Only 2 years to go on James Randi's Million-Dollar Challenge.

What a coincidence. I'd just finished responding to a comment to my psychic predictions post about the validity of psychic claims, and in my response I made mention of James Randi's Million-Dollar Challenge. Then five seconds later I discover that the million-dollar prize will be discontinued as of 2010.

The James Randi Educational Foundation Million-Dollar Challenge will be discontinued 24 months from this coming March 6th, 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.

I think that is such a shame. I don't see why they need to do it. The Million-Dollar challenge offers "a one-million-dollar prize to anyone who can show, under proper observing conditions, evidence of any paranormal, supernatural, or occult power or event." It's been going for some time now, although has only been one million dollars since 1998. The fact that the prize is so large, and the tests so flexible (the design of the test is negotiated with the applicant), makes it great to point to as a 'put up or shut up'. But if it's ending soon I worry that it looks like Randi was afraid that someone was finally getting close to winning the prize. Hopefully someone else will put up another million.

But there's still 2 years to go, so if you've got any cool abilities now is the time to apply.