Global Consciousness Project
The Global Consciousness Project - wishful thinking
Google reveals ~8500 links to the Global Consciousness Project. Few are skeptical. Skeptical site, GCP on Crank.net
The basic notion (from the GCP page):
The mind's extended reach remains to be fully defined in scientific terms, but research on human consciousness suggests that we may have direct communication links with each other, and that our intentions can have effects in the world despite physical barriers and separations. We are compelled by good evidence to accept correlations that we cannot yet explain. It appears that consciousness may sometimes produce something that resembles, at least metaphorically, a nonlocal field of meaningful information.
To begin what's a field of information? Is it like a field of encyclopedias? If we're compelled by good evidence, what is that evidence? No scientist I know accepts correlation as evidence for disembodied intelligence.
Complex information (patterns) can only be stored in the solid phase, not in fluids (e.g. the atmosphere, empty space). Furthermore field strength decreases with the inverse square law. The inverse square law can be avoided only by a directional field.
The human nervous system is electrochemical; it's activity is intrinsically measurable. We know that human signalling involves broadcasting (speaking, writing) and receiving (hearing, looking). Both require specialized organs and codes (language) which must be learned.
That global consciousness involves unknown forces is a flaw not an insight. Since the nervous system is electrochemical, these unknown forces must be transduced to electrochemistry. We'd need an organ to convert the signal on the way out and another to convert it on the way in (analogs of voice and ears).
Furthermore different brains are unlikely to process information in similar ways, especially brains operating in different languages. Universal coding of consciousness is implausible.
Although the atmosphere is a good medium for transmitting information, neither gases nor vacuum are plausible media for storing information. (Consider skywriting for example. Patterns dissipate within minutes. Patterns created on finer scales dissipate faster.)
Like most paranormal concepts, global consciousness inspires wishful thinking, not insight. GCP satisfies item 3 of Robert Park's voodoo science (marginally measurable events) as well as item 7 (violates known laws of physics). Unfortunately most people feel they've experienced ESP. Extinguishing misconceptions is harder than learning good science.
Robert Ehrlich discusses statistical difficulties with this sort of research in Eight Preposterous Propositions