James Randi

James Randi (born Randall James Hamilton Zwinge, August 7,1928 in Toronto, Canada), more often known as The Amazing Randi, is a stage magician, a skeptic, and an opponent of pseudoscience (including homeopathy). He is perhaps most known for the One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge, in which his James Randi Educational Foundation will award a prize of one million USD to anyone who is able to show evidence of any paranormal, supernatural, or occult power or event, under test conditions agreed to by both parties. He is also a regular on a television program called Bullshit!, which is hosted by noted skeptics Penn & Teller.

The $1 million challenge

In the conditions and rules governing his one million U.S. dollars challenge, Randi plainly states that both parties (himself and the party accepting the challenge) must agree in advance as to what conditions of the test constitute a "success" and what constitutes a "failure." He also refuses to accept any challengers who might suffer serious injury or death as a result of the test they intend to undergo.

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Some of Randi's detractors claim that the challenge is insincere, and that Randi will ensure he never has to pay out. In the October 1981 issue of Fate magazine, Dennis Rawlins quoted him as saying "I always have an out" http://cura.free.fr/xv/14starbb.html. Some critics interpret this to mean he will never let his organization lose such a challenge. Others, noting this magazine article grew out of political infighting among the members of CSICOP, believe this quote is being misapplied, and that it refers to the fact that Randi employs safeguards against cheating.

Related Topics:
October - 1981 - ''Fate'' magazine - CSICOP

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The challenge has been criticised for giving Randi too much control in determining if a claim is successful or not. It has been noted that a potential applicant may well be wary of taking the challenge on the basis that Randi may insist upon conditions that are impossible to meet. There is, however, no evidence of this ever occurring. The discussions between the JREF and applicants are currently posted on a public discussion board for all to see (see the external links section below).

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Another objection made by critics of the challenge is that the rules prohibit independent judging, making the success or failure of the challenge dependent on whether Randi agrees that the test has been passed (it should be noted however that Rule 8 of the challenge places an independent person in charge of a $10,000 personal cheque from Randi, to be delivered to the claimant immediately on success of the challenge, to be followed within 10 days by the payment of the full prize). This is often countered by Randi and others by pointing that tests are designed so that no judging is needed ? either it meets the criteria that has been agreed upon or it doesn't. Such critics claim that Randi's degree of control over the challenge's outcome may be sufficient to prevent a serious applicant from undertaking it. Supporters point to the lack of evidence of this happening since the challenger is in control of the outcome.

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Objections to the nature of the test and its rules include:

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• No independent judge will be used, and the tests are designed by the JREF without scientific peer review.

:... JREF points out that the rules for each test are to be designed such that the results will be completely obvious and unambiguous when deciding whether or not the applicant demonstrated any paranormal abilities. The judges involved in preliminary tests are usually scientists or skeptics unaffiliated with JREF whom they trust to be accurate observers.

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• Randi has rejected at least one applicant, with the rejection letter stating this was because the applicant was "a liar and a fraud." The applicant in question claimed to survive without food via breatharianism. http://www.alternativescience.com/randi-retreats.htm

:...Randi and the JREF have repeatedly stated that they will reject any applicants putting themselves in grave physical danger, which the JREF would not want to be responsible for. Randi has also twice commented on the specific case raised by the Alternative Science web site: see http://www.randi.org/jr/070502.html and http://randi.org/jr/111204hot.html#9.

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• As of Jan 2005, no offers to conduct a formal test have yet been extended by the JREF to an applicant. http://www.randi.org/research/

:The JREF replies that this is because they have determined that none of the applicants have ever demonstrated any paranormal abilities during preliminary testing; hundreds of preliminary tests have been carried out.

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• Some claim the one million dollars does not exist, or is in the form of pledges or promissary notes.

:The JREF states that the million dollars is in the form of negotiable bonds within a "James Randi Educational Foundation Prize Account" and that validation of the account and the prize amount can be supplied on demand. The money is said to be held in a Goldman, Sachs & Company account. A copy of the JREF bank statement is viewable at http://www.skepticreport.com/images/investmentaccount.gif.

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