"I assume that the reader is familiar with the idea of extra-sensory perception, and the meaning of the four items of it, viz. telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition and psycho-kinesis. These disturbing phenomena seem to deny all our usual scientific ideas. How we should like to discredit them! Unfortunately the statistical evidence, at least for telepathy, is overwhelming." --COMPUTING MACHINERY AND INTELLIGENCE, BY A.M.TURING
And, indeed, there was a lot of evidence considered credible at that time. National governments were experimenting with and testing these things as well. No doubt, if he remained true to his scientific principles, he would be singing a different tune 50 years later. Have you ever said something that you might not believe with as much credulity 50 years later?