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PHYSICS OF THE IMPOSSIBLE
novels. Carrie is a painfully shy, pathetic high school girl who is despised as a social outcast and hounded by her mentally unstable
mother. Her only consolation is her psychokinetic power, which apparently runs in her family. In the final scene, her tormentors deceive
her into thinking she will be prom queen and then spill pig's blood all
over her new dress. In a final act of revenge, Carrie mentally locks all
the doors, electrocutes her tormentors, burns down the schoolhouse,
and unleashes a suicidal firestorm that consumes most of downtown,
destroying herself in the process.
The theme of psychokinesis in the hands of an unstable individual
was also the basis of a memorable Star Trek episode entitled "Charlie
X," about a young man from a distant colony in space who is criminally unstable. Instead of using his psychokinetic power for good, he
uses it to control other people and bend their will to his own selfish desires. If he is able to take over the Enterprise and reach Earth, he could
unleash planetary havoc and destroy the planet.
Psychokinesis is also the power of the Force, wielded by the mythical society of warriors called the Jedi Knights in the Star Wars saga.
PSYCHOKINESIS AND THE REAL WORLD
Perhaps the most celebrated confrontation over psychokinesis in real
life took place on the Johnny Carson show in 1973. This epic confrontation involved Uri Geller-the Israeli psychic who claimed to be
able to bend spoons with the force of his mind-and The Amazing
Randi-a professional magician who made a second career out of exposing fakes who claimed to have psychic powers. (Oddly, all three of
them shared a common heritage: all had started their careers as magicians, mastering the sleight-of-hand tricks that would amaze incredulous audiences.)
Before Geller's appearance, Carson consulted with Randi, who
suggested that Johnny furnish his own supply of spoons and have
them inspected before showtime. On the air Carson surprised Geller
by asking him to bend not his own spoons, but Carson's spoons. Em-
PHYSICS OF THE IMPOSSIBLE
novels. Carrie is a painfully shy, pathetic high school girl who is despised as a social outcast and hounded by her mentally unstable
mother. Her only consolation is her psychokinetic power, which apparently runs in her family. In the final scene, her tormentors deceive
her into thinking she will be prom queen and then spill pig's blood all
over her new dress. In a final act of revenge, Carrie mentally locks all
the doors, electrocutes her tormentors, burns down the schoolhouse,
and unleashes a suicidal firestorm that consumes most of downtown,
destroying herself in the process.
The theme of psychokinesis in the hands of an unstable individual
was also the basis of a memorable Star Trek episode entitled "Charlie
X," about a young man from a distant colony in space who is criminally unstable. Instead of using his psychokinetic power for good, he
uses it to control other people and bend their will to his own selfish desires. If he is able to take over the Enterprise and reach Earth, he could
unleash planetary havoc and destroy the planet.
Psychokinesis is also the power of the Force, wielded by the mythical society of warriors called the Jedi Knights in the Star Wars saga.
PSYCHOKINESIS AND THE REAL WORLD
Perhaps the most celebrated confrontation over psychokinesis in real
life took place on the Johnny Carson show in 1973. This epic confrontation involved Uri Geller-the Israeli psychic who claimed to be
able to bend spoons with the force of his mind-and The Amazing
Randi-a professional magician who made a second career out of exposing fakes who claimed to have psychic powers. (Oddly, all three of
them shared a common heritage: all had started their careers as magicians, mastering the sleight-of-hand tricks that would amaze incredulous audiences.)
Before Geller's appearance, Carson consulted with Randi, who
suggested that Johnny furnish his own supply of spoons and have
them inspected before showtime. On the air Carson surprised Geller
by asking him to bend not his own spoons, but Carson's spoons. Em-