John Gerald Taylor (18 August 1931 – 10 March 2012) was a British physicist and author.[1] He is notable for writing a book critical of paranormal phenomena.[2]
Taylor attended King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford and Mid-Essex Polytechnic, before gaining MA (Cantab) and PhD degrees from Christ's College, Cambridge (1950–1956). He had a wide-ranging academic career in mathematical physics and artificial intelligence. He was an emeritus professor and Director of the centre for Neural Networks at King's College London and guest scientist of the Research Centre at the Institute of Medicine in Jülich, Germany. From 2007 to 2012, Taylor led a unique research program at Commerzbank's Alternative Investment Strategies (COMAS) Group. The program used artificial intelligence techniques to create portfolios of hedge funds. This is the first program of its kind in the fund of hedge funds industry.
In 2011, Taylor co-founded Commonwealth Capital Management LLP together with Nathaniel Philip Rothschild and Mehraj Mattoo. The company launched its first systematic fund of CTAs on Deutsche Bank's dbSelect platform based on Taylor's artificial intelligence models developed while he worked at COMAS.
His previous positions and interests, while still at King's College, were in mathematics and physics. He was the author of many popular books.[3][4]
Taylor also trained as an actor and performed in plays and films, wrote several science fiction plays and directed stage productions in Oxford and Cambridge.
Parapsychology
Taylor, after witnessing spoon bending by Uri Geller, became interested in parapsychology. At first he believed that Geller's feats as well as other alleged paranormal phenomena were genuine. He wrote a book titled Superminds (1975) in which he argued for a physical explanation for the paranormal. He believed the explanation for extrasensory perception, psychokinesis, spoon bending and other paranormal phenomena may be found in electromagnetism. However, experiments that he conducted under laboratory conditions were negative which left him sceptical regarding the validity of paranormal phenomena.[5][6][7]
Taylor had tested children in metal bending. According to Martin Gardner the controls were inadequate as the children would put paper clips in their pockets and later take one out twisted or be left with metal rods unobserved. James Randi managed to bend an aluminium bar when Taylor was not looking and scratch on it "Bent by Randi". In other experiments two scientists from Bath University examined metal bending with children in a room which was secretly being videotaped through a one-way mirror. The film revealed that the children bent the objects with their hands and feet. Due to the evidence of trickery, Taylor concluded metal bending had no paranormal basis.[8]
Taylor wrote that the physicalist explanation in which properties of objects have been explained in terms of their constituents has been most successful in science. The forces holding them together are gravity, radioactivity, electromagnetism and the nuclear force. Taylor wrote that only one force could possibly explain alleged paranormal phenomena: electromagnetic forces acting on the normal constituents of bodies. Taylor wrote that when science faces up to the supernatural it is a case of "electromagnetism or bust". In a four-year investigation into the paranormal, Taylor and his colleague Eduardo Balanovski searched for abnormal electromagnetic signals in parapsychological experiments. Electromagnetic and radio-wave detectors were used but no abnormal electromagnetic signals or paranormal effects were observed.[7][9]
Taylor wrote that an unknown fifth force causing psychokinesis would have to transmit a great deal of energy. The energy would have to overcome the electromagnetic forces binding the atoms together. The atoms would need to respond more strongly to the fifth force while it is operative than to electric forces. Such an additional force between atoms should therefore exist all the time and not during only alleged paranormal occurrences. Taylor wrote there is no scientific trace of such a force in physics, down to many orders of magnitude; thus if a scientific viewpoint is to be preserved the idea of any fifth force must be discarded. Taylor concluded there is no possible physical mechanism for psychokinesis and it is in complete contradiction to established science.[9]
In his book Science and the Supernatural (1980) Taylor concluded that all the paranormal phenomena he investigated turned out to have a naturalistic scientific explanation or did not occur under careful controlled conditions.[2] He wrote that many of the results could be explained by fraud, credulity, fantasy and sensory cues. The book received a positive review in the New Scientist, which concluded "he will not make any converts among believers in the paranormal, but at the same time, he probably will not alienate many of them either".[2]
Quotes
We have searched for the supernatural and not found it. In the main, only poor experimentation, shoddy theory and human gullibility have been encountered. There is also the realization that nearly all of the claimed paranormal phenomena are in complete contradiction to established science. John Taylor (1980) Science and the Supernatural
The Promise of Neural Networks (Perspectives in Neural Computing), (1993), ISBN3-540-19773-7.
Science and the Supernatural: An Investigation of Paranormal Phenomena Including Psychic Healing, Clairvoyance, Telepathy, and Precognition by a Distinguished Physicist and Mathematician (1980), ISBN0-85117-191-5
Superminds: An Enquiry into the Paranormal (1975), ISBN0-333-17701-0
^ abTaylor, John. (1980). Science and the Supernatural: An Investigation of Paranormal Phenomena Including Psychic Healing, Clairvoyance, Telepathy, and Precognition by a Distinguished Physicist and Mathematician. Temple Smith. pp. 27–170. ISBN0-85117-191-5
^Thomas, Nigel. (2001). Review of John G. Taylor's The Race for Consciousness 16 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine. Mind. pp. 1127–1130.
May 21, 2023
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For other people named John Taylor see John Taylor disambiguation John Gerald Taylor 18 August 1931 10 March 2012 was a British physicist and author 1 He is notable for writing a book critical of paranormal phenomena 2 John Gerald TaylorBorn 1931 08 18 18 August 1931Died10 March 2012 2012 03 10 aged 80 Academic backgroundAlma materChrist s College CambridgeAcademic workDisciplinePhysicsInstitutionsKing s College LondonNotable worksScience and the Supernatural Contents 1 Biography 2 Parapsychology 3 Quotes 4 Published books 5 NotesBiography EditTaylor attended King Edward VI Grammar School Chelmsford and Mid Essex Polytechnic before gaining MA Cantab and PhD degrees from Christ s College Cambridge 1950 1956 He had a wide ranging academic career in mathematical physics and artificial intelligence He was an emeritus professor and Director of the centre for Neural Networks at King s College London and guest scientist of the Research Centre at the Institute of Medicine in Julich Germany From 2007 to 2012 Taylor led a unique research program at Commerzbank s Alternative Investment Strategies COMAS Group The program used artificial intelligence techniques to create portfolios of hedge funds This is the first program of its kind in the fund of hedge funds industry In 2011 Taylor co founded Commonwealth Capital Management LLP together with Nathaniel Philip Rothschild and Mehraj Mattoo The company launched its first systematic fund of CTAs on Deutsche Bank s dbSelect platform based on Taylor s artificial intelligence models developed while he worked at COMAS His previous positions and interests while still at King s College were in mathematics and physics He was the author of many popular books 3 4 Taylor also trained as an actor and performed in plays and films wrote several science fiction plays and directed stage productions in Oxford and Cambridge Parapsychology EditTaylor after witnessing spoon bending by Uri Geller became interested in parapsychology At first he believed that Geller s feats as well as other alleged paranormal phenomena were genuine He wrote a book titled Superminds 1975 in which he argued for a physical explanation for the paranormal He believed the explanation for extrasensory perception psychokinesis spoon bending and other paranormal phenomena may be found in electromagnetism However experiments that he conducted under laboratory conditions were negative which left him sceptical regarding the validity of paranormal phenomena 5 6 7 Taylor had tested children in metal bending According to Martin Gardner the controls were inadequate as the children would put paper clips in their pockets and later take one out twisted or be left with metal rods unobserved James Randi managed to bend an aluminium bar when Taylor was not looking and scratch on it Bent by Randi In other experiments two scientists from Bath University examined metal bending with children in a room which was secretly being videotaped through a one way mirror The film revealed that the children bent the objects with their hands and feet Due to the evidence of trickery Taylor concluded metal bending had no paranormal basis 8 Taylor wrote that the physicalist explanation in which properties of objects have been explained in terms of their constituents has been most successful in science The forces holding them together are gravity radioactivity electromagnetism and the nuclear force Taylor wrote that only one force could possibly explain alleged paranormal phenomena electromagnetic forces acting on the normal constituents of bodies Taylor wrote that when science faces up to the supernatural it is a case of electromagnetism or bust In a four year investigation into the paranormal Taylor and his colleague Eduardo Balanovski searched for abnormal electromagnetic signals in parapsychological experiments Electromagnetic and radio wave detectors were used but no abnormal electromagnetic signals or paranormal effects were observed 7 9 Taylor wrote that an unknown fifth force causing psychokinesis would have to transmit a great deal of energy The energy would have to overcome the electromagnetic forces binding the atoms together The atoms would need to respond more strongly to the fifth force while it is operative than to electric forces Such an additional force between atoms should therefore exist all the time and not during only alleged paranormal occurrences Taylor wrote there is no scientific trace of such a force in physics down to many orders of magnitude thus if a scientific viewpoint is to be preserved the idea of any fifth force must be discarded Taylor concluded there is no possible physical mechanism for psychokinesis and it is in complete contradiction to established science 9 In his book Science and the Supernatural 1980 Taylor concluded that all the paranormal phenomena he investigated turned out to have a naturalistic scientific explanation or did not occur under careful controlled conditions 2 He wrote that many of the results could be explained by fraud credulity fantasy and sensory cues The book received a positive review in the New Scientist which concluded he will not make any converts among believers in the paranormal but at the same time he probably will not alienate many of them either 2 Quotes EditWe have searched for the supernatural and not found it In the main only poor experimentation shoddy theory and human gullibility have been encountered There is also the realization that nearly all of the claimed paranormal phenomena are in complete contradiction to established science John Taylor 1980 Science and the SupernaturalPublished books EditHe is author of the following books The Mind A User s Manual 2006 ISBN 0 470 02222 1 Neural Networks and the Financial Markets Predicting Combining and Portfolio Optimisation 2002 ISBN 1 85233 531 9 The Race for Consciousness 1999 ISBN 0 262 20115 1 10 The Promise of Neural Networks Perspectives in Neural Computing 1993 ISBN 3 540 19773 7 Science and the Supernatural An Investigation of Paranormal Phenomena Including Psychic Healing Clairvoyance Telepathy and Precognition by a Distinguished Physicist and Mathematician 1980 ISBN 0 85117 191 5 Superminds An Enquiry into the Paranormal 1975 ISBN 0 333 17701 0 New Worlds in Physics 1974 ISBN 0 571 10258 1 Black Holes The End of the Universe 1973 ISBN 0 380 00327 9 The New Physics 1972 ISBN 0 465 05066 2 The Shape of Minds to Come 1971 ISBN 0 7181 0788 8Notes Edit King s College London January February 2012 Kcl ac uk 18 August 1931 Retrieved 25 May 2012 a b c Evans Peter 24 July 1980 Knock twice for no Science and the supernatural by John Taylor New Scientist p 297 Webmaster Maths Department Prof JG Taylor www mth KCL ac uk Retrieved 15 June 2017 King s College CNS Group Members www mth KCL ac uk Retrieved 15 June 2017 Taylor J G Balanovski E 1978 Can electromagnetism account for extra sensory phenomena Nature 276 5683 64 67 Bibcode 1978Natur 276 64B doi 10 1038 276064a0 PMID 740020 S2CID 4316473 Taylor J G amp Balanovski E 1979 Is there any scientific explanation of the paranormal Nature 279 631 633 a b Evans Peter 1980 Knock twice for no New Scientist Volume 87 p 297 Gardner Martin 1983 Science Good Bad and Bogus Oxford University Press pp 179 184 ISBN 0 19 286037 2 a b Taylor John 1980 Science and the Supernatural An Investigation of Paranormal Phenomena Including Psychic Healing Clairvoyance Telepathy and Precognition by a Distinguished Physicist and Mathematician Temple Smith pp 27 170 ISBN 0 85117 191 5 Thomas Nigel 2001 Review of John G Taylor s The Race for Consciousness Archived 16 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine Mind pp 1127 1130 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title John G Taylor amp oldid 1145172525, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
