Abstract (paper in preparation)

This paper argues that studying anomalies of physics is an efficient approach to extending the competence of science. When the anecdotal literature is examined from the perspective of effect, rather than presumed cause, themes emerge that have been reported in a wide variety of contexts in many countries over hundreds of years. A few particularly strong cases give stucture and weight to the vast body of less well verified material.

Given that our goal is to extend our understanding of the world, there is no harm in using this information to inspire model building in physics. The focus is on what it would mean if these reports were indeed true. If new hypotheses can be tested and verified in an orthodox context, then the provability of each specific anomalous case that contributed to the hypothesis becomes less important.

The main focus of the paper is to demonstrate a method for extracting research strategies from aggregates of anomalous reports. As an example, the scope of evidence for teleportation and anomalous topological change is discussed, and inferences are made from various trends in the reports. It is argued that the model of an extra spatial dimension is consistent with a wide variety of anomalous material and has the potential to link into current thinking in string theory.