Johnny Truant on Mar 9 2008, 04:10 PM, said:
Just saying,
the James Randi challenge is pretty much a farce, because all of the conditions are made by him and his organization,
No they're not, they're made in collaboration with the claimant, and all conditions must be mutually agreed. The JREF has the right to back out of a claim deemed untestable due to unreasonable demands made by applicants, and the applicant may back out if they disagree with terms the JREF request.
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and if you disagree, you can't even attempt anything.
Again, it's mutual. Go to Randi's site and read some of the correspondence which has been posted on the subforum dedicated to challenge dialogue.
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Also, there's a preliminary test that you have to pass in order to take the actual challenge, and NOBODY has passed the prelim.
The preliminary test is designed to be an easier version of the agreed test (easier, that is, for the applicant to pass). The fact that nobody has ever passed the prelim says only that nobody who has taken the test was able to do what they claimed.
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Along with the fact that the "million dollars" is actually a million dollars' worth in BONDS, which can end up equaling nothing for you.
No, the money is there. Again, go to Randi's site and follow the links - the money is held in the form of bonds by Goldman Sachs, and is always above the value of one million dollars. You can actually access the latest statement online from Randi's site. The money is paid not in the form of bonds, but in currency, within a week of a successful challenge.
I wish people would do their homework instead of repeating tired old myths about the challenge.