Is the challenge proof that there is no paranormal activity? Not at all. By reading the rules and FAQs its obvious that it is not the end of the question. I could offer one million dollars to anyone could prove that the universe started with the big bang, but by any rational standard there will never be a way to ABSOLUTELY prove this one way or another, so the question will always be open.

One cannot read the accounts in thousands of books on the paranormal, on ghosts, on UFO's, on metaphysics, or even advanced physics theories, and ABSOLUTELY prove anything one way or another. Everyday all kinds of scientific theories that have been accepted are proven wrong by new information.

Science is just a consensual reality based on what a majority of people in power think at any second. Even science postulates that there are other dimensions we can't observe.

To give an example of healing phenomena that disproves the challenge, take herbal remedies used by primitive tribes. Science accepts that many plants have healing abilities, see a book called "Medical Botany" used in college courses.

Primitive tribes, without written histories or scientific communication have discovered, independently all over the world, plants in their environments that can heal specific illnesses. Science later studied these shamans and witch doctor remedies, and often find chemicals they can use for modern drugs.

A tree bark contains the same ingredients as aspirin, cherry juice can alleviate gout, the type of herbs in popular cold remedies like Ricola alleviate cold symptoms. There are hundreds of similar cures discovered long before science was established, let alone civilization came into being.

There is no rational explanation from science to explain how these primitive healers can diagnose the illnesses, or yet then locate a plant out of thousands in their environment that cures or alleviates the illness. Often times these diagnosis and prescriptions are made in a trance state brought about by psychedelic plants, where the shaman deals with spiritual entities.

Usually an isolated tribe might have one or two older shamans that might pass their accumulated wisdom down to apprentices, but I challenge any scientist to explain how the original discoverer of these cures matched the plant to the illness, without clinical trials, written notes, dozens of patients with similar symptoms to try dozens of plants on, etc.

This is proof of healing by "faith" in the sense that by their primitive religious, spiritual based practices, they cure illnesses, and there is no rational explanation for this, but it is probably related to instinctual knowledge animals have to find herbal cures in nature.

I'll take that million now...

The government is not as tight with their wallet as they should be, remember we pushed ourselves into a race to get to the moon, a seemingly impossible feat, because Russia was doing it. I wouldn't be surprised if there were many things we researched and put millions into for fear of losing ground.

No psychic detective has ever been praised or given official recognition by the F.B.I. or US national news for solving a crime, preventing a crime, or finding a kidnap victim or corpse - wikipedia

Available scientific evidence does not support claims that faith healing can cure cancer or any other disease. Even the "miraculous" cures at the French shrine of Lourdes, after careful study by the Catholic Church, do not outnumber the historical percentage of spontaneous remissions seen among people with cancer. However, faith healing may promote peace of mind, reduce stress, relieve pain and anxiety, and strengthen the will to live - American Cancer Society

Synchronicity is explainable through Littlewood's Law: that since billions of people are seeking it, eventually there will be one instance that seems to prove it. But why are these instances so rare? Shouldn't one person be so adept, so powerful that they can do it more frequently, even at will? Imagine the billions of conversations that start "I dreamt about a bug" immediately ended with "there's no such bug". One of those will eventually be the right bug.

Let's start with one thing as several people have referenced it--Wikipedia is not a definitive reference, it can be edited to reflect different points of view. Everybody thinks science is some kind of Holy Grail and is infallible. You want to say prove something mystical is real? Prove global warming is real. Even when scientists battle over science you can find strong data for opposite theories.

The "Establishment" of science is famous throughout history for ridiculing new, advanced theories that average scientists couldn't wrap their minds around. Now that science is the new dogma that we worship, perhaps you could tell me what threshold we passed in time that now scientific methods are infallible when they never have been.

Take any "scientific" study that we constantly hear about. WIne is good for you... wine is bad for you... coffee is good for you... coffee is bad for you, ad infinitum. So called science is about as fickle as the fashion business. Its pretty much established now, when most "science" is controlled by corporate special interests, that you can buy science off if you are the highest bidder. Take the drug business for example, everyone knows that new unproven drugs are shoved down our throats even though "science" says they are OK, until people start dropping dead and they are recalled.

Everyday we get propaganda from science, telling us yeah nuclear power is safe and efficient. They can't even dispose of the waste safely, and many "scientifically" designed storage solutions are ticking time bombs. But huge military industrial corporations can bribe politicians with junkets and hookers and have their way, with plenty of "scientific" studies showing us how great it is.

I could go on for days, but others have written books about this. You laugh at homeopathy, but it's well known that many herbs can do a better, safer job than most synthetic drugs loaded with side effects, and yet "science" tells us they are no good or "fake" because the billion dollar drug cartels (no not the Columbian ones) can buy "science" and use patented drugs that produce huge profits, when herbal or generic chemical discoveries can not be patented.

But since hot looking babes in tight clothes visit your doctor with briefcases full of expensive samples and "studies" that show how great the new expensive wonder drug is, you won't get prescribed a generic or some peppermint tea for your cold.

Blah blah blah--the scientific establishment is so full of itself and crap, they will be the last ones to find out about anything advanced or esoteric, but look at the scientific underground: scalar technology, free energy, Tesla type inventions that "science" still laughs at.

You people are never on the cutting edge of anything unless it can be bought for billions of dollars.

Here's two links that combine all the skeptic's worst nightmares: you get UFO's, NWO, and psychic warfare in one package. In the first link, halfway down the page--the juicy military/ESP connection people, who just happen to be tight with the NWO people.
http://www.free-conversant.com/realtruth/989

More info on same people... well connected in the military/industrial complex and hooked into huge budgets for these "mythical" pursuits. No they don't teach you this in your college science courses, enjoy!
http://myweb.cableone.net/mtilton/aviary.html

Quote: "John Alexander's position as the Program Manager for Contingency Missions of Conventional Defense Technology, Los Alamos National Laboratories, enabled him to exploit the Department of Defense's Project Reliance "which encourages a search for all possible sources of existing and incipient technologies before developing new technology in-house" to tap into a wide range of exotic topics, sometimes using defense contractors, e.g., McDonnell Douglas Aerospace. I have several reports, some of which were compiled before his departure to the Los Alamos National Laboratories when he was with Army Intelligence, which show Alexander's keen interest in any and every exotic subject--UFOs, ESP, psychotronics, anti- gravity devices, near-death experiments, psychology warfare and non-lethal weaponry." --Unquote

"I don't think we are in Kansas anymore Toto!"

I used to be skeptic too but I worked with the DOD and FBI voluntairly for three years to help find bombs, and prevent train wrecks.. with information I recieved through vision and dream, and remote viewing...

To really get a grip on this question--one must read the FAQ at the website. To quote one snippet: "And there is not a single example of a scientific discovery in the field of parapsychology that has been independently replicated. That makes parapsychology absolutely unique in the world of science..." --unquote.

Ahhh--do a little research people! Lets jump back to science and look from a layman's view of some of the current theories. It's now a major vogue therein to assume, when looking at an experiment in particle physics, that the observer's psyche, and process of observing, can effect the outcome of the experiment.

I'm not an expert here, but its pretty much recognized that there is an energy system in the human consciousness, that everything in the universe is pretty much connected by the same underlying forces, and that they can interact over a distance, even when no measurable signal is present.

And there are double blind psychic experiments that show above "average" responses. Period. Look it up.

Just reading the FAQs which mention some of the rules, and you realize this is just a magician's circus PR stunt that even those two goofy science guys on cable, always shooting some gelatin torso with bullets coming out of an airgun or whatever, could do better.

Scientists can't precisely explain how the universe started, or come to agreement on what the underlying forces are at the smallest levels, despite billion dollar accelerators, etc. and there is no way to verify lots of psychic events for the same reason. They are random and often trivial, though sometimes of great meaning.

Read some books on unexplained anomalies, there are holes in almost every branch of science. And anything too futuristic or esoteric will just be called magic anyway.

PS. And when I say you, I don't mean any individual, just skeptics that won't do any basic research on the subjects they are criticizing. Of course the average person accepts the physics of science. It takes a little more work to go to a library or do a Google search and ACTUALLY read up on metaphysical and parapsychological experiments.

A jesus incident where they crucify you or proclaim you evil is an understandable excuse, but wouldn't your bravery inspire others? might your powers protect you? why would people who already claim to have these powers not take the test?
I know 100% disproof will be impossible, there is always another soul willing to take up the wrong path. But for realistic purposes, is this enough proof?

Publicity isn't all that bad. If Brittney Spears can manage...

That BoingBoing article is absolutely great.

I could not agree more about your Devils advocate assertions. If I had an paranormal abilities I would keep that secret to the grave.

I don't think a $1 billion dollar reward would be enough for me to lose the freedom of using this ability as I see fit. (for good of course). I with little imagination see what would happen to an individual already trying to come to terms with this "paranormalness" and the difficulties it presents as the general public and the government now want to know all about it and bring (me) this usually a bit reclusive man into the public eye. Terrifying.

Not a scientist, but a magician is great to see how another magician does their thing. He also has scientists that set up these tests.
Claims of homeopathy's efficacy beyond the placebo effect are unsupported by the collective weight of scientific and clinical evidence. While some studies have positive results, systematic reviews of all the published trials fail to conclusively demonstrate efficacy. - wikipedia
So really this homeopath that lost his career wasn't progressing science.
Also, he does not own the 1 million dollars. If someone succeeds he loses nothing. He is merely the chairperson behind the fund.

I still can't believe people believe Homeopathy has any efficacy. The entire mechanism is preposterous.

Water has memory? Why doesn't it remember all the fish poo it's had in it over the last million years?

People who believe in homeopathy believe in magic, which makes Randi the perfect guy to point that out.

When I said every psychic, I meant each on that list. However, to generalize all psychics, no psychic has been proven, or scientifically documented. No psychic can pass James Randi's test, or any of the other tests by any of the other organizations debunking the paranormal. Any psychic tests individually taken are not passed a second time, and have been explained by Littlewood's Law or proctor error. The FBI has never used your name in recognition of service, you have not been proving your abilities since you were 6, and the bomb you claim to have found in Mosul, France never happened since no such city exists (Mosul is a city in Iraq).

Read through the log of applicants, here. You will see clear explanations of why each rule has been put in place.

The problem every psychic has (and why the rules become so complicated) is they don't know how to perform a scientific test of their powers. They rely on the anecdotal evidence of one or two sucesses, tout confirmation bias, and believe they are special. They are also vague on precisely what their powers are. When their powers are clearly defined and thoroughly tested, they fail to perform. Always.

His rules are only strict enough to prevent cheating. Setting up glass between a flame and someone who claims they can put it out with their mind. Making blind readings so people can't "cold read" someone to infer their psychic powers from natural psychological responses.

Let's say there was 1 million dollars lying on the street, but there was a mean man standing in front of it, telling you not to touch it. Would that stop you from picking it up? And the worst thing that happens is you get some publicity for being the only person smart enough to pick up money from the street. Why would noone ever do it.

Allow me to emphasize: EVER.

Stop generalizing all psychics.. go Search DNatureofDTrain and Psychic.. I am not gonna waste anymore time.. debating the fact, that I know my abilities, I have proven them since 1986 .. and I have been scientifically tested and documented.. even put through nasty situations as a child for it.. .. I later on worked with friends in the DOD and FBI to help successfully locate missing children, found a bomb.. .. Anyhow.. I also am recognized as a Shaman... Most Shamans and Shamanic practioners again do not care to play the "prove it game" In fact most will not publicly state what they are! that is one rule I break often, because the only thing I am out to prove is in the end, We are human beings still! We have feelings, and also do things called human error. I would not be able to go on his show because I hate being around strangers, and skeptics.

What people choose to believe is not often based on facts. People still believe that pigmentation levels equate to various levels of intelligence in spite of how absurd that notion is.

I don't know why in the face of evidence to the contrary that some popular beliefs take hold and others don't. Is there a supernatural force at work here? :)

The thing many ignore is that many of these paranormal claims are very explainable. When you look into techniques like "shot-gunning" and "cold reading" you'll find that they are just tricks and another magician can easily expose people who are pretending to be psychic or even fooling themselves to think they are. Nearly all UFO stories have known mundane explanations but some people like the fantasy of space aliens more than they are interested in the truth. Anything from a mylar balloon to a corn stalk in the wind can be thought to be a space alien but it doesn't change the truth.