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Jinn · 06-17-2005, 08:37 AM

As a critical thinker myself, I tend to believe this can be more easily explained. Certainly everyone can present anecdotal evidence of turning on/off a street light since they do this overheat-reheat cycle. However, I think the "wishful observer" has its effect here. If you really had an electromagnetic aura, excess static electricity, mind-powers, or super-powers, why does this not occur with a normal incandescent bulb?

Unless you can consistently say that everytime you walk under a streetlight it turns off AND everytime you walk under a house light it turns off, you cannot say it was any effect of your own. The difference must be in the composition of the bulb/light apparatus; you are the constant and the light is the variable. With all variables, certain values can elicit unexpected responses. Even if you subscribed to the "superpower" theory, it would be easily solved by examining the light itself.

Because there are many logical reasons they could burn out, examining any light you think you've caused to turn off would easily give your answer. Some, unlike Chicago's lights, have individual photovoltaic/photosensitive sensors. Photovoltaic sensors are sensitive to heat as well as light, because heat is an emission of "light" in the UV spectrum. The heat (250+ degrees) and headlights of a car combined are certainly enough to trigger one of these cells. Similarly, body heat and reflection/refraction of light off of anything "shiny" on your body, from aglets to earrings, could be enough to temporarily enable the sensor, but only during your presense.

In the case of a light with a shared sensor (between many lights) there is the possibility that something/someone is triggering that sensor and appropriately lighting/unlighting the bulbs in a close proximity to you.

Combine the unpredictablity of sensor activitation with the "wishful observer" idea -- that you only pay attention when it DOES happen, not when it does not, and I think you have a very plausible, rational explanation.

06-17-2005, 08:37 AM	#55 (permalink)
Jinn Lover - Protector - Teacher Location: Seattle, WA	As a critical thinker myself, I tend to believe this can be more easily explained. Certainly everyone can present anecdotal evidence of turning on/off a street light since they do this overheat-reheat cycle. However, I think the "wishful observer" has its effect here. If you really had an electromagnetic aura, excess static electricity, mind-powers, or super-powers, why does this not occur with a normal incandescent bulb? Unless you can consistently say that everytime you walk under a streetlight it turns off AND everytime you walk under a house light it turns off, you cannot say it was any effect of your own. The difference must be in the composition of the bulb/light apparatus; you are the constant and the light is the variable. With all variables, certain values can elicit unexpected responses. Even if you subscribed to the "superpower" theory, it would be easily solved by examining the light itself. Because there are many logical reasons they could burn out, examining any light you think you've caused to turn off would easily give your answer. Some, unlike Chicago's lights, have individual photovoltaic/photosensitive sensors. Photovoltaic sensors are sensitive to heat as well as light, because heat is an emission of "light" in the UV spectrum. The heat (250+ degrees) and headlights of a car combined are certainly enough to trigger one of these cells. Similarly, body heat and reflection/refraction of light off of anything "shiny" on your body, from aglets to earrings, could be enough to temporarily enable the sensor, but only during your presense. In the case of a light with a shared sensor (between many lights) there is the possibility that something/someone is triggering that sensor and appropriately lighting/unlighting the bulbs in a close proximity to you. Combine the unpredictablity of sensor activitation with the "wishful observer" idea -- that you only pay attention when it DOES happen, not when it does not, and I think you have a very plausible, rational explanation. __________________ "I'm typing on a computer of science, which is being sent by science wires to a little science server where you can access it. I'm not typing on a computer of philosophy or religion or whatever other thing you think can be used to understand the universe because they're a poor substitute in the role of understanding the universe which exists independent from ourselves." - Willravel