# James Randi calls time on the $1 million dollar prize ... **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 4, 2008, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-randi-calls-time-on-the-1-million-dollar-prize/432263 "2008-01-04T12:30:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 21
**Author:** ![lekatt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lekatt/32/7269_2.png) [@lekatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lekatt)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-randi-calls-time-on-the-1-million-dollar-prize/432263/401 "2008-01-11T20:08:42Z")
[QUOTE=InvisibleWombat] No. There’s no spectrum. Either God exists or not. Either telekinesis exists or it doesn’t. There has never been one single case where psychic ability was proven. There are six billion people on the planet. Doesn’t that _tell_ you something? [/QUOTE] Yes, there are six billion people, 70% of them believe psychics are the real thing. On that single case of psychic ability – the placebo effect is mind over matter or psychic ability and everyone believes in the placebo effect. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-randi-calls-time-on-the-1-million-dollar-prize/432263/402 "2008-01-11T20:18:58Z")
[QUOTE=lekatt] We are spiritual first and then decide to have a physical experience. [/QUOTE] I have found that liquor is quicker. ---
**Author:** ![lekatt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lekatt/32/7269_2.png) [@lekatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lekatt)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-randi-calls-time-on-the-1-million-dollar-prize/432263/403 "2008-01-11T20:28:32Z")
[QUOTE=Jackmannii] I have found that liquor is quicker. [/QUOTE] Never touch the stuff myself, very bad for the liver, and dulls the brain. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-randi-calls-time-on-the-1-million-dollar-prize/432263/404 "2008-01-11T20:40:09Z")
[QUOTE=lekatt] Never touch the stuff myself, very bad for the liver, and dulls the brain. [/QUOTE] :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: Why does this have to be GD? So. Hard. To. Resist. :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-randi-calls-time-on-the-1-million-dollar-prize/432263/405 "2008-01-11T20:45:23Z")
[QUOTE=photopat] :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: Why does this have to be GD? So. Hard. To. Resist. :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: :smack: [/QUOTE] Yes, it would be _wrong_ to post a proper response in _this_ forum. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-randi-calls-time-on-the-1-million-dollar-prize/432263/406 "2008-01-11T21:03:40Z")
[QUOTE=Czarcasm] Yes, it would be _wrong_ to post a proper response in _this_ forum. [/QUOTE] I had to bite my fingers. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-randi-calls-time-on-the-1-million-dollar-prize/432263/407 "2008-01-11T23:12:20Z")
Oh, grow up, all of youse. Of course, in future threads you can innocently ask lekatt how his liver is and your meaning will be clear to anyone who’s read this thread this far. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-randi-calls-time-on-the-1-million-dollar-prize/432263/408 "2008-01-12T14:43:36Z")
One of the excuses I’ve heard over the years from people who claim psychic abilities but refuse to take the Challenge is that, because no one has ever won it, the only logical explanation is that it _must_ be rigged. Their personal knowledge is that such abilities exist, so if all available evidence shows otherwise the evidence must be corrupted, not their personal knowledge. In cases like these, no amount of testing of any sort will suffice because any and all evidence taken from such tests will be tossed out sight unseen. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-randi-calls-time-on-the-1-million-dollar-prize/432263/409 "2008-01-12T14:51:51Z")
[QUOTE=Czarcasm] One of the excuses I’ve heard over the years from people who claim psychic abilities but refuse to take the Challenge is that, because no one has ever won it, the only logical explanation is that it _must_ be rigged. Their personal knowledge is that such abilities exist, so if all available evidence shows otherwise the evidence must be corrupted, not their personal knowledge. In cases like these, no amount of testing of any sort will suffice because any and all evidence taken from such tests will be tossed out sight unseen. [/QUOTE] Hell, we’ve already seen that in this thread. ETA: Maybe it was the other thread, but we have definitely seen it recently. AAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHH stupid gerbils almost made me miss the edit window… ---
**Author:** ![lekatt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lekatt/32/7269_2.png) [@lekatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lekatt)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-randi-calls-time-on-the-1-million-dollar-prize/432263/410 "2008-01-12T16:28:30Z")
Just some good debating material on Randi > [@](#): > > DEBUNKER MATERIALIST CLOSED MINDED SKEPTIC The Miami materialist James Hamilton Zwinge Randy Clock began in April 2001!! Since then this materialist, closed minded skeptic debunker has been unable to rebut my objective evidence for the afterlife. My evidence is EXPRESSLY STATED - 23 areas of evidence for the existence of the afterlife.This closed minded skeptic materialist will be remembered by his own confession to scientist Dr Dennis Rawlings, “I will always have a way out” (of PAYING the promised reward) referring to his own alleged challenge to psychics. > **[June 12th 2026](https://www.victorzammit.com/)** > > Report on news from afterlife research June 12th 2026 [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wG3bGqFr9uc/hqdefault.jpg "Million Dollar Challenge") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG3bGqFr9uc) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-randi-calls-time-on-the-1-million-dollar-prize/432263/411 "2008-01-12T16:40:33Z")
[QUOTE=lekatt] Just some good debating material on Randi > **[June 12th 2026](https://www.victorzammit.com/)** > > Report on news from afterlife research June 12th 2026 [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wG3bGqFr9uc/hqdefault.jpg "Million Dollar Challenge") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG3bGqFr9uc) [/QUOTE] Y’all remember how I told you how **lekatt** will enter a thread as if all the stuff he’s posted before was never debunked? He’s doing it here again. There is nothing you can tell him about Zammit’s fake challenge that he hasn’t been told before in other threads(do a search on Zammit), so I wouldn’t even bother if I were you. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-randi-calls-time-on-the-1-million-dollar-prize/432263/412 "2008-01-12T17:03:52Z")
[QUOTE=Czarcasm] Y’all remember how I told you how **lekatt** will enter a thread as if all the stuff he’s posted before was never debunked? He’s doing it here again. There is nothing you can tell him about Zammit’s fake challenge that he hasn’t been told before in other threads(do a search on Zammit), so I wouldn’t even bother if I were you. [/QUOTE] I just watched the video. In it he says that he will give the url for his website so that we can learn the details, conditions, etc. of \*his \*Million Dollar Challenge. When you go to his website, and click on _Million Dollar Challenge_, it brings you back to the video. I’d say his money’s safe. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-randi-calls-time-on-the-1-million-dollar-prize/432263/413 "2008-01-12T17:11:01Z")
[Here is a link](http://www.victorzammit.com/skeptics/challenge.html) to what has to be the most unfair and untestable “Challenge” one could possibly conceive of. The final nail in **lekatt’s** psychic coffin is that he thinks that the MDC is not fair and aboveboard, but that _this_ is. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-randi-calls-time-on-the-1-million-dollar-prize/432263/414 "2008-01-12T17:36:15Z")
[QUOTE=Contrapuntal] I’d say his [Zammit’s] money’s safe. [/QUOTE] So is Randi’s, but not for the same reason. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![lekatt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lekatt/32/7269_2.png) [@lekatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lekatt)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-randi-calls-time-on-the-1-million-dollar-prize/432263/415 "2008-01-12T17:41:13Z")
[QUOTE=Czarcasm] Y’all remember how I told you how **lekatt** will enter a thread as if all the stuff he’s posted before was never debunked? He’s doing it here again. There is nothing you can tell him about Zammit’s fake challenge that he hasn’t been told before in other threads(do a search on Zammit), so I wouldn’t even bother if I were you. [/QUOTE] If he has been debunked you can tell us who won the million and show us the cite. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-randi-calls-time-on-the-1-million-dollar-prize/432263/416 "2008-01-12T17:49:11Z")
[QUOTE=Czarcasm] [Here is a link](http://www.victorzammit.com/skeptics/challenge.html) to what has to be the most unfair and untestable “Challenge” one could possibly conceive of. The final nail in **lekatt’s** psychic coffin is that he thinks that the MDC is not fair and aboveboard, but that _this_ is. [/QUOTE] So, all the applicant has to do is rebut _every piece of evidence_ here : > [@](#): > > Because of the very high cash offer, the applicant has to rebut the substantive objective evidence presented in Victor Zammit’s A Lawyer Presents the Case for the Afterlife ([http://www.victorzammit.com/book/](http://www.victorzammit.com/book/) 4th version) (see chapters 3 to 25) which includes: Materialization, Electronic Voice Phenomena, Instrumental Transcommunication, the Scole Experiments, Professor Gary Schwartz’ Experiments, Mediumship - Mental, Physical and Direct Voice, Xenoglossy, the Cross-Correspondences, Proxy Sittings, Automatic Etheric Writing, Laboratory Experiments, Poltergeists, Apparitions together with the evidence provided by Near Death Experiences and Out of Body Experiences which psychics claim are supportive of and are directly linked with the afterlife. > > Further, the applicant has to rebut the technical afterlife evidence presented by the following: Arthur Findlay’s On the Edge of the Etheric, Sir William Crookes’ On Human Personality and Researches in the Phenomena of Spiritualism; Sir Oliver Lodge’s Raymond and Geraldine Cummins’ Swan on a Black Sea and the evidence provided by the Inner Peace Movement. To this standard : > [@](#): > > The applicant agrees that the level of proof required to rebut the evidence will be the Cartesian test, “beyond any doubt”. This means that there has to be absolutely no doubt at all in the minds of the Committee that the ‘evidence’ has been rebutted. What’s so tough about that? Seems eminently fair. Criminy! ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-randi-calls-time-on-the-1-million-dollar-prize/432263/417 "2008-01-12T17:53:28Z")
[QUOTE=lekatt] If he has been debunked you can tell us who won the million and show us the cite. [/QUOTE] Get real. How can anyone debunk every piece of “evidence” contained in that challenge, to a standard of _absolute certainty_ as _determined by committee_? The JREF Challenge tests one claim at a time, not thousands, to a standard that is _expressly stated before the test begins_. Please tell me honestly that you understand the difference. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-randi-calls-time-on-the-1-million-dollar-prize/432263/418 "2008-01-12T17:54:40Z")
Zammit is, according to his site, “Retired Lawyer of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, and the High Court of Australia”. I guess the standard of proof isn’t very high in courts down under. (Forgive me, Princhester) > [@Contrapuntal](#): > > What’s so tough about that? Seems eminently fair. And so objective, too! ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-randi-calls-time-on-the-1-million-dollar-prize/432263/419 "2008-01-12T19:43:11Z")
[QUOTE=lekatt] [QUOTE=InvisibleWombat] No. There’s no spectrum. Either God exists or not. Either telekinesis exists or it doesn’t. There has never been one single case where psychic ability was proven. There are six billion people on the planet. Doesn’t that tell you something? [/QUOTE] Yes, there are six billion people, 70% of them believe psychics are the real thing. [/QUOTE] _ahem_ Cite? Can it really be true that 70% of Earth’s population believes in psychics when there’s never been one single solitary case where psychic ability has been demonstrated under laboratory conditions? Ever? That would be pathetic. REALLY pathetic. ---
**Author:** ![lekatt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lekatt/32/7269_2.png) [@lekatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lekatt)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-randi-calls-time-on-the-1-million-dollar-prize/432263/420 "2008-01-12T20:13:55Z")
[QUOTE=Contrapuntal] Get real. How can anyone debunk every piece of “evidence” contained in that challenge, to a standard of _absolute certainty_ as _determined by committee_? The JREF Challenge tests one claim at a time, not thousands, to a standard that is _expressly stated before the test begins_. Please tell me honestly that you understand the difference. [/QUOTE] True, both tests are very complicated and required a lot of proof. Randi is the final say in his tests, but a committee would be in the other. I can’t say there is much difference between them. You and I both know neither of them will give the million away. Not in a thousand lifetimes. So they deserve each other. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-randi-calls-time-on-the-1-million-dollar-prize/432263.md?page=20) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-randi-calls-time-on-the-1-million-dollar-prize/432263.md?page=22)