Excess correlation has drawn the attention of researchers interested in uncovering subtle, nonlocal connections in nature. The concept of excess correlation refers to an interaction between properties of systems that are physically isolated from one another once they are both exposed to a shared sequence of magnetic field pulses. Though the systems are not in direct contact, the observed effects of excess correlation have been reported in varying experiments, including changes in water pH, seed germination rates, cell growth, photochemical reactions, and even brain activity and behavior.
However, these findings have sparked controversy in the scientific community, for two main reasons. First, the experiments on excess correlation were all conducted by a single research group. And second, the explanations behind the mechanism of excess correlation are speculative, with some ideas possibly difficult to prove or disprove.
A step towards ending the controversy surrounding excess correlation is focusing on independent replication of these early studies.
Exploring the Mystery of Excess Correlation
In our new study titled, Independent Replication of an “Excess Correlation” Effect in pH between Isolated Beakers of Water, published in the Journal of Biophysical Chemistry, researchers aimed to further explore excess correlation using a controlled experiment involving two beakers of water. One beaker, called the local beaker, had a small amount of acetic acid (from white vinegar) added to it. The other, the remote beaker, was placed some distance, from one to 10 meters away, with no acetic acid added.
To generate the magnetic field, researchers used custom-made “halos” out of plastic hoops wound with copper wire. A magnetometer confirmed the field’s presence. The beakers were each centered within their respective halos. During the test sessions, pH samples were recorded once per second. In total, there were 50 experimental sessions, each a half-hour in length.
The main question was simple: if excess correlation exists, would the pH level of the remote beaker shift in response to what was happening in the local beaker when both were exposed to a magnetic pulse sequence?
Measuring pH Shifts using Robust Statistical Models
To ensure data clarity, researchers adjusted measurements by subtracting the starting pH of the water during each test session. This adjustment created a new value called ∆pH (difference in pH), which would reflect how much the pH changed from the beginning of the session.
They used a statistical model to analyze how pH shifted over time, looking at three main factors: Time, Phase (“primer” and “effector,” the two magnetic stimulation periods), and Condition (experimental vs control group). So that the data would prove to be even more reliable, the model also took into account natural differences that might vary from one test session to another. With these analyses, two primary outcomes were examined:
- Condition – was ∆pH different during the magnetic stimulation as compared to conditions without magnetic stimulation
- Phase x Condition Interaction – were there differences between the primer and effector phases across test groups
A change in pH, whether shifting more basic (alkaline) or more acidic, during different stages of the experiment, would offer evidence about the emergence of excess correlation triggered by magnetic stimulation.
The Results
Initial analyses revealed intriguing patterns.
In the remote beakers, changes in pH showed noticeable inflection points around the same time acid was added to the local beaker. Researchers also observed a significant change in pH between the primer and effector phases, before and after magnetic stimulation.
Further, more robust statistical analysis to control for possible environmental variables, which also increased the statistical power of the tests, demonstrated that Condition and the Phase x Condition outcomes both reached statistical significance.
Overall, the data across multiple experimental runs showed a small but consistent pH change (∼0.004 pH units), the results aligning with the hypothesis and with prior experiments.
What this Study Suggests about Excess Correlation
While the effect was small, the use of proper statistical tools and the repeatability of the findings add weight to the results of this study. The findings support the existence of subtle, measurable effects occurring between systems that are physically separated but exposed to similar magnetic environments.
Future studies may need to account for variables that might influence excess correlation, such as the type of water used or fluctuations in Earth’s magnetic field. Still, the fact that these effects were observable even without those adjustments gives the findings added strength and reinforces the need for further exploration.
The Pull of Possibility
This research is suggestive of quantum entanglement, which is a well-accepted phenomenon in which distant quanta (elementary particles) continue to show unexpectedly strong correlated behavior regardless of separation in distance and time. The present study contributes to a growing, if still contested, body of work suggesting that in certain conditions even macroscopic systems might behave as though they too are entangled.. If confirmed in future studies, these analogs of macroscopic entanglement could expand how we understand interactions across space and time.
