Last Chance to Win the Million-Dollar Challenge; Magnetic Therapy
It was March 6th, 1998, when the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) Million-Dollar Challenge first came into existence. That’s almost ten years ago. It’s always been a simple, direct, matter: do what you claim you can do of a paranormal nature, and walk away with the prize. Our expectations at first were that we’d attract major personalities by this means, but they’ve avoided having to take the test by simply not applying; those who have actually applied are generally honestly self-deluded persons who have difficulty stating what they can do, which can be understood if they really don’t know what they’re experiencing. We at JREF have gone through involved procedures to help them recognize their problems. Usually, when it comes down to their actually being properly tested they have indicated that they don’t know what real scientific rules are.
All this is obvious to anyone who has followed the action over the last decade. Now, while the JREF earns a certain income from having the prize money very conservatively invested, that sum could certainly be used more productively if it were made freely available to us.
As of March 6th, 2010–twelve years after the challenge was first offered—it will be. The James Randi Educational Foundation Million-Dollar Challenge will be discontinued 24 months from March 6, 2008, and those prize funds will then be available to generally add to our flexibility. This move will free us to do many more projects, which will be announced at that time. This means that all those wishing to be claimants are required to get their applications in before the deadline, properly filled out and notarized as described in the published rules.
Those who believe they have mystic powers now have two full years to apply. Let’s see what happens.
Now, we’re sure that there will be those who will offer all kinds of objections to this decision, though they could have simply applied and won the prize. There will be accusations that the JREF is concerned about the safety of the prize money—which was never any sort of concern, I can assure you—and there will be more claims that the money was never there in the first place. I can see the professionals out there sighing in relief that they no longer have to answer questions about why they won’t take the prize, and they’ll just wait out the remaining period that the prize is available. All that’s to be expected.
Ten years is long enough to wait. The hundreds of poorly-constructed applications, and the endless hours of phone, e-mail, and in-person discussions we’ve had to suffer through, will be things of the past for us at the JREF. Those who believe they have mystic powers now have two full years to apply. Let’s see what happens.
Response to the Announcement
After I made this announcement at Randi.org we received quite a response in the form of personal e-mails, phone calls, and in the mail. Comments have run both pro and con—no surprise there. But there have been a few misunderstandings expressed by readers.
First, I see suggestions being made that funding could be raised to replace the million dollars, as if that sum was required to keep the JREF afloat. Not so. We support the JREF through private gifts, bequests, sales of books and videos, and lecture fees. The burden of the challenge is the work and time required to handle the long-drawn-out negotiations with persons who, frankly, are frequently not resident in the real world. I say that in an understanding tone, since it’s evident that they do not see the need for comprehensive and carefully-designed testing procedures, and we’ve had to walk them through the process of developing a view of how Nature actually works, and how they may have misunderstood that complicated process.
The JREF has made its point—week after week—for 10 years, and now we have two years until this generous offer will end.
Second, although the “Big Fish” out there—persons such as James Van Praagh, John Edward, Sylvia Browne, even Uri Geller—did not step forward to have their claims tested, the deeper purpose of the challenge has always been to provide an arguing basis for skeptics to point out that the claimants just won’t accept the confrontation. And, an added advantage to the challenge was that it could serve to show the amateurs—those genuinely self-deluded but convinced of their abilities—that as described in the previous paragraph, they might be looking at the world through a fuzzy lens.
The bottom line is this: The JREF has made its point—week after week—for 10 years, and now we have two years until this generous offer will end. We have to ask: how long are we expected to wait for a miracle?
A Return of Magnetic Therapy
It’s just been trumpeted that a recent study has apparently demonstrated that the use of a localized static magnetic field of moderate strength can result in significant reduction of tissue swelling when applied immediately after an inflammatory injury! I find this not only very interesting but highly doubtful, and I’m of course eager to hear more. As long ago as the early days of Greek civilization, magnets have been touted for their healing properties, and are still widely advertised today as an “alternative/complementary” method of treating a number of conditions from arthritis to depression, but so far, there hasn’t been scientific proof that magnets can actually heal. Until now.
Enter Thomas C. Skalak, Ph.D., professor and chair of biomedical engineering at the University of Virginia, and currently President of the Biomedical Engineering Society, who claims to have proof that magnets work in this respect! Professor Skalak isn’t just any ordinary scientist, either. He’s been active in cardiovascular and biomedical engineering research and training for over 15 years at the university, and his research efforts are directed in two major areas: biomechanics of microvascular structure, function, and adaptation, and engineering of wound prevention and repair. In fact, he’s also the Director of the Center for Engineering of Wound Prevention and Repair, which is funded by a private foundation. He aims to “link clinical problems in wound repair with state-of-the-art scientific tools and engineering technologies to understand and modify the cellular events involved in this process.”
Due to lack of proper regulation and widespread public acceptance of quackery, “magnetic therapy” has become a $5 billion world market. Consumers eagerly buy pendants, bracelets, knee braces, bandages, shoe inserts, mattresses, pillows, and other products that are said to be embedded with magnets, hoping for a non-invasive and drug-free cure to their aches and pains. Until Dr. Skalak hove into view, this was all based only on anecdotal evidence.
On one point I cannot argue with Dr. Skalak, when he says: “The FDA regulates specific claims of medical efficacy, but in general static magnetic fields are viewed as safe.” Yes, and so are homeopathy and prayer “safe,” in that respect. The important question is: does it really work? Well, we’re told that Dr. Skalak has been studying magnets for a number of years in order to “develop real scientific evidence about the effectiveness of magnetic therapy.” To me—as an amateur—the only correct attitude here would be to study magnets in order to discover whether or not they are effective in this respect, not to develop evidence that they are, but I quibble.
In any case, Skalak’s lab used a five-year, $875,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine to investigate the major claim made by the companies that sell magnets: that magnets increase blood flow. This notion seems to have arisen from the fact that red blood cells contain hemoglobin, which is C738H1166N812O203S2Fe, in humans. Note the single iron atom—Fe—among those other 2,921 atoms in this very complex molecule. That means, the theory goes, that hemoglobin can be affected by a magnet—even a stationary one. Duh. No, that doesn’t happen, friends.
Magnets supposedly increase blood flow but also decrease swelling? They make constricted blood vessels dilate and dilated blood vessels constrict? I find this claim to be incredible.
Now, I’m always willing to be shown. Researchers working with Dr. Skalak’s lab support their claim through research with lab rats. In their initial studies, they report, magnets of the strength of about 10 times the common “refrigerator” variety were placed near the rat’s blood vessels. Now, such a magnetic device is extremely weak. Its field drops off to next-to-zero just a few millimeters away from its surface, yet the Skalak researchers say that they found the magnets had the effect of dilating and constricting the vessels, and that they could induce vessel relaxation in tissues with constrained blood supply, ultimately increasing blood flow. Skalak’s research doesn’t make sense to me. Magnets supposedly increase blood flow but also decrease swelling? They make constricted blood vessels dilate and dilated blood vessels constrict? I find this claim to be incredible.
The lab results are published in the November 2007 issue of the American Journal of Physiology. If any sufficiently qualified reader can explain/interpret to me the contents of that report, I would be most grateful. I find it difficult to evaluate the protocol—particularly whether it was done strictly double-blinded, which could make all the difference, of course. Both rats and scientists—especially scientists—can be fooled.
Dr. Skalak already has plans to continue testing the effectiveness of magnets through clinical trials and testing in elite athletes. I applaud that, so long as proper double-blind evaluations are employed in all phases. Skalak says: “We now hope to implement a series of steps, including private investment partners and eventually a major corporate partner, to realize these very widespread applications that will make a positive difference for human health.”
I will look forward to developments in this matter with great interest.