DO ghosts exist? Many assume that this question is the starting point for scientific investigations of the paranormal.
However, the series of talks that comprised Hauntings: The Science of Ghosts raised more fundamental questions: chiefly, how do
we define and explain ghosts, and how do our expectations colour our perceptions?
Staged in the appropriately creepy University of Edinburgh Anatomy Lecture Theatre, Hauntings was a one-day preview event for the Edinburgh International Science Festival. As its name suggests, the event took a rational, scientific view of supernatural phenomena.
The event's morning session was given over to the academics: psychologists who discussed the many factors, both environmental and psychological, that contribute to the impression of a ghostly encounter, as well as historians who outlined the ways people over the centuries have tried to describe, explain and, in some cases, fake and profit from ghosts.
The afternoon session featured experts involved in the portrayal of ghosts in the media, both in terms of dramatic representation and special effects.
The speakers effectively illustrated the diverse ways in which science and society engage with the question of ghosts. Impressively, not a single talk lapsed into dullness, although the schedule's rapid pace perhaps ensured that the audience would remain engaged throughout.
