Science minister 'has sixth sense'
Updated on 16 November 2008
The Government's new science minister believes he has a "sixth sense" to predict the future, it was revealed.
Lord Drayson said he was one of the humans with a "capability" that experts did not fully understand.
Although the peer does not claim his powers of foresight are paranormal, the comments may raise a few eyebrows among the community he represents. Extra-sensory abilities are not commonly accepted to exist by scientists.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Lord Drayson said: "In my life there have been some things I have known, and I don't know why.
"I think there is a lot we don't understand about human capability."
Pursuing his point, the peer cites Blink, the best-selling American book about human instinct by Malcolm Gladwell. The tome identified cases of individuals with the apparent power to foretell events.
"It's a really fascinating book," said Lord Drayson. "He gives lots of examples of people who have demonstrated very clearly that they have good instinct in their lives.
"One particular fireman in America had this amazing instinct... This guy (knew) when something bad was going to happen, when you need to leave the building.
"Gladwell's book is about the ability of the human being to know something, but not to know why they know it. This struck a chord with me."
Lord Drayson described his ability as "like a sixth sense" and said it could be linked to the way humans have evolved. Lord Drayson, a multi-millionaire former businessman, returned to government last month, becoming the first science minister with a seat in the Cabinet. A colourful character, he previously stood down as defence minister in order to spend more time on his hobby of motor racing.
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