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Since ABC-TV’s Nightline paranormal mini-series “Beyond Belief” aired an episode on August 17 focusing on psychics and, among other things, the JREF’s Million Dollar Challenge, there’s been a nice burst of media coverage. The story of the MDC has been picked up by some mainstream media, including multiple stories now in Canada, particularly via CBC News.
In a story posted by the CBC News on August 31, a local Toronto “psychic” named “Psychic Nikki,” (from here on in, maybe I should ask people to call me Magician Swiss) who was approached for comment, said:
"I would say yes, I would take [the] challenge because I have enough faith in my own abilities if I was available," Toronto-based “psychic” Nikki told CBC News. "I am the real thing so I don't have to worry about this stuff."
She also went on “The Dean Blundell” Toronto morning radio talk show, on which she’s a weekly regular, where she and the rest of the morning Eh-List zoo gang made fun of Randi’s name and offered other devastating critiques of our challenge. But since then (surprise, surprise!), there’s been no sign of “Psychic” Nikki applying for the challenge. Randi publicly challenged her to put her mouth where our money is, in this story posted September 6.
“Psychic” Nikki claimed she wasn’t ducking us, saying, "I'm not refusing to take his test at all. I still need some information on it.” Well, hey, “Psychic” Nikki, you don’t’ have to be psychic to find the info! We have now twice offered to provide her information directly and to ask us questions.
Yet just three days later – Friday, September 9th – she was back on the same radio show again, this time leaving grooves in the road like Wile E. Coyote slamming into reverse before crashing into a mountain. Apparently, “Psychic” Nikki now says she doesn't want to take the test, especially now, because she isn't “psychologically ready” for it and “might do it next year.” She also continues to whine that she doesn’t know anything about the test, even though the Challenge has its own public web page, and the fact that you get about half a million Google hits if you type in “Randi Million Dollar Challenge.” So much for psychic powers – but we’ve still got a million ready and waiting for ya, “Psychic” Nikki. That’s a personal promise from Magician Swiss. Come and get it!
“Psychic” Nikki has also failed to follow through with her promise to contact us, so by every measure she is backing down and running scared. We didn’t have to be psychic to predict any of it!
Jamy Ian Swiss is a spokesperson for the James Randi Educational Foundation and a professional magician and author. A long-time skeptical activist, he is a founder of National Capital Area Skeptics, Bay Area Skeptics, and New York City Skeptics.
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. Seriously, no matter how many times we ask these "psychics" why they won't accept the challenge, we will never get a good reason out of them. For example, when I asked Maureen Hancock (a fraudulent "psychic" criminal up here in New England) why she wouldn't accept the challenge, all she said was "I'm not in it for the money". Come on Maureen, think of all those starving children and homeless people out there, think of all the charities that could use that money. Even if she were a real psychic, she would still be a sick, cold person for this reason.