Misplaced Pages

#627372

48-762: Grothe is a surname that may refer to: D. J. Grothe (born 1973), American writer, public speaker and President of the James Randi Educational Foundation Eric Grothe Jr. (born 1980), Australian former rugby league footballer Eric Grothe Sr. (born 1960), Australian former rugby league footballer, father of Eric Grothe Jr. Luma Grothe (born 1993/94), Brazilian fashion model Matt Grothe (born 1986), American former football quarterback v t e Surnames associated with

96-475: A This Morning host, stated that the program would pay for her flights to the US to be tested. Salway subsequently backed out of the challenge, claiming it was "dodgy" and "set up to make it impossible to pass". Randi rejected an application from Rico Kolodzey, a breatharian who claimed to have survived without food since 1998. In 2006, Randi agreed to test Kolodzey's claims, but the two parties were unable to agree on

144-442: A supernatural or paranormal ability under agreed-upon scientific testing criteria. A version of the challenge was first issued in 1964. Over a thousand people applied to take it, but none was successful. The challenge was terminated in 2015. James Randi developed the idea for the challenge during a radio panel discussion when a parapsychologist challenged him to "put [his] money where [his] mouth is." In 1964, Randi offered

192-450: A $ 1,000 prize, soon increasing it to $ 10,000. Later, Lexington Broadcasting wanted Randi to do a show called the $ 100,000 Psychic Prize, so they added $ 90,000 to the original $ 10,000 raised by Randi. Finally, in 1996, one of his friends, Internet pioneer Rick Adams , donated $ 1 million for the prize. The prize is sometimes referred to in the media as the "Randi Prize". By April 1, 2007, only those with an already existing media profile and

240-537: A claimant's ability to perform, non-blinded preliminary control tests are often performed. For example, the JREF had dowsers perform a control test, in which the dowser attempts to locate the target substance or object using their dowsing ability, even though the target's location has been revealed to the applicant. Failure to display a 100% success rate in the open test would cause their immediate disqualification. However, claimants were usually able to perform successfully during

288-447: A curtain, and the subjects were in front of the curtain with eyes and ears covered so as not to be able to deduce who was behind the curtain. A colored ball was chosen randomly to determine whether Wang or the control person would go first, and in that order they tried to transmit the energy onto the subject's hand (hidden from their view inside a cardboard box). The subject then stated whether she had felt any energy and whether it came from

336-518: A later date on any possible changes to the requirements and procedures. As an April Fool's prank on April 1, 2008, at the MIT Media Lab , Randi pretended to award the prize to magician Seth Raphael after participating in a test of Raphael's "psychic abilities". On March 8, 2011, the JREF announced that qualifications were being altered to open the challenge to more applicants. Whereas applicants were previously required to submit press clippings and

384-412: A letter from an academic institution to qualify, the new rules now require applicants to present either press clippings, a letter from an academic institution, or a public video demonstrating their ability. The JREF explained that these new rules would give people without media or academic documentation a way to be considered for testing, and would allow the JREF to use online video and social media to reach

432-407: A mysterious force a distance of 91 centimeters (3 feet), unhindered by wood, metal, plastic or cardboard. The energy, he said, could be felt by others as heat, pressure, magnetism, or simply "an indescribable change." A total of nine people were selected by Wang as subjects who would be able to determine whether they were receiving the force from his hand. On stage, Wang and a control person were behind

480-455: A preliminary investigation, but after the Yellow Bamboo group "threw every sort of obstacle in the way of that plan", Randi announced that he was terminating further involvement with them. A local volunteer contacted Randi offering to investigate the group unofficially. A low-resolution video showed the investigator being knocked to the ground during a preliminary test. The JREF pointed out that

528-481: A prize of US$ 1,000 to anyone who could demonstrate a paranormal ability under agreed-upon testing conditions. This prize was later increased to US$ 1   million in bonds and was administered by JREF. Since its inception, more than 1,000 people applied to be tested. The Challenge was eventually terminated, with JREF noting in 2015, "We can no longer justify the resources to interact with these people." No applicants were able to demonstrate their claimed abilities under

SECTION 10

#1732845521628

576-701: A regular video cast and YouTube show, The Randi Show , in which former JREF outreach coordinator Brian Thompson interviewed Randi on a variety of skeptical topics, often with lighthearted or comedic commentary. It has not been active since August 2012. In November 2015, Harriet Hall produced a series of ten lectures called Science Based Medicine for the JREF. The videos deal with various complementary alternative medicine subjects including homeopathy , chiropractic , acupuncture and more. The JREF posted many of its educational videos from The Amaz!ng Meeting and other events online. There are lectures by Neil DeGrasse Tyson , Carol Tavris , Lawrence Krauss , live tests of

624-480: A television project, and D.J. Grothe assumed the position of president on January 1, 2010, holding the position until his departure from the organization was announced on September 1, 2014. The San Francisco newspaper SF Weekly reported in August 2009, that Randi's annual salary was about $ 200,000. Randi resigned from JREF in 2015. As of January 2024, JREF leadership consisted of: In 1964, Randi began offering

672-429: A wider audience. Since the challenge was first created by Randi in 1964, about a thousand people applied, but none were successful. Randi has said that few unsuccessful applicants ever seriously considered that their failure to perform might be due to the nonexistence of the power they believe they possess. In January 2015, James Randi announced that he was officially retiring and stepping down from his position with

720-586: Is different from Wikidata All set index articles James Randi Educational Foundation The organization previously administered the One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge , a prize of one million U.S. dollars to anyone who could demonstrate a supernatural or paranormal ability under agreed-upon scientific testing criteria. The organization has been funded through member contributions, grants, and conferences, though it ceased accepting memberships after 2015. For several years,

768-748: Is my great pleasure to announce the creation of the James Randi Educational Foundation. This is a non-profit, tax-exempt, educational foundation under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code, incorporated in the State of Delaware. The Foundation is generously funded by a sponsor in Washington D.C. who wishes, at this point in time, to remain anonymous. JREF is now headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia . Randi stated that Johnny Carson

816-1050: The Latin word grossus or Old High German grōz Great, Big, Thick, Tall Germanic Groos Grooss /Grooß Gross /Groß Grosse /Große Grossen Grosser /Großer Groesser /Grösser Groth Grothe Groot / De Groot Groote / De Groote Grote Grossfeld Groisman /Groysman Grosskopf /Großkopf Grossman /Großman/Grossmann/Großmann/Grosmann Grossmith Romance Gros /Groș Legros /LeGros/Le Gros Grose Grosso Grosu /Grossu Grueso / Gruezo Delgrosso Other Estonian: Kross Hungarian: Grósz Polish Jewish: Grosz Money Grosch Grosh Groshev Grosz Groszek Similar but unrelated Grassmann /Grassman Kross Kroos Goss Additional meaning Grose [REDACTED] Surname list This page lists people with

864-440: The surname Grothe . If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name (s) to the link. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grothe&oldid=1103805820 " Categories : Surnames from nicknames Surnames Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description

912-445: The 2015 Amazing Meeting, the MDC set up a controlled double-blind demonstration with volunteers listening to two identical recordings with a randomly selected Ethernet cable, a normal one or the cable claiming to improve the listening experience. After seven volunteers (1 hit, 1 miss and 5 hearing no difference), the demonstration was ended as they were unable to select the "enhanced" cable over

960-518: The JREF website published the blog Swift , which included news and information as well as exposés of paranormal claimants. The James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) officially came into existence on February 29, 1996, when it was registered as a nonprofit corporation in the State of Delaware in the United States. On April 3, 1996, James Randi formally announced the creation of JREF through his email hotline. THE FOUNDATION IS IN BUSINESS! It

1008-462: The JREF. In September 2015, JREF announced that their board had decided that it would convert the foundation into a grant-making foundation, and they will no longer accept applications directly from people claiming to have a paranormal power. In 2015 the James Randi paranormal challenge was officially terminated. The official challenge rules stipulated that the participant must agree, in writing, to

SECTION 20

#1732845521628

1056-680: The One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge, workshops on cold reading by Ray Hyman , and panels featuring leading thinking on various topics related to JREF's educational mission on the JREF YouTube channel. JREF past president D.J. Grothe has claimed that the JREF's YouTube channel was once the "10th most subscribed nonprofit channel of all time", though its status in 2013 was 39th and most non-profits do not register for this status. The foundation produced its own "Internet Audio Show" which ran from January–December 2002 and

1104-443: The backing of a reputable academic were allowed to apply for the challenge. It was hoped that the resources freed up by not having to test obscure and possibly mentally ill claimants would then be used to challenge high-profile alleged psychics and mediums such as Sylvia Browne and John Edward with a campaign in the media. On January 4, 2008, it was announced that the prize would be discontinued on March 6, 2010, in order to free

1152-405: The central beliefs of society. It has not been active since December 2011. Consequence was a biweekly podcast hosted by former outreach coordinator Brian Thompson in which regular people shared their personal narratives about the negative impact a belief in pseudoscience , superstition , and the paranormal had had on their lives. It has not been active since May, 2013. The JREF also produced

1200-562: The challenge without following through. Eventually the clock was replaced with text stating that "over 5 years" had passed. Browne died in 2013. In an appearance on Larry King Live on January 26, 2007, Randi challenged psychic Rosemary Altea to take the one-million-dollar challenge. During Altea and Randi's June 5, 2001 meeting on the same show, Altea refused to take the challenge, calling it "a trick". Instead Altea, in part, replied "I agree with what he says, that there are many, many people who claim to be spiritual mediums, they claim to talk to

1248-438: The challenge, I always have an 'out': I'm right!" Self-proclaimed psychic Rosemary Altea suggested the one million dollars prize fund did not exist, or was in the form of pledges or promissory notes. The JREF stated that the million dollars was in the form of negotiable bonds within a "James Randi Educational Foundation Prize Account" and that validation of the account and the prize amount could be supplied on demand. The money

1296-491: The conditions and criteria of their test. Claims that cannot be tested experimentally are not eligible for the Challenge. Claimants were able to influence all aspects of the testing procedure and participants during the initial negotiation phase of the challenge. Applications for any challenges that might cause serious injury or death were not accepted. To ensure that the experimental conditions themselves did not negatively affect

1344-426: The dead. There are many, people, we all know this. There are cheats and charlatans everywhere." Randi's response was to suggest that Altea was also one of the "cheats and charlatans". In an appearance on ITV's This Morning , on September 27, 2011, magician Paul Zenon challenged Welsh psychic Leigh Catherine (aka Leigh-Catherine Salway) to take the one million dollar challenge and she accepted. Phillip Schofield ,

1392-531: The first or second person. Wang needed to be the person selected by at least 8 of the 9 subjects in order to win the million dollars. After both of the first two subjects failed to choose Wang, the challenge was over. Wang stated that he would try again the next year, saying, "This energy is mysterious". Tech journalist Lee Hutchinson approached the JREF after writing an article for Ars Technica about directional Ethernet cables that claim to "keep your audio signal completely free of electromagnetic interference". At

1440-469: The money for other uses. In the meantime, claimants were welcome to vie for it. One of the reasons offered for its discontinuation is the unwillingness of higher-profile claimants to apply. However, at The Amazing Meeting 7 , it was announced that the $ 1 Million Challenge prize would not expire in 2010. The Foundation issued a formal update on its website on July 30, 2009, announcing the Challenge's continuation, and stated more information would be provided at

1488-400: The open test, confirming that experimental conditions are adequate. Claimants agreed to readily observable success criteria prior to the test, results were unambiguous and clearly indicated whether or not the criteria have been met. Randi had said that he need not participate in any way with the actual execution of the test, and he has been willing to travel far from the test location to avoid

Grothe - Misplaced Pages Continue

1536-518: The perception that his anti-paranormal bias could influence the test results. The discussions between the JREF and applicants were at one time posted on a public discussion board. After the resignation of Randi's assistant Mark Kramer and subsequent changes to challenge rules—requiring applicants to have demonstrated considerable notability—new applications were no longer logged. In 1979, Randi tested four people in Italy for dowsing ability. The prize at

1584-505: The person or organization that best represents the spirit of the foundation by encouraging critical questions and seeking unbiased, fact-based answers." Some of the recipients include the following: One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge The One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge was an offer by the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) to pay out one million U.S. dollars to anyone who could demonstrate

1632-434: The pipes water was running through, and only one would be selected at a time. At least 5 liters per second (0.18 cubic feet per second) of water would flow through the selected pipe. The dowser must first check the area to see if there is any natural water or anything else that would interfere with the test, and that would be marked. Additionally, the dowser must demonstrate that the dowsing reaction works on an exposed pipe with

1680-414: The test of each dowser and the dowser must pass two of the three trials to pass the test. A lawyer was present, in possession of Randi's $ 10,000 check. If a claimant were successful, the lawyer would give him the check. If none were successful, the check would be returned to Randi. All of the dowsers agreed with the conditions of the test and stated that they felt able to perform the test that day and that

1728-479: The test started, but disagreed with each other about where it was, as well as with the ones who found no natural water. Astronomer Dennis Rawlins described the challenge as insincere, saying that Randi would ensure he never had to pay out. In the October 1981 issue of Fate , Rawlins quoted him as saying "I always have an out". Randi stated that Rawlins did not give the entire quotation, and actually said "Concerning

1776-402: The test was not conducted according to the proposed protocol, with multiple flaws in the execution including being carried out at night. Upon viewing a set of still shots from the incident, several people experienced with stun-guns suggested that an electroshock weapon could have been used. In July 2009, Danish psychic/dowser Connie Sonne was given the chance to prove her dowsing ability. She

1824-450: The test. When all of the tests were over and the location of the pipes was revealed, none of the dowsers had passed the test. Dr. Borga had placed his markers carefully, but the nearest was a full 2.4 meters (8 ft) from the water pipe. Borga said, "We are lost", but within two minutes he started blaming his failure on many things such as sunspots and geomagnetic variables. Two of the dowsers thought they had found natural water before

1872-424: The testing conditions, with all applicants either failing to demonstrate the claimed ability during the test or deviating from the foundation conditions for taking the test such that any apparent success was held invalid; thus, the prize was not awarded. The foundation produced two audio podcasts, For Good Reason which was an interview program hosted by D.J. Grothe , promoting critical thinking and skepticism about

1920-614: The time was $ 10,000. The conditions were that a 10-by-10-meter (33 by 33 ft) test area would be used. There would be a water supply and a reservoir just outside the test area. There would be three plastic pipes running underground from the source to the reservoir along different concealed paths. Each pipe would pass through the test area by entering at some point on an edge and exiting at some point on an edge. A pipe would not cross itself but it might cross others. The pipes were 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) in diameter and were buried 50 cm (20 in) below ground. Valves would select which of

1968-468: The venue and method of the test. Members of a group from Bali, referring to themselves as Yellow Bamboo, claimed one of their number, Pak Nyoman Serengen, could knock down an attacker at a distance, using only a piece of yellow bamboo . Video clips on their website showed a crowd of students running at Serengen, and falling to the ground when (or, in some cases, slightly before) Serengen extended his hand and shouted. The JREF arranged volunteers to carry out

Grothe - Misplaced Pages Continue

2016-460: The water flow was sufficient. Before the test they were asked how sure they were that they would succeed. All said either "99 percent" or "100 percent" certain. They were asked what they would conclude if the water flow was 90 degrees from what they thought it was and all said that it was impossible. After the test they were asked how confident they were that they had passed the test. Three answered "100 percent" and one answered that he had not completed

2064-399: The water running. Then one of the three pipes would be selected randomly for each trial. The dowser would place ten to one hundred pegs in the ground along the path he or she traces as the path of the active pipe. Two-thirds of the pegs placed by the dowser must be within 10 cm (3.9 in) of the center of the pipe being traced for the trial to be a success. Three trials would be done for

2112-500: Was a major sponsor, giving several six-figure donations. From 2003 to 2015, JREF annually hosted The Amazing Meeting (styled as The Amaz!ng Meeting), a gathering of scientists , skeptics , and atheists . Perennial speakers included Richard Dawkins , Penn & Teller , Phil Plait , Michael Shermer and Adam Savage . In 2008, the astronomer Philip Plait became the new president of JREF, and Randi became its board chairman. In December 2009, Plait left JREF due to involvement in

2160-514: Was asked to dowse some randomly selected cards hidden in envelopes and lost the challenge by selecting other incorrect ones. In an interview with Mark Edward afterward, she insisted that she lost merely because, "…it wasn't time yet for my powers to be revealed." In July 2014, Chinese salesman Fei Wang was tested in front of an audience of 600 at the conclusion of The Amazing Meeting in Las Vegas. Wang said that from his right hand, he could transmit

2208-506: Was broadcast via a live stream. The archive can be found as mp3 files on the JREF website and as a podcast on iTunes. As part of the JREF's goal of educating the general population about science and reason, people involved in their community ran a popular skeptic based online forum with the overall goal of promoting "critical thinking and providing the public with the tools needed to reliably examine paranormal, supernatural, and pseudoscientific claims". On October 5, 2014, this online forum

2256-405: Was divorced from the JREF and moved as its own entity to International Skeptics Forum. The JREF has also helped to support local grassroot efforts and outreach endeavors, such as SkeptiCamp , Camp Inquiry and various community-organized conferences. However, according to their tax filing, they spend less than $ 2,000 a year on other organizations or individuals. The JREF Award "is given to

2304-439: Was held in an Evercore Wealth Management account. On Larry King Live , March 6, 2001, Larry King asked psychic Sylvia Browne if she would take the challenge and she agreed. Randi appeared with Browne again on Larry King Live on September 3, 2001, and she again accepted the challenge. However, she refused to be tested and Randi kept a clock on his website recording the number of weeks that had passed since Browne accepted

#627372