors
Two sets of parallel wires along the sides of the card, as shown
in Figure 3 (page 130), should be used to detect electrostatic
fields and arcs.
Recording Instrumentation
One of many possible recording methods is briefly outlined here.
The outputs from the magnetometers can be monitored direct with
strip chart recorders. The outputs from the magnetic pickup coils
and electrostatic field detectors can be amplified and used to
trigger threshold detectors, which are preset to levels that correspond
to signals from magnetic pulses smaller than those required to
alter a program card. The output from the threshold detectors
can then be recorded on a multichannel event recorder. Of course,
more sophisticated monitoring of all potentially fast signals
with video-tape techniques would be an added asset. Naturally,
other factors are also necessary, such as continuous video-taping
of the region around the magnetic program card, including its
inspection before and after its placement in the instrumented
region.
Summary
A brief description of what might be an unusual erasure of a
magnetic program card has been given. On the supposition that
an anomalous phenomenon could be the causal mechanism, a possible
basic experiment is described: The experiment would ascertain
if an erasure is caused by normal mechanisms or not. If known
mechanisms are not the cause of erasure, then the anomalous behavior
of the magnetic iron oxide film certainly requires further study.
If, on the other hand, the erasure is caused by a known mechanism,
such as a magnetic field, then its source must be studied.
The same style of pursuit would be scientifically useful in other
types of PK study; for example, acoustic emission studies during
the bending of metals, and photoelastic analysis during the bending
of plastics.
At the time of this writing plans are under discussion for
Geller to undergo a series of experiments devised by Ronald Hawke.
The first of these tests, if they come about, will be an attempt
by Geller to alter or erase information stored on magnetic program
cards in the manner outlined in the above paper. If significant
results are obtained, then Hawke would like to try two other PK
experiments, which he briefly mentions in the closing paragraph
of his paper. In one experiment Hawke wants to run sound waves
through a metal object Geller is trying to bend. Any deformations
in the metal will alter the pattern and intensity of the waves.
By studying the differences between the input and output sound
waves, Hawke hopes to understand better the mechanism that produces
the deformations. He would then like to perform the same general
type of experiment while Geller tries to bend plastics; the difference
here would be that light waves rather than sound waves would be
used as the investigative probe. Geller has consented to participate
in such tests, but no definite date has yet been set.
REFERENCES
1. A good summary of several areas of PK research with extensive
references can be found in Psychic Exploration: A Challenge
for Science, E. D. Mitchell, ed. by John White (New York:
G. P. Putnam's, 1974).
2.Product of 3M Company, St. Paul, Minnesota.
3."Magnetic Tape Erasure - How Serious Is the Threat?"
M-CL-237(322)R (Jan. 1972.), Product Communications, 3M
Company, St. Paul, Minnesota.
4.A concentrated magnetic field can be obtained for testing by
using a very small chip from a magnet.
5.The exact number of turns in each coil would depend on many
factors but a typical number would be about 100 for the few-turn
coil and 10,000 for the many-turn coil.
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