My answers would be that we're arguing over statistical noise. I take what I consider to be the simplest explanation in the absence of a credible alternative,

My answers would be that we're arguing over statistical noise. I take what I consider to be the simplest explanation in the absence of a credible alternative, that prayer does nothing when the recipient is unaware of it. I take that view because I've never heard an alternative explaination that didn't appear to break the second law of thermodynamics.