If you're reading this, you are aware of the James Randi Educational Foundation's $1,000,000 psychic challenge. This is the real deal. We have the money in a Goldman Sachs account, we WILL pay if someone wins a test that they design with us, and we do test people. A lot of people dispute those facts, but they simply can't—we've demonstrated them time after time.
Some individuals think it's a simple thing to conduct a challenge, and they've concocted their own home-brew versions. As a fun diversion, I'm going to present two of them to you.
First up, we have Victor Zammit, a lawyer living in Australia who has long derided Randi, the JREF, and our challenge. He is so convinced that there is life after death that he'll give $1,000,000 to anyone who proves there isn't. See any problems with that? You can watch the video and decide for yourself if he's on the level.
Next, we have the bizarre Bandershot, also known as John Benneth. I promise you this is the unedited video that he put up on YouTube himself. I've shown this video at a few talks, and people have asked me if I put in all the strange sounds and such to make fun of him. I assure you, they are his own creation (he even credits himself for the "music" at the end).
I've thought that if I ever teach another class on critical thinking, I might include these videos as an assignment. They're an excellent sample of logical fallacies, and they also show that merely claiming something isn't the same as actually proving it.
While I don't think they'll ever pay (at least one person claims to have won Benneth's challenge, and did not receive payment), at least they provide amusement.
Is he for real? written by gr8white,
October 17, 2009
After watching the Bandershot video I assumed it was just a big put-on. Must have a notarized statement from a Christian Science practitioner? But after reading his own comments on YouTube I became convinced he actually is as delusional as he appears in the video.
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... written by emactan,
October 17, 2009
From Zammit's book: Crookes worked extensively investigating levitation and physical mediumship phenomena which was associated with the medium D.D. Home. Conclusive photographs were taken as part of his experiments and the total absence of fraud and trickery were verified by a number of other leading scientists of the day. http://victorzammit.com/book/4thedition/chapter02.html
Oh I'm quite confident Randi, Banacek, et al. can perform levitation and mediumship and those same leading scientists won't find a hint of fraud and trickery. Could Zammit really be unaware of Project Alpha?
I browsed his book and he provides lots of "evidence." Well it's hardly convincing given the exceeding implausibility of something surviving biological death. Even Zammit has to admit that the only reason he can think, talk, imagine, peruse,... is because his brain is still in working order--that he hasn't had half his brain removed or been crippled by Alzheimer's or what have you. How can intelligence, consciousness, self awareness, etc. exist without a brain and body? He may say that's irrelevant given that he has evidence for something surviving demise of the body. But in fact it is crucial in that we demand a preponderance of evidence for claims that we understand--from our current fund of knowledge--to be impossible. His so called litany of evidence is simply not good enough in quality.
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... written by AZAtheist,
October 17, 2009
Bandershot, what a maroon! Well that's 9:13 I'll never get back. Is posting YouTube videos better therapy than finger painting?
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... written by Nickelking,
October 17, 2009
Is it just me or did Bandershots offer reduce to 1/100th of the original offer sometime in the video? Also since his hasn't been awarded does that count as proof there is no god?
And as a notary public the whole notarized application is a joke, that goes for all offers. All my job is is to say you signed under penalty of perjury and that you are of sound mind. It in no way lends any assurance of truth unless you plan on pursuing legal options.
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... written by Gumba Masta,
October 17, 2009
In response to John Benneth, this is, I think, one of the few videos who actually would gain in seriosity if he'd be seen wearing a stonewashed t shirt, had unkempt hair and smoking a joint.
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... written by Otara,
October 17, 2009
Well he probably got more hits for his music video than 95% of people.
Very ingenious marketting.
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... written by desoi,
October 17, 2009
Bandershot rocks in a mad kind of way and I quite liked the..ahem..music.
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Sound mind? written by Michael K Gray,
October 17, 2009
@Nickelking As a notary public, would you class Benneth as of sound mind?
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Re:Sound Mind written by Gumba Masta,
October 17, 2009
@Gray
Well, he certainly has lots of sounds in his mind.
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... written by MadScientist,
October 18, 2009
@emactan: I guess Zammit must have been looking at the wrong evidence. D.D.Holmes was exposed as a cheap trickster on many occasions - it's just that his horde of believers chose to ignore the evidence. I guess it's a bit like the antivax crowd.
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Convincing written by GusGus,
October 18, 2009
Well, Zammit has me convinced. What could be more convincing than the fact that Larry King and Sylvia Brown have discussed his challenge?
I watched about a minute or so of Benneth's video. I couldn't bear to watch any more! .
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... written by cullen,
October 18, 2009
It sounds like Zammit is not demanding so much a disproof of the afterlife, but disproof of some collection of "evidence of an afterlife". Without knowing what evidence he wants to disprove (and having no particular interest in looking it up) it's impossible to know whether this is a reasonable challenge or not.
His insistence that any evidence not challenged is presumed accepted (and therefore proves the proposition that there is an afterlife) is an exaggeration of a competitive debate rule - not one of scientific inquiry. Indeed, even in debate (which as a lawyer he clearly should understand) evidence may simply be extra-topical.
Zammit fails to mention that he has exchanged correspondence with me for months involving his delusion that the JREF million-dollar challenge is a fake, as he's preached for years, not being able to meet that challenge. He prefers - of course - to issue another challenge, one that requires endlessly arguing back and forth. After all, he's a lawyer...!
In any case, I finally came up with a definitive form of oath that he demanded I declare, and sent him the final version - months ago. He has not responded, and that establishes that he's merely an Australian windbag.
Case closed.
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Re: Sound Mind? written by Nickelking,
October 18, 2009
@Michael
Sound enough to understand what he's signing. Sadly that's how low the bar is to get notarization. It's illegal for me to refuse for any other reason; which is why I find it rather pointless for these challenges.
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@Nickelking written by JeffWagg,
October 18, 2009
Given the folks that apply, having them understand what they're signing is actually a big deal. The notarization process also forces the applicant to apply some effort to the application, thus weeding out jokesters and people who aren't serious.
....am I the only one who finds the sound effects during Benneth's video - - - - - - - - somewhat disturbing??????
......is this some Venusian dialect I have not yet encountered?
It's just......barmy!!!!!!!!!!!
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... written by markbellis,
October 18, 2009
Klingon maybe??? The Greek letters used in the overlays are just an attempt to write in letters that look like the ones in the original English - In fact they would not sound the same - Sigma and Eta don't make the 'Sh' in Bandershot! It would sound like "sit" in Modern Greek.
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... written by cullen,
October 18, 2009
Benneth's soundtrack sounds like it was inspired by The Firesign Theater. I had to wonder whether that was really David Ossman.
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Well..... written by huonia,
October 18, 2009
I have to admit, I did laugh out loud several times. Good medicine. But nuttier than a Stuckey's log.
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I believe I know the answer written by Paul Erickson,
October 18, 2009
As I stated in the past, I believe Zammit's toupee is a bit too tight since it is obviously cutting off the blood supply to his brain.
As for Bandershot, he really shouldn't decide unilaterally to quit taking Lithium - that decision is best left to his doctor.
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Supernatural Power Is Reality Or Not ........, Lowly rated comment [Show]
@ POwer EYe$ written by pxatkins,
October 19, 2009
(i am not showing my self)
Thanks for that, at least.
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Wow written by cheezfri,
October 20, 2009
That second guy is a total whackjob. Quite disturbing. As my 11-yr old son says, he's not the fluffiest pancake in the stack.
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minor point written by tctheunbeliever,
October 20, 2009
I noticed that Zammit follows many cop video shows in leaving the word "presumed" out of a sentence where it should appear. Defendants are PRESUMED innocent until proven guilty, and if his knowledge of jurisprudence is correct (it's not my field), then his "proof" would be PRESUMED valid. In a courtroom. But of course the scientific method is a little more demanding than Judge Judy.
Well, let's say Judge Mathis.
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@ POwer EYe$ written by GusGus,
October 20, 2009
You need to learn how to write. Or at least learn to proofread your comment. Try reading your comment and see if it makes any sense to you. To me it looks like random words! .
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Nonsense written by oaajbs,
October 20, 2009
What exactly is a "Pseudo Skeptic". To me this word is nonsensical. I can't eve begin to follow this persons derailed train of logic.
I'm amused to hear this genius lawyer Zammit remark - during his tirade - that applicants for the JREF prize have to send in a "two page paragraph description" of their talent. Gee, I wouldn't know how to decipher that. A very large font would be better...
I love it when Zammit says that the open minded skeptics agree with him and the closed minded disagree with him.
Also he says that challengers need to refute the evidence he has, not disprove an afterlife. Not that it makes much difference if he's just a crank who will never pay no matter what.
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How to win Zammits challenge. written by molito68,
November 17, 2009
I know how to win Victor Zammits challenge. He first gives me the million, then I kill him. He then comes back in the afterlife to haunt me and take back his bucks. If he doesn't show, I have proven that there is no afterlife and get to keep the money. We could arrange it so that just before he dies I show him a password that i have written on a piece of paper. The piece of paper is then concealed in a very secure place, something which can only be opened once - I'm sure James could think of something suitable. Then Zammit reveals himself and produces the pass word by means of a medium, ouija board or whatever. If the password materialises I return his money. Do you think he will accept the challenge? If he believes in the afterlife then he surely has nothing to lose in dying. The most fun will be in proving to him personally that there is no afterlife. I would love to see the look on his face after he dies and realises this!! (Logical fallacy intended as humour! You never know what these people will take seriously!) This experiment is also objective and repeatable - it could be done on a huge scale with lots of different subjects, and anyone coming back from the otherside with the password would win back my million dollars. And we don't necessarily have to kill them, we could do it with people about to die of natural causes, the terminally ill, accident victims who aren't gonna make it etc. You wanna help me out James? We could share the bounty?
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I was wrong... written by molito68,
November 17, 2009
...as Cullen points out "It sounds like Zammit is not demanding so much a disproof of the afterlife, but disproof of some collection of "evidence of an afterlife"." There goes my million big ones.
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