lesson6 Flashcards
telepathy
intonation
the sound changes produced by the rise and fall of the voice when speaking, especially when this has an effect on the meaning of what is said
The end of a sentence that is not a question is usually marked by falling intonation
bitter
Someone who is bitter is angry and unhappy because they cannot forget bad things that happened in the past
I feel very bitter about my childhood and all that I went through
controversy
a lot of disagreement or argument about something, usually because it affects or is important to many people
publication of the article unleashed a scientific controversy that raged for years
derision
the situation in which someone or something is laughed at and considered stupid or of no value
They treated his suggestion with derision
sceptic
a person who doubts the truth or value of an idea or belief
people say it can cure colds, but I am a bit of a sceptic
rigorous
careful to look at or consider every part of something to make certain it is correct or safe
the test in dozens of rigorous scientific studies
implication
an occasion when you seem to suggest something without saying it directly
the results and their implications are dividing even the researchers who uncovered them
compelling
f a reason, argument, etc. is compelling, it makes you believe it or accept it because it is so strong
the results constitute compelling evidence that telepathy is genuine
constitute
to be or be considered as something
the results constitute compelling evidence that telepathy is genuine
genuine
If something is genuine, it is real and exactly what it appears to be
if it is a genuine Monalisa drawing, it will sell for millions
brink
the point where a new or different situation is about to begin
other psychologists believe the field is on the brink of collapse
advocate
to speak for, support, or represent a person or group of people who may need extra help or protection
A lot of people living in desperate poverty are taken advantage of and need someone to advocate for them
concur
to agree or have the same opinion
sceptics and advocates alike do concur on one issue
so-called
used to introduce a new word or phrase that is not yet known by many people
the so-colled “ganzfeld” experiments
suspect
to think or believe something to be true or probable
meditation led psychologists to suspect that telepathy might involve signals
swamp
to have too many of something, or to give someone too much to do
we have been swamped with emergencies today
reclining
(of a chair) able to be moved so that the back is in a nearly horizontal position
participants sitting in soft reclining chairs in a sealed room
sealed
closed
the host opened the sealed envelope containing the names of the winners.
beam
to send out a beam of light, an electrical or radio signal, etc.
sender would attempt to beam the image over the receiver
pioneer
a person who is one of the first people to do something
ganzfeld studies were analysed by one of its pioneers
overlook
to provide a view of, especially from above/to miss or not notice
our hotel room overlooked the harbor
flaw
a fault, mistake, or weakness, especially one that happens while something is being planned or made, or that causes something not to be perfect
but there was a crucial flaw in this argument
conventional
traditional and ordinary
rule out something
to decide or say officially that something is impossible or will not happen, or that something or someone is not suitable
chance had been ruled out as an explanation did not prove telepathy must exist
range
a set of similar things
sensory
connected with the physical senses of touch, smell, taste, hearing, and sight
outright
completely or immediately
I think cigarette advertising should be banned outright
fraud
the crime of getting money by deceiving people
If MrBeast was doing fraud, it would mean he was tricking people to get things, even though it looked like he was being nice and giving things away.
draw up
to prepare something, usually something official, in writing
they drew up a list demanding new standards for future research
meta-analysis
a research method that combines the results of several related studies to produce better results
meta-analysis a statistical technique for finding the overall results from a set of studies
point out
to make a person notice someone or something, sometimes by holding up one of your fingers towards him, her, or it
that demanding impressive evidence from every study ignores one basic statistical fact: it takes large samples to detect small effects
marginal(C2:)
very small in amount or effect
The report suggests that there has only been a marginal improvement in women’s pay over the past few years
mainstream
considered normal, and having or using ideas, beliefs, etc. that are accepted by most people
attitude of mainstream scientists: most still totally reject the very idea of telepathy
very
(used to add emphasis to a noun) exact or particular
this is the very book I’ve been looking for all month
plausible
seeming likely to be true, or able to be believed
the problem stems at least in part from the lack of any plausible mechanism for telepathy
esoteric
very unusual and understood or liked by only a small number of people, especially those with special knowledge
many focusing on esoteric ideas from theoretical physics
entanglement
a fence made of wire with sharp points on it, intended to make it difficult for enemy soldiers to go across an area of land
probing(searching)
intended to get information
she asked me a few probing questions
trial
a test, usually over a limited period of time, to discover how effective or suitable something or someone is
researchers trying to identify people who are particularly successful in autoganzfeld trials
