Didn't see this posted anywhere. There's a little sidebar on p.14 with a picture of Randi concentrating his mental powers while holding a spoon. Text as follows:
Certified Superfreak [?]
Think you have supernatural powers? The Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge is for anyone who can "show, under proper observing conditions, evidence of any paranormal, supernatural, or occult, power." According to James Randi, the magician/escape artist who organizes the event, hundreds inquire each year -- but only about a half dozen take the test (register at Randi.org). No one's won the cash, but, as the early rounds of American Idol have proved, you don't need talent for good TV: the Challenge was made into a show in South Korea and Randi's headed to Germany this fall. Applicants in Sount Korea, writes Randi, included "X-ray eyes people, magnetic people, spoon benders, people who find lost animals, and even a man from Malaysia who lit up a fluorescent tuyve he held between his fingers." Randi's not without detractors. While he insists he conducts fair, double-blind tests, Gary Schwartz, a universioty of Arizona professor and an expert on the paranormal, says Randi alters testing parameters. "The phenomena are very sensitive," says Schwartz, "He doesnt optimize conditions." Mike Guska, who failed to prove he could find gold, agrees. he says taking the Challenge in an office threw off his channeling ability. Guska wants to retake it: "They're going to have to come to me."
Sorry about the spelling.
Not bad, though the writing is substandard and the Schwartz bit rankles. Is non-optimizing the same as altering? And in any case, everyone agrees beforehand about what will be done and under what conditions.
Certified Superfreak [?]
Think you have supernatural powers? The Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge is for anyone who can "show, under proper observing conditions, evidence of any paranormal, supernatural, or occult, power." According to James Randi, the magician/escape artist who organizes the event, hundreds inquire each year -- but only about a half dozen take the test (register at Randi.org). No one's won the cash, but, as the early rounds of American Idol have proved, you don't need talent for good TV: the Challenge was made into a show in South Korea and Randi's headed to Germany this fall. Applicants in Sount Korea, writes Randi, included "X-ray eyes people, magnetic people, spoon benders, people who find lost animals, and even a man from Malaysia who lit up a fluorescent tuyve he held between his fingers." Randi's not without detractors. While he insists he conducts fair, double-blind tests, Gary Schwartz, a universioty of Arizona professor and an expert on the paranormal, says Randi alters testing parameters. "The phenomena are very sensitive," says Schwartz, "He doesnt optimize conditions." Mike Guska, who failed to prove he could find gold, agrees. he says taking the Challenge in an office threw off his channeling ability. Guska wants to retake it: "They're going to have to come to me."
Sorry about the spelling.
Not bad, though the writing is substandard and the Schwartz bit rankles. Is non-optimizing the same as altering? And in any case, everyone agrees beforehand about what will be done and under what conditions.
