Afrikjan or Afrikyan

[case sensitive]

Misspelling your name?

He really wants to send a videotape of him moving a compass needle. Now that is truly magical. How I wish I had a superpower too. Bend spoons and move needles with only your mind. God blesses people with wonderful and useful gifts.

Now please bicker and argue about Igor Afrikjan or Afrikyan. Maybe someone has a good protocol for him. You know you want to design it!

case sensitive

(edited for misspelling my name)

[DevilsAdvocate]

Maybe someone has a good protocol for him. You know you want to design it!Simple. Put 6 compasses together on a table labeled 1 to 6. Tester rolls a six sided die. For whatever number comes up, applicants makes the needle of that compass, and only that compass, move 90 degrees clockwise. :)

[rjh01]

Please communicate with me, instead of James Randi, as it slows things down. Meaning it slows things down if he communications with Jeff? Better wording would be 'In order to speed things up please communicate with me at ...'

I would like to see the applicant (and all other witnesses) and the compass at least two meters apart. This will prevent the applicant using a hidden magnet. The compass must be in a sealed container. This will prevent it moving due to air currents.

[DevilsAdvocate]

would like to see the applicant (and all other witnesses) and the compass at least two meters apart. This will prevent the applicant using a hidden magnet. The compass must be in a sealed container. This will prevent it moving due to air currents.With my protocol, distance and sealing do not matter. It is very simple. If all the compasses are together on a table, then anything like a magnet or air current would affect ALL of the compasses and not just the selected one. ;)

ETA: Although it wouldn't be necessary, I assume that (like most really cool science experiments) the compasses will be purchased at a local dime store. Every compass I've ever owned has come sealed in a metal or plastic case with a glass or plastic lid. Of course with a protocol of multiple compasses it doesn't matter much but the normal sealed kind of compasses would be preferred.

[steenkh]

With my protocol, distance and sealing do not matter. It is very simple. If all the compasses are together on a table, then anything like a magnet or air current would affect ALL of the compasses and not just the selected one. ;)
As I read mr. Afrikyan's claim, he does not actually claim that he can single out a compass among several. On the contrary, he claims he can move several compasses at the same time.

[rjh01]

I still say keep your distance. Then it would be impossible to remotely control a compass with ordinary methods.

How to pass the Devils advocate test.
Place your hand over the selected compass. Move your hand slightly in the right way. The compass will rotate. Other compasses nearby would not move much. You just need to wear a metal ring.

[GzuzKryzt]

Mr. Afrikyan should be checked for subcutane magnets. Does it seem far-fatched to imagine he could use a magnet (or any other helping device) inside his body?
At which distance would swallowed magnets (in the stomach or bowel) affect the compass? Depends on the size and strength of the magnet, right? Does the size of the needle also matter if you want to move it from a distance via magnet?
To influence one particular compass from a short distance, a magnet inside a hand would be suitable, right?

I do not think, Mr. Afrikyan, that you intend to use any of those cheating methods. I simply want to see a fair protocol set-up for your test.

[eri]

Not far-fetched at all. I remember reading an article on the Drudge Report last week about people having magnets implanted in their palms/fingertips in order to sense the magnetic field of their computer. It wouldn't take much to overcome the field of the Earth.

[Thing]

I don't want to sound like a party pooper and I know we're all rarin' to go a protocol-designin', but I think it would have been quite revealing to hear what his proposed protocol was before he'd heard our suggestions. For one thing, if I were hoping to win the challenge by trickery (which I'm not suggesting Igor is) I'd like to hear how everyone thinks I'd be most likely to cheat so I can pick another way to do so.

[rjh01]

When and if we get a test protocol then we can then look at it.

Using magnets and air currents are the obvious things. I want to see method c.

[case sensitive]

I don't want to sound like a party pooper and I know we're all rarin' to go a protocol-designin', but I think it would have been quite revealing to hear what his proposed protocol was before he'd heard our suggestions. For one thing, if I were hoping to win the challenge by trickery (which I'm not suggesting Igor is) I'd like to hear how everyone thinks I'd be most likely to cheat so I can pick another way to do so.

I want to hear your CT about why a person misspells his name. It is a huge red flag in my book.

[steenkh]

I want to hear your CT about why a person misspells his name. It is a huge red flag in my book.
I do not think that he misspells his name. He spells his name in cyrillic, and he is just unsure how to transliterate it to roman.

[case sensitive]

I do not think that he misspells his name. He spells his name in cyrillic, and he is just unsure how to transliterate it to roman.

Maybe, but why not stick to the same spelling every time. Hopefully we will see how he really spells his name and how real his powers are.

[Kimpatsu]

This isn't the same guy as here, is it?
http://206.225.95.123/forumlive/showthread.php?t=28319&highlight=igor

[steenkh]

This isn't the same guy as here, is it?
http://206.225.95.123/forumlive/showthread.php?t=28319&highlight=igor
Probably not. Igor is a quite common name in those parts. Simchanko was from Belarus, and Afrikjan is from Russia (at least Randi is going to ask CSICOP Russia to deal with the claim).

[NiallM]

Of course, using his hands (if that's what he does) would be a big redirection.

He might have a magnet implanted in his knee or his thigh.

By judiciously raising or lowering his leg under the table, he could effectively turn the effect on or off. Yet it would be his hands that would attract attention - and they would be free of implants.

[Meffy]

A few close passes of the hand (or whatever) over/under a surface lightly coated with iron filings should reveal any implanted magnets. But the applicant could say "the iron filings are compasses, so this just proves my ability." Same with one of those little hand-held gimballed magnetic field probes, magnetometers, etc.

[GzuzKryzt]

A few close passes of the hand (or whatever) over/under a surface lightly coated with iron filings should reveal any implanted magnets. But the applicant could say "the iron filings are compasses, so this just proves my ability." Same with one of those little hand-held gimballed magnetic field probes, magnetometers, etc.

No problemo: Raise the stakes.
Bet him another mil that we will find something implanted if we rip his flesh, er, um, surgically open his hand.
Await his response.

[Meffy]

A nice rechargeable low-power hand-held X-ray gun (I rather like the Nomad, fun to work with an actual "ray gun") and sensor would give a quick look inside the skin without requiring damage to the applicant.

Admittedly, some might consider that a drawback...

[edit] Info on the Nomad: http://www.aseptico.com/aru-06.html <-- seriously cool

[GzuzKryzt]

A nice rechargeable low-power hand-held X-ray gun (I rather like the Nomad, fun to work with an actual "ray gun") and sensor would give a quick look inside the skin without requiring damage to the applicant.

Admittedly, some might consider that a drawback...

[edit] Info on the Nomad: http://www.aseptico.com/aru-06.html <-- seriously cool

As much as I like wielding axes, I'll always put the applicant's harm, dangit, safety first.

The Nomad reminds me of the F-Ray device from Prof. Farnsworth. :)

[Meffy]

It works great, and can be set to emit very low dosage of radiation. Even so I keep that leaded acrylic disk installed over the muzzle. Plus it adds a great Buck Rogers-y look! =^_^=

Here's an X-ray I made of a Lego Harry Potter mini-figure. Note that even his cape, made of thin fabric, shows where it's edge-on (around neck and shoulders).
http://www.freewebtown.com/meffy/stuffs/lego_harry_potter.jpg
Works on non-Lego too.

[edit] Back on topic: Maybe the company that makes the Nomad could be convinced to lend a unit for testing...?

[GzuzKryzt]

If the JREF asked, it'll have more penache.

And it will help the PR of the manufacturer/retailer. In either a success or a bust.

[TimmyBerry]

I think the name translation hits a rock on "ia", "ya", or "ja". (Same issue in Nadya/ja/ia) The english alphabet doesn't have an analogy for that one. :p

[steenkh]

I think the name translation hits a rock on "ia", "ya", or "ja". (Same issue in Nadya/ja/ia) The english alphabet doesn't have an analogy for that one. :p
I believe that the problem is not that it cannot be transliterated to the "English" alphabet, but that different languages have different rules for pronunciation of the same letters. For instance, the "ya" would be better transliterated to "ja" when in German or Danish, but the English would tend to pronounce that combination completely wrong. So, should one alter the transliteration according to which language is the intended target, or should one try to find a "universal" transliteration to Roman letters that would work adequately for most languages?

[TimmyBerry]

Universal would be nice, but I do not believe that there is one.