"Randi owes me a million dollars"

[largeprimenumber]

I think the point of the article is not necessarily that he broke the code, but that there's not a good solution to the problem of verification: a method either requires trust, or is opaque to most people and implies trust.

 

[Show me]

Largeprime, I re-read it and you're right. I think the most important part of the article is this: "Randi, for his part, could exploit this ambiguity to disavow a valid psychic claim, should one happen to come along." As long as thats true this kind of challenge doesn't serve JREF very well, since there could be an endless game of finger pointing in the media if someone claims to have done it.

By the way I emailed Blaze (the address is in the post), and got a reply from him today. He says he spoke to Randi and told him at the Las Vegas TAM last week. If that's true I take back my objection to him posting it.

Al "Show Me"

 

[The Atheist]

I mean isn't misdirection the OLDEST trick in the book?

Absolutely - the guy's a magician, after all!

My pick is that he's encouraging psychics to have a go at coming out and saying, "It's a compact disc, mostly likely recorded by......." so they can trumpet having solved the puzzle. Giving Randi the opportunity of saying, "well, I know why you guessed that - but it's a cellphone.

Which means I get the mio, because:

0679438866 is also the bar-code for a cellphone.

It comes with a 275 mb memory and a 14 mp camera.

Or, maybe it's that auction number at E-Bay....

 

[Big Al]

I guessed the code indicated an ISBN, too, but I don't have a copy of that dictionary.

Anyway, perhaps it's not a CD - its a Washington DC phone directory. Or a Corps Diplomatique (CD) flag.

Even if it were a CD, if any person truly was remote viewing, you'd think they'd be really keen to prove it by giving the artist and title.

 

[aggle-rithm]

Largeprime, I re-read it and you're right. I think the most important part of the article is this: "Randi, for his part, could exploit this ambiguity to disavow a valid psychic claim, should one happen to come along." As long as thats true this kind of challenge doesn't serve JREF very well, since there could be an endless game of finger pointing in the media if someone claims to have done it.

Perhaps -- but a true test of psychic abilities would have no ambiguities, according to the rules. Both parties would agree on a protocol that would result in a clear, unambiguous result, so no judging is required.

This was a situation where no psychic powers were required -- perfectly mundane methods could be used to determine the contents of the box.

 

[Show me]

Perhaps -- but a true test of psychic abilities would have no ambiguities, according to the rules. Both parties would agree on a protocol that would result in a clear, unambiguous result, so no judging is required.

This was a situation where no psychic powers were required -- perfectly mundane methods could be used to determine the contents of the box.

Yes, that's exactly correct. You seem to think that you've somehow refuted something I said, when in fact you've simply restated my (and Blaze's) original point.

Do you think Blaze is actualy claiming he has psychic powers? I didn't read his blog posting that way at all.

 

[Show me]

I guessed the code indicated an ISBN, too, but I don't have a copy of that dictionary.

Anyway, perhaps it's not a CD - its a Washington DC phone directory. Or a Corps Diplomatique (CD) flag.

Even if it were a CD, if any person truly was remote viewing, you'd think they'd be really keen to prove it by giving the artist and title.

According to a couple of SWIFTs ago, it was a CD, and the object and code have now been changed.

 

[Big Al]

I think the code just muddies the water. I understand why the woosters would demand it, expecting a red-faced Randi to suddenly switch the contents when some red-hot RVer immediately nailed the contents, but it does leave the possibility of being cracked, and then attributing the correct "guess" to arcane powers.

I'm sure there's a better way of proving good faith while still maintaining security.