From Shyam Rangaratnam
Experimental results suggesting precognition discussed in Bob Holmes’s article (14 January, p 38) remind me of a quirk of certain high performers at college. Upon finishing an exam, they would rush back to their rooms to open their books and see what they’d got wrong.
I had always assumed that this was a sign of the obsessive behaviour that had led to long nights in the library, rewarded by good marks. Silly me, little did I realise they were studying for the test they’d just taken. This is a bit like the volunteers in psychologist Daryl Bem’s experiment, who appeared able to anticipate words from a list they had not yet been given to memorise.
Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
