They say science can't prove everything, but shouldn't psychics prove their abilities to science?

Question

If all these claims of psychic abilities were true, such as levitation, fortune telling, and telekinesis why won't they prove it to the scientific community?
James Randi, a stage magician and skeptic, offers a One Million Dollar Challenge to any psychic who can prove their abilities. If money is not an issue for these psychics, then I'm sure there is a charity who will gladly accept it. However, there is noone who has taken him up on this challenge, though there must be many thousands of people who claim to have some sort of psychic ability.
Surely one person, out of the many "genuine" psychics, would step forward and prove once and for all that these abilties are in fact REAL and end all the speculation.

Answer 1

The problem with proof of psychic power or any other form of meta-physic ability is not a matter of can it be done as much as what constitutes proof. For example a weight lifter may have a very good day and press 50 pound more than usual, when asked to prove it they are not capable of doing so. The proof you apparently seek is in the form of extremism. When dealing with paranormal ability or phenomena of any type there is overwhelming subsidiary evidence, what is lacking is measured repeatable showing of a particular power. Most likely you actually know someone who has some form of ability, perhaps an uncanny ability to know when someone needs them. These phenomena while apparently random often happen with too great a frequency to be dismissed but are because we don't think about them as proof of ability. In a way psychic ability is more innate then expressible. Proof exists if you are willing to accept some things can not always be explained by coincidence.

In case of point in the issuance of the Randi Challenge clearly states acceptable proof is to be determined only by Randi himself as the final say. In effect, the challenge would require anyone with ability to fly around the room and tap dance on Randi's head five times before being able to win the prize. Accepting the physics precept that energy can neither be created nor destroyed it would be logical to assume that consciously using any form of paranormal ability would require expenditure of personal energy. At the levels Randi would want to be demonstrated how many would be willing to waste that much life energy?

Answer 2

It's hard to prove psychic abilities to skeptics. Many have tried, but people just refuse to keep an open mind about it. And there have been many times, at least that I have witnessed, where a psychic has proven themself. Not exactly fortune telling, telekinesis, and levitation, but others. People just need to have an open mind.

Answer 3

You've got to read "Demon Haunted World" by Carl Sagan. It talks about James Randi and the history of science vs. religion/psychics/demons/witches etc. Very interesting. Anyone will have a much clearer view of the universe after they read it

Answer 4

While I personally do not believe that psychic powers exist, for arguement's sake let's say that there is one person out there with genuine psychic powers. There isn't a government on this planet that wouldn't be hunting that person down. If I had psychic powers, I certainly wouldn't tell anyone just for my own safety.

Answer 5

A number of people have taken the Randi challenge, they've just all failed. Johnny Carson (who started as a magician) also did a lot to debunk a lot of phonys.

Answer 6

If I were a genuine psychic, I sure wouldn't want ANYBODY to know about it. It reminds me of a story I read about how a Catholic priest once knew that a supposed visionary was fake vecause she bragged about it to everyone.

Answer 7

In 1967, I participated in a nationwide search by the CIA to find people who could bend spoons by thinking about it.

It was a very boring search and no one ever really did it.

But I met some neat girls.

Answer 8

Hear hear.
(the proper spelling)

Answer 9

here here