title: Can specific biological signals be digitized?
abstract: At the request of the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, we attempted to replicate the data of Professor Jacques Benveniste that digital signals recorded on a computer disc produce specific biological effects. The hypothesis was that a digitized thrombin inhibitor signal would inhibit the fibrinogen-thrombin coagulation pathway. Because of the controversies associated with previous research of Prof. Benveniste, we developed a system for the management of social controversy in science that incorporated an expert in social communication and conflict management. The social management approach was an adaptation of interactional communication theory, for management of areas that interfere with the conduct of good science. This process allowed us to successfully complete a coordinated effort by a multidisciplinary team, including Prof. Benveniste, a hematologist, engineer, skeptic, statistician, neuroscientist and conflict management expert. Our team found no replicable effects from digital signals.
authors.affiliation: Samueli Institute for Information Biology, Alexandria, Virginia, 22314, USA. wjonas@siib.org
authors.forename: Wayne B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Jonas
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ives
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rollwagen
authors.forename: Daniel W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Denman
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hintz
authors.forename: Mitchell
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hammer
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Henry
mesh_terms: D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012106:Research / Q000592:standards*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013917:Thrombin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D014481:United States; D037041:United States Government Agencies
chemical_list: D005340:Fibrinogen; D013917:Thrombin