The Center for Inquiry, an atheist organization, has an open letter to Ky Dickens extending an invitation to have the telepathic kids tested by people who can’t even be convinced by the peer reviewed scientific research on telepathy. These same people who have characterized Ky as a “true believer”, and who refer to the telepathy tapes as “ a veritable cornucopia of pseudoscientific beliefs,” promise to conduct “a fair, objective and impartial test.”

I am highly skeptical of that. (Yes, I am Skeptical About Skeptics) The Center for Inquiry (CfI) combined with the James Randi Educational Foundation’s (JREF) track record of success in testing for psychic ability over the decades is zilch, nada, zero. In the entire history of these two organizations, there has never been a single successful test of psychic ability. Not one. Ever. This is in contrast to professional members of the Parapsychological Association who have had a great many successful peer reviewed studies over that same time period.

I know that it’s hard to believe that scientists specializing in this unique field do better at testing than unqualified armchair skeptics, but there it is. Even your CfI scientists, Chris French and Richard Wiseman have somehow never gotten over the hump. With this track record of abject failure, is it any wonder that Ky Dickens would decline your offer?

I reached out to Ky about responding to this challenge, and she had this to say about the testing she was focused on:

The Telepathy Tapes team is actively collaborating with scientists from institutions including Cambridge, Yale, UC San Diego, the University of Virginia, Northwestern, and others—consulting, supporting research efforts, and coordinating telepathy tests. These researchers are conducting peer-reviewed studies, with IRB approval, to rigorously explore and validate the abilities demonstrated in the film.

This is a substantial upgrade from anything the Center for Inquiry could offer, so a skeptical test is completely unnecessary. But wait, there’s more.

Parapsychology has long ago moved on from simply proving that psychic ability exists and scientists are focused on understanding it more fully. CfI meanwhile, has gotten absolutely nowhere. It is like the kid who has been playing the same video game for a year and can’t ever win against the 1st level boss and is telling everyone how bad the game is.

You seem to think that your lack of success demonstrates that psychic ability must not be real. I offer an alternative explanation:

the Center for Inquiry really sucks at this and shouldn’t be testing anyone.

In any case, Ky Dickens respectfully declines your offer to be the latest victim of your ill conceived, guaranteed-to-fail testing. All of you will have to find a different way to deal with your cognitive dissonance. Have you tried therapy?

Call her crazy, but Ky obviously chooses to work with professionals who have a track record of success as opposed to incompetent hacks who have their minds made up before they even start. (My words, not hers.)

While I have paraphrased her refusal, this is her actual statement:

We believe that meaningful progress in science happens when research is conducted with care, rigor, and respect for the individuals involved. That’s why we’ve chosen to collaborate with credentialed scientists who are pursuing this work through peer-reviewed protocols and ethical oversight with formal IRB (board) approval. Our aim is not to entertain a spectacle or engage in challenges for money.

Everyone involved wants to advance serious questions about consciousness in a thoughtful and responsible way. Even more exciting, the wave of research being done around the non-speakers is validating what we've found in the field. We welcome open inquiry, but we believe the best way forward is through collaboration with the scientific community, not confrontation with skeptics who are hellbent on de-legitimizing a very real, worldwide phenomenon.

You have your answer now. You can stop trying to goad her with this pathetic attempt at bullying. The world has moved on from Randi’s challenge. Maybe you should too.

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