# Stupid Sci-Fi channel shoveling more cold-reading psychic crap again **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 30, 2006, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-sci-fi-channel-shoveling-more-cold-reading-psychic-crap-again/350499 "2006-03-30T03:56:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-sci-fi-channel-shoveling-more-cold-reading-psychic-crap-again/350499/21 "2006-03-31T03:07:30Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > Just watch out for the smoking hot martian chicks who eat your brain while you’re trying to make it with them. Actually, that’s what I was trying to say. With my luck, it would be the hot Martian chick who would eat my brains. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-sci-fi-channel-shoveling-more-cold-reading-psychic-crap-again/350499/22 "2006-03-31T05:12:12Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > the next question is What the FRAK is this doing on “The Sci-Fi Channel”, yes it’s _clearly_ _FICTION_ but there is _no_ SCIENCE involved in it… So? They did _Wizard of Earthsea,_ didn’t they? The “SF” genre is generally acknowledged to encompass everything from “hard” SF to sword-and-sorcery fantasy and everything in between – IOW, in everything you’ll find shelved in the SF section at the bookstore. And that includes stories about the “paranormal.” ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-sci-fi-channel-shoveling-more-cold-reading-psychic-crap-again/350499/23 "2006-03-31T05:43:14Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > If you travel to Mars via spaceship, it’s SF. If you go there via magic spell, it’s fantasy. But ultimately the story is about what happens when you get to Mars. True, but all they’re showing now is a guy claiming he went to Mars and is trying to sell us the rocks. “And I can prove it, too! Look at Mars, there. Do you see me?” “No…” “Right! That’s because I came back!” “Amazing!” ---
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-sci-fi-channel-shoveling-more-cold-reading-psychic-crap-again/350499/24 "2006-03-31T06:00:32Z")
Actually, the [praying mantis](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_007) already has the “eat your boyfriend’s head while he’s f$#@ing you” mode of reproduction down. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-sci-fi-channel-shoveling-more-cold-reading-psychic-crap-again/350499/25 "2006-04-05T09:53:15Z")
> [@ianzin](#): > > Don’t forget there’s an existing Staff Report on this subject that explains some of the nuances of cold reading and the psychic industry. It was written by **Dex** but I helped him with it in places: > > [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mcoldreading.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mcoldreading.html) > > **Glee** refers to a recent TV stunt on Derren Brown’s TV show. Yes, it was very nicely done and made its point very well. However, just for the record, and without taking anything away from Derren’s excellent showmanship and presentation, it wasn’t his idea and he wasn’t the first to do it by a long way. I did exactly the same stunt on both British and American TV in the 90s, and other people (including, I believe, Ray Hyman and Milbourne Christopher) did it before me. Repeating for emphasis: this is not meant in any way as a criticism of Derren or how the item was produced by his TV team. Just sayin’, is all… I’m sure Derren didn’t intend to claim it was original - it’s just the sort of thing he does well. ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-sci-fi-channel-shoveling-more-cold-reading-psychic-crap-again/350499/26 "2006-04-05T17:32:42Z")
> [@glee](#): > > I’m sure Derren didn’t intend to claim it was original MAybe not, and I’m inclined to agree with you. However, some viewers might leap to this conclusion, especially since the end credits began with ‘Routines devised by Luke Jermay, Andy Nyman, Derren Brown’. Incidentally, I know these three, and Luke did once say that he likes the Dope! So if you’re reading Luke… hi! And well done to all three, it was a great show. ---
**Author:** ![artemis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@artemis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/artemis)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-sci-fi-channel-shoveling-more-cold-reading-psychic-crap-again/350499/27 "2006-04-06T01:07:09Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > the next question is What the FRAK is this doing on “The Sci-Fi Channel”, yes it’s _clearly_ _FICTION_ but there is _no_ SCIENCE involved in it… The same thing all those shows about ghosts and ESP are doing on The Learning Channel, the Discovery Channel, and the Travel Channel - crapping up the joint. These shows must be the video equivalent of cockroaches: squash one, and three others pop up in its place. They’re seemingly unkillable. I suppose the cable channels like them because they’re cheap to produce. (And a slight, but related, hijack: what the hell does poker have to do with travel? It seems the World Poker Tour airs on the Travel Channel every other night! I guess it’s too much to ask that cable channels actually live up to their names and air appropriate content.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-sci-fi-channel-shoveling-more-cold-reading-psychic-crap-again/350499.md?page=1)