The Collective Screen
Idea
Paulson's term for a group of trained minds acting as one, pointed at the small number of people he thought really made the decisions — under 200 in America, 50 in the Soviet Union, 20 in China. He spends a chapter teaching telepathy and then links his groups together with short wave radio. He also writes that it suits them if ordinary people refuse to believe any of it, which means no result could ever count against him.
The engine's definition — word for word
Paulson's proposed instrument (1978): trained minds operating as a single surface against the deciding set — 'less than 200' (US), 'only 50' (USSR), 'only 20' (China). paulson_collective_screen.
Wiring: a telepathy chapter, then cells 'connected to each other and to the central analytic section by short wave radio' — paranormal channel taught, then substituted by broadcast. Same substitution in reverse order 23 months later in mindwar. Self-sealing clause attached: 'it is to our advantage to encourage disbelief in collective mental power.' Engine read: unfalsifiable by construction; held, no evidence any cell existed.
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