Click on 'Export Data' button to download a CSV file containing raw trial data along with per second and per minute computations. You can optionally add images and/or download as a ZIP Archive.
The real time display normally starts with a 20 minute delay from current time, but you can also use it to analyze historical data.
To select a historical Start Time (in your local time zone), tap on the date below, pick the desired year and month and then select a specific date within the month (it should turn blue) before clicking on "Restart Display!".
Do note that this will start afresh by discarding all currently loaded data and clearing all displays.
The "GCP Real-time Display" shows near-realtime (~20 minute delay) behavior of a network of hardware-based Random Event Generators (REGs) located at host sites around the world. The network is maintained by the "Global Consciousness Project" (GCP) and has been running since August 1998. Trial data from the REGs are transmitted via the Internet and are archived on a server in Princeton, New Jersey, USA. The information received from these devices may be thought of as an "Electro Gaia Gram" (EGG).
New data samples are received each second, and this app shows the information in several forms to give an idea about how much each reading, or the entire set of readings, is different from the expected values. Of course, any series of random numbers will vary widely, but as data accumulate over a period of time, non-random deviations will compound as a "signal" while random noise will cancel itself out.
In general, our calculations on the EGG data consist of statistical analyses around how much the data differs from what is expected. In particular, the GCP focuses on periods of time when emotions of large numbers of people may be stirred -- for example terrorist attacks and the deaths of celebrities. More information about the project and it's results can be found at the Global Consciousness Project homepage.
Because effects only become clear over time, one should be cautious about reading too much into these displays.
The different parts of the app are:
Real-Time
Each display element represents one REG. During each second, each REG generates 200 one-bit trials (a zero or a one). Since the generator is a random output device, it is expected that there should be about 100 ones and 100 zeros. The relative amount by which the results differ from the expected 50-50 split is indicated by a block of color. The height of the block and the brightness of the color indicate how unlikely the results are. (Since any random event stream will become unlikely at some point, an instance of one, or even a few, REGs reporting unlikely results does not mean very much by itself).
Cum. Sec. (cumulative seconds) & Cum. Min. (cumulative minutes)
These displays, one drawing second-by-second, the other drawing minute-by-minute summaries, display a center line (indicating expected results) and another line that wanders from side-to-side to indicate the accumulating result CumSum(Z²-1). The background color indicates the scale at which the accumulated result is being rendered, the color scale itself is shown in the top-right corner. In general, the deeper the background color, the higher the deviation.
Net. Var. (network variance)
The "Network Variance" is a calculation (defined as the square of Stouffer Z score) of how much the collection of REGs, as a group, is differing from the overall expected result. It is indicated by a colored dot that grow or shrinks from second-to-second. Because it is a group result, the deviations tend to be smaller, and sometimes there appears to be no result at all. To help see the change better, a Zoom option is available in the top-right corner of the display.
NetVar Chart (sec) & NetVar Chart (min)
These two line charts show how the accumulating Network Variance, CumSum(Z²-1), for the entire network of REGs varies over time.
Utilities
The Utilities Panel provides options for adding sound alerts, exporting the underlying data (optionally with images), and most-importantly, restarting the GCP Real-time Display to run on historical data.
When sound alerts are enabled, they can be configured to trigger either based on the Z² of REG reporting the widest deviation (from 50-50 chance) or on the Stouffer Z² computed for all the REGs as a group. The types of alerts (All, only Level 3, Levels 2 & 3, or none) and a background heart-beat sound can be selected.
To make the GCP Real-time Display run on historical data, you can select the targeted start date and time "in your local timezone" and then click on "Restart Display!"
Do note that the current time displayed in top-left corner, and the date times seen in exported CSV files, are always in UTC/GMT timezone for consistency in analysis and reporting.
About
The Global Consciousness Project is an international collaboration involving about 75 scientists, artists, and business people. The project was created and is directed by Roger Nelson, of Princeton.
This application replaces an earlier Java Applet and is based upon the work of several persons.
Design: Dick Bierman (The Netherlands).
Programming: Nishith Singh (India).
Original Java Applet Programming: Jeroen Ruuward (The Netherlands), Nishith Singh (India), Taylor Jackson (Canada), Dale H (USA).