James Randi 1, crackpots, psychics, and assorted nutbars, 0.
"Professional medium" Patricia Putt recently took the James Randi Educational Foundation one-million-dollar challenge.
For those who don't know, or who don't like to click on the wiki above, James Randi, stage magician and all around foe to the frauds or fools who claim they have "paranormal powers", has a foundation set up that offers a 1-million-dollar prize to anyone who can objectively demonstrate any sort of "paranormal ability".
The way it works is as fair as it can be. Before whatever claimed ability is to be tested, both the skeptic and the person with the 'claimed ability' agree on the parameters of the test, and on what will constitute a pass or a fail of the test.
UK professional medium Patrica Putt took the test, and didn't just failed, she failed totally.
The woman in question claims that she can "read people", i.e. give a detailed and accurate description of a person that she had never met.
The volunteers would come into a room where our "psychic" was waiting, sit down for a few minutes, maybe she would have them read a short passage. They were covered head to toe, including ski masks and wraparound sunglasses. Then Ms Putt would write up her "reading" for each of ten participants.
The participants would then examine the ten readings, and see if they could pick out the one that was written about them. The Randi foundation and Ms. Putt agreed that if 5 out of 10 volunteers correctly identified the description of themselves, that would constitute a "pass" of the test.
Well, how well do you think Patty scored? 8 out of 10? 10 out of 10? 5 out of 10?
Guess again. Zero out of 10. Not a single hit.
So, now for the boring, but important part. Does this prove that psychic powers don't exist? No. Nor does it prove that Ms Putt doesn't possess them.
What it does show, is that when you take out the ability of the "psychic" to read a person's face, the feedback the psychic gets from the target, or the aspects of a "cold read" that allow someone to be led to conclusions that they want to hear, she scored zero.
For those who don't know, or who don't like to click on the wiki above, James Randi, stage magician and all around foe to the frauds or fools who claim they have "paranormal powers", has a foundation set up that offers a 1-million-dollar prize to anyone who can objectively demonstrate any sort of "paranormal ability".
The way it works is as fair as it can be. Before whatever claimed ability is to be tested, both the skeptic and the person with the 'claimed ability' agree on the parameters of the test, and on what will constitute a pass or a fail of the test.
UK professional medium Patrica Putt took the test, and didn't just failed, she failed totally.
The woman in question claims that she can "read people", i.e. give a detailed and accurate description of a person that she had never met.
The volunteers would come into a room where our "psychic" was waiting, sit down for a few minutes, maybe she would have them read a short passage. They were covered head to toe, including ski masks and wraparound sunglasses. Then Ms Putt would write up her "reading" for each of ten participants.
The participants would then examine the ten readings, and see if they could pick out the one that was written about them. The Randi foundation and Ms. Putt agreed that if 5 out of 10 volunteers correctly identified the description of themselves, that would constitute a "pass" of the test.
Well, how well do you think Patty scored? 8 out of 10? 10 out of 10? 5 out of 10?
Guess again. Zero out of 10. Not a single hit.
So, now for the boring, but important part. Does this prove that psychic powers don't exist? No. Nor does it prove that Ms Putt doesn't possess them.
What it does show, is that when you take out the ability of the "psychic" to read a person's face, the feedback the psychic gets from the target, or the aspects of a "cold read" that allow someone to be led to conclusions that they want to hear, she scored zero.