Why used "and which" but not "which" alone here?

Forums: English, Esl, Grammar
Email this Topic • Print this Page

It seems obviously that "which" refers back to "results of ESP experiments." So "and which" is parellel to "that (could not be predicted by chance)," which is why "and" is used there.

But I am not sure whether I am on the right track?

Context:

Chemistry Nobel Laureate Irving Langmuir related in a landmark 1953 speech his visit to the laboratory of J.B. Rhine at Duke University, where Rhine was claiming results of ESP experiments that could not be predicted by chance, and which he ascribed to psychic phenomena. Langmuir discovered that Rhine was only selectively counting the data in his experiments, omitting the results from those he believed were guessing in order to humiliate him.

The evidence? Rhine felt that some of the scores were too low to have occurred by chance, and that it would, therefore, actually be misleading to include them.

Langmuir dubbed this deviation from the principles of the scientific method “pathological science,” the “science of things that aren’t so.”

Topic Stats
Top Replies
Link to this Topic

Type: Question • Score: 4 • Views: 1,202 • Replies: 7

No top replies

View best answer, chosen by oristarA

@oristarA,

"and which" refers to results of ESP experiments.

"that could not be predicted by chance" means that the data collected (results of ESP experiments.) didn't follow statistical odds (in other words, odds were against this happening). This is because the ESP experiments under Rhine were "selectively counting the data in his experiments," as such, the misuse of the data by Rhine made it appear that ESP was a possible force.

1 Reply

@RST,

Thank you for replying.
But my question is as the title of thread stated:
Why used "and which" but not "which" alone here?

1 Reply

@oristarA,

Sorry that I forgot to address it the first time.
The use of "and" is neutral, and just there to suggest that an idea ("psychic phenomena") is the result of another ("results of ESP experiments that could not be predicted by chance"). It'd be fine to leave the "and" out of the sentence. The meaning of the sentence will not be changed.
ex:
I saw the bull running towards me, and which made my knees tremble
I saw the bull running towards me, which made my knees tremble.

1 Reply

@RST,

RST wrote:

I saw the bull running towards me, and which made my knees tremble

This is not good English. To what does the 'and' refer? (Answer: nothing)

Quote:

I saw the bull running towards me, which made my knees tremble.

The sight of the bull (the experience of seeing the bull) made my knees tremble (not the bull).

We use "and which" or 'and that' to refer back to a previous 'which' or 'that'.

I saw the bull which (or that) was running towards me, and which made my knees tremble. (The bull did 2 things: 1. it ran towards me, 2. it made my knees tremble)

Rhine was claiming results of ESP experiments that could not be predicted by chance, and which he ascribed to psychic phenomena.

Rhine claimed that the results of ESP experiments: 1. could not be predicted by chance 2. were due to psychic phenomena.

1 Reply

@contrex,

Thanks for fixing my bad example and for giving a more in depth explanation.

2 Replies

@RST,

RST wrote:

Thanks for fixing my bad example and for giving a more in depth explanation.

Yeah. Thus Contrex's honored with the red ribbon.

0 Replies

@RST,

Thanks for being so honest, RST. It's a rare commodity around A2K.

0 Replies

Why used "and which" but not "which" alone here?

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know