James Randi Educational Foundation

The James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1996 by magician and skeptic James Randi after his departure from CSICOP in 1994. The Foundation's goals are to educate the public and the media on the consequences of accepting paranormal and supernatural claims, and to support research into paranormal claims and attempts to test them in controlled scientific experimental conditions. The Foundation maintains a legal defense fund to assist persons who are attacked as a result of their investigations and criticism of people who make paranormal claims.

Most notably, the organization offers a prize of one million U.S. dollars to anyone who can demonstrate a supernatural ability under agreed-upon scientific testing criteria.

The JREF is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and is funded through member contributions, grants, sales of books and videos, and conferences. Randi updates the JREF's website on Fridays with a written commentary titled Swift: Online Newsletter of the JREF.

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The One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge

In 1964, Randi put up $1,000 of his own money to the first person who could provide objective proof of the paranormal. Later he raised that to $10,000. Since then, the prize money has grown to the current $1,000,000, and the rules that surround claiming the prize are more official and legal. To date, no one has passed a preliminary test, which is set up and agreed upon by both Randi and the applicant.

In the conditions and rules governing his one million U.S. dollar 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.

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" ^*. 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. Randi has stated that Rawlins did not give the entire quotation. Randi actually said "Concerning the challenge, I always have an 'out': I'm right!", which carries a quite different meaning. Randi has also claimed that the phrase "I always have an out" refers to the fact that he does not allow test subjects to cheat.

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. An example of this is Randi's test for dowsers. Most dowsers claim the ability to trace minerals in the ground. Randi always refuses a field test. Randi insists that the applicant take a controlled test that yields unambiguous results, e.g. looking for a sample of the mineral under a cup. Most dowsers do not claim this ability. They claim to find water or minerals underground, not under a cup. Before such a test begins, the dowser is asked to demonstrate that they can find the material if it is under a cup. The discussions between the JREF and applicants are currently posted on a public discussion board for all to see. ^*

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 (however, 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 countered by Randi and others by pointing out that tests are designed so that no judging is needed — either it meets the criteria that have 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.

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

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 members of skeptical organisations, often JREF members. Frequently, Randi himself conducts the tests.

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. ^*

...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 and [http://randi.org/jr/111204hot.html#9.

As of Jan 2005, no offers to conduct a formal test have yet been extended by the JREF to an applicant. ^*

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.

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 SkepticReport.

Similar offers

Australian Skeptics offers a $100,000 (Australian) for proof of psychic or paranormal powers.
Abraham Kovoor's challenge, an award of Rs. 100,000 for proof of supernatural or miraclous powers
Basava Premanand of India continued Kovoor's challenge.
Prabir Ghosh of India is offering Rs. 20,000,000.
The Association for Skeptical Inquiry (ASKE) in the U. K. is offering £12,000.
Tampa Bay Skeptics (Tampa, Florida, USA) is offering $1,000.
North Texas Skeptics (Texas, USA) is offering $12,000.

These are listed at http://www.skepdic.com/randi.html.

The Amaz!ng Meeting

Since 2003, the JREF has annually hosted The Amaz!ng Meeting (TAM), a gathering of skeptical individuals with noted speakers from the skeptical community. Perennial speakers include Christopher Hitchens, Penn & Teller, Phil Plait, Michael Shermer and Julia Sweeney. Richard Dawkins and Joe Nickell appeared at the 2005 TAM. 2006 saw ACLU president Nadine Strossen, planetary scientist with the Voyager program Carolyn Porco, popular TV personalities the MythBusters and Nobel laureate Murray Gell-Mann.

Notes

External links

One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge

The One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge
Current contenders for the prize, discussed in a public chat forum as their applications come in.
Top Excuses for not taking the Randi Challenge
Criticism of Randi's Challenge on Alternative Science by Richard Milton and Randi's response.
A Challenge to James Randi - A criticism of the Randi challenge, and a challenge toward Randi to explain a number of the studies he has dismissed and Randi's rebuttal.

Scientific skepticism | 1996 establishments

James Randi Educational Foundation | Фонд Джеймса Рэнди | James Randi Educational Foundation