Pigasus Award
Encyclopedia
The Pigasus Award is the name of an annual tongue-in-cheek
honor recognized by noted skeptic
James Randi
. The awards seek to expose parapsychological
, paranormal
or psychic
fraud
s that Randi has noted over the previous year. Randi usually makes his announcements of the awards from the previous year on April 1 (April Fools Day).
, and was first announced in the appendix of Randi's book Flim-Flam!. The 1982 book listed the award's "recipients" in 1979, 1980 and 1981.
In Flim-Flam!
, Randi states:
The bent spoon trophy is a reference to Geller's claimed spoon-bending
abilities.
The logo of a winged pig was designed for Randi's website by German artist Jutta Degener in 1996. The name "Pigasus" was chosen by Randi from suggestions e-mailed to him. The term is a portmanteau pun combining the word pig
with the mythological Pegasus
, a reference to the expression "when pigs fly".
Randi did not make any Uri Award for a number of years after its inception in Flim-Flam!, but in 1997 it was revived and the name was changed to "Pigasus" after the winged pig. Randi announced the recipients through his e-newsletter SWIFT! in which he said: "The awards are announced via telepathy, the winners are allowed to predict their winning, and the Flying Pig trophies are sent via psychokinesis. We send; if they don't receive, that's probably due to their lack of paranormal talent."
The Pigasus Awards have not been made every year. There was no mention of recipients for 1997, 1998, 2000, and 2002.
The 2003 Pigasus awards featured only categories 1 and 4. The 2005 awards added a fifth category "for the most persistent refusal to face reality".
2010
Tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
honor recognized by noted skeptic
Scientific skepticism
Scientific skepticism is the practice of questioning the veracity of claims lacking empirical evidence or reproducibility, as part of a methodological norm pursuing "the extension of certified knowledge". For example, Robert K...
James Randi
James Randi
James Randi is a Canadian-American stage magician and scientific skeptic best known as a challenger of paranormal claims and pseudoscience. Randi is the founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation...
. The awards seek to expose parapsychological
Parapsychology
The term parapsychology was coined in or around 1889 by philosopher Max Dessoir, and originates from para meaning "alongside", and psychology. The term was adopted by J.B. Rhine in the 1930s as a replacement for the term psychical research...
, paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
or psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
s that Randi has noted over the previous year. Randi usually makes his announcements of the awards from the previous year on April 1 (April Fools Day).
History
The award was originally called the Uri Award, after Uri GellerUri Geller
Uri Geller is a self-proclaimed psychic known for his trademark television performances of spoon bending and other supposed psychic effects. Throughout the years, Geller has been accused of using simple conjuring tricks to achieve the effects of psychokinesis and telepathy...
, and was first announced in the appendix of Randi's book Flim-Flam!. The 1982 book listed the award's "recipients" in 1979, 1980 and 1981.
In Flim-Flam!
Flim-Flam! Psychics, ESP, Unicorns, and Other Delusions
Flim-Flam! Psychics, ESP, Unicorns, and Other Delusions is a 1982 book by magician and skeptic James Randi about paranormal, occult, and pseudoscience claims. The foreword is by science fiction author Isaac Asimov....
, Randi states:
"The trophy consists of a stainless-steel spoon bent in a pleasing curve (paranormally, of course) and supported by a base of plastic. Please note that the base is flimsy and quite transparent. I am personally responsible for the nomination of the candidates. The sealed envelopes are read by me, while blindfolded, at the official announcement ceremony on April 1. Any baseless claims are rationalized in approved parapsychological fashion, and the results will be published immediately without being checked in any way. Winners are notified telepathically and are allowed to predict their victory in advance."
The bent spoon trophy is a reference to Geller's claimed spoon-bending
Spoon bending
Spoon bending is the apparent deformation of objects, especially metal cutlery, either without physical force, or with less force than normally necessary...
abilities.
The logo of a winged pig was designed for Randi's website by German artist Jutta Degener in 1996. The name "Pigasus" was chosen by Randi from suggestions e-mailed to him. The term is a portmanteau pun combining the word pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
with the mythological Pegasus
Pegasus
Pegasus is one of the best known fantastical as well as mythological creatures in Greek mythology. He is a winged divine horse, usually white in color. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa. He was the brother of Chrysaor, born at a single birthing...
, a reference to the expression "when pigs fly".
Randi did not make any Uri Award for a number of years after its inception in Flim-Flam!, but in 1997 it was revived and the name was changed to "Pigasus" after the winged pig. Randi announced the recipients through his e-newsletter SWIFT! in which he said: "The awards are announced via telepathy, the winners are allowed to predict their winning, and the Flying Pig trophies are sent via psychokinesis. We send; if they don't receive, that's probably due to their lack of paranormal talent."
The Pigasus Awards have not been made every year. There was no mention of recipients for 1997, 1998, 2000, and 2002.
Categories
Flim-Flam! specifies the four categories under which winners of the Uri may fall:- To the scientist who said or did the silliest thing relating to parapsychology in the preceding twelve months.
- To the funding organization that supports the most useless parapsychological study during the year.
- To the media outlet that reported as fact the most outrageous paranormal claim.
- To the "psychic" performer who fools the greatest number of people with the least effort in that twelve-month period.
The 2003 Pigasus awards featured only categories 1 and 4. The 2005 awards added a fifth category "for the most persistent refusal to face reality".
Category 1 – Scientist
- 1979 — Professor William A. TillerWilliam A. TillerWilliam A. Tiller, Ph.D. is professor emeritus of Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford University. Tiller appears in the film What the Bleep Do We Know!?. His seminal book is the 1997 Science and Human Transformation, which postulates the existence of subtle energies, beyond the four...
, who said that although the evidence for psychic events was very shaky and originates with persons of doubtful credibility, it should be taken seriously because there is so much of it. - 1980 — Isaac Bashevis SingerIsaac Bashevis SingerIsaac Bashevis Singer – July 24, 1991) was a Polish Jewish American author noted for his short stories. He was one of the leading figures in the Yiddish literary movement, and received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1978...
, for declaring a belief in demonDemoncall - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
s. - 1981 — Charles TartCharles TartDr. Charles T. Tart is an American psychologist and parapsychologist known for his psychological work on the nature of consciousness , as one of the founders of the field of transpersonal psychology, and for his research in scientific parapsychology. He earned his Ph. D...
, for discovering that the further in the future events are, the more difficult it is to predict them. - 1996 — Scientist/physicist Ed May, who headed the CIA "remote viewingRemote viewingRemote viewing is the practice of seeking impressions about a distant or unseen target using paranormal means, in particular, extra-sensory perception or "sensing with mind"...
" project. - 1999 — The Kansas State Board of EducationEducation in KansasEducation in Kansas is governed at the primary and secondary school level by the Kansas State Board of Education. The state's public colleges and universities are supervised by the Kansas Board of Regents.- Colleges and universities :...
for removing the teaching of evolutionEvolutionEvolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
from the state's educational agenda. - 2001 — University of Arizona Psychology professor Gary SchwartzGary SchwartzGary E. Schwartz, PhD, is a professor of psychology at the University of Arizona best known for controversial experiments with mediums.-Biography:...
for studies in parapsychology. - 2003 — South African Minister of Health Dr. Manto Tshabala-Msimang for endorsing alternative medicineAlternative medicineAlternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....
for treating AIDSAIDSAcquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
. - 2004 — Dr. Rogerio Lobo, professor/chairman of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University who co-signed a paper titled Does Prayer Influence the Success of in Vitro Fertilization-Embryo Transfer?
- 2005 — Brenda Dunne, Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research LabPrinceton Engineering Anomalies Research LabThe Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research program was established at Princeton University in 1979 by Robert G. Jahn, then Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, to pursue rigorous scientific study of the interaction of human consciousness with physical devices, systems, and...
manager, for the doublespeakDoublespeakDoublespeak is language that deliberately disguises, distorts, or reverses the meaning of words. Doublespeak may take the form of euphemisms , making the truth less unpleasant, without denying its nature. It may also be deployed as intentional ambiguity, or reversal of meaning...
of promoting studies whose "experimental results display increases in information content that can only be attributed to the influence of the consciousness of the human operator", while simultaneously insisting that PEAR is "not in the business of demonstrating 'paranormalParanormalParanormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
' abilities". - 2006 — Biologist Rupert SheldrakeRupert SheldrakeRupert Sheldrake is an English scientist. He is known for having proposed an unorthodox account of morphogenesis and for his research into parapsychology. His books and papers stem from his theory of morphic resonance, and cover topics such as animal and plant development and behaviour, memory,...
for research funded by Trinity College, CambridgeTrinity College, CambridgeTrinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
on his theory of “telephone telepathy," supposed precognition experienced by the recipients of telephone calls and e-mails, (i.e. knowing who is calling before picking up the phone or viewing the caller ID.) - 2007 — Intelligent Design promoter and professor of biochemistry at Lehigh University Michael BeheMichael BeheMichael J. Behe is an American biochemist, author, and intelligent design advocate. He currently serves as professor of biochemistry at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania and as a senior fellow of the Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture...
for his book The Edge of Evolution: The Search for the Limits of DarwinismThe Edge of EvolutionThe Edge of Evolution: The Search for the Limits of Darwinism is a book promoting intelligent design by Discovery Institute fellow Michael Behe, published by the Free Press in 2007...
. - 2008 — Colin A. RossColin A. RossColin A. Ross is a psychiatrist of Canadian origin and professional training. Ross attended medical school at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada and completed his training in psychiatry at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada...
, for claiming that he can shoot electromagnetic radiationElectromagnetic radiationElectromagnetic radiation is a form of energy that exhibits wave-like behavior as it travels through space...
from his eyeHuman eyeThe human eye is an organ which reacts to light for several purposes. As a conscious sense organ, the eye allows vision. Rod and cone cells in the retina allow conscious light perception and vision including color differentiation and the perception of depth...
s. - 2009 — Dr. Mehmet OzMehmet OzMehmet Cengiz Oz , also known as Dr. Oz, is a Turkish-American cardiothoracic surgeon, author, talk show host, and commentator for The Dr. Oz Show, a daily television program focusing on medical issues/personal health....
, for his promotion of energy therapies such as ReikiReikiis a spiritual practice developed in 1922 by Japanese Buddhist Mikao Usui. The teaching was continued and adapted by various teachers. It uses a technique commonly called palm healing as a form of complementary and alternative medicine and is sometimes classified as oriental medicine by some...
. - 2010 — NASA Engineer Richard B. HooverRichard B. HooverRichard B. Hoover is a NASA scientist who has authored 33 Volumes and 250 papers on astrobiology, extremophiles, diatoms, solar physics, X-ray/EUV optics and meteorites...
and the Journal of CosmologyJournal of CosmologyJournal of Cosmology describes itself as a peer-reviewed open access scientific journal of cosmology, although the quality of the process has been questioned. The journal was established in 2009 and is published by Cosmology Science Publishers...
, Hoover for claiming unfounded evidence for microscopic life found on meteorites and the Journal of Cosmology for publishing articles advancing the scientifically unsupported idea that life began before the first stars formed and was spread throughout the early universe on meteors.
Category 2 – Funding
- 1979 — The McDonnell Foundation, who gave $500,000 to Washington University in St. LouisWashington University in St. LouisWashington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
to study spoon-bendingSpoon bendingSpoon bending is the apparent deformation of objects, especially metal cutlery, either without physical force, or with less force than normally necessary...
children. (See Project AlphaProject AlphaProject Alpha was an elaborate hoax orchestrated by the stage magician and skeptic James Randi. It involved planting two fake psychics, Steve Shaw and Michael Edwards, into a paranormal research project. During the initial stages of the investigation, the researchers came to believe that the...
) - 1980 — The Millennium Foundation for giving $1 million to parapsychological research. (The award was withdrawn in 1982 when the foundation decided, instead, to invest the million dollars in a "psychically discovered" oil site, which turned out to be dry.)
- 1981 — The PentagonUnited States Department of DefenseThe United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
for spending $6 million to determine whether burning the photo of a Soviet missile would destroy the missile. - 1996 — Robert BigelowRobert BigelowRobert T. Bigelow is a hotel and aerospace entrepreneur. He owns the hotel chain Budget Suites of America and is the founder of Bigelow Aerospace....
for funding John Edward MackJohn Edward MackJohn Edward Mack, M.D. was an American psychiatrist, writer, and professor at Harvard Medical School...
and Budd HopkinsBudd HopkinsBudd Hopkins was an American painter, sculptor, and prominent figure in abduction phenomenon, and related UFO research.-Life:Born in 1931 and raised in Wheeling, West Virginia...
, and for purchasing the so-called Skinwalker RanchSkinwalker RanchAccording to local legend, Skinwalker Ranch, also known as Sherman Ranch, is a property located on approximately southeast of Ballard, Utah that is allegedly the site of paranormal and UFO-related activities...
in UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
known for alleged UFOUnidentified flying objectA term originally coined by the military, an unidentified flying object is an unusual apparent anomaly in the sky that is not readily identifiable to the observer as any known object...
attacks, "interdimensional portals", and "cattle mutilationCattle mutilationCattle mutilation is the apparent killing and mutilation of cattle under unusual or anomalous circumstances...
s." - 1999 — The Human Resources Administration of the City of New YorkNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, for training welfare recipients to work as telephone psychics. - 2001 — The University of ParisUniversity of ParisThe University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
for awarding a doctorate in Sociology to Élizabeth Teissier for a 900-page thesis on the validity of astrologyAstrologyAstrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
. - 2004 — Awarded to the United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Research Laboratory, who paid $25,000 to Dr. Eric W. Davis (PhD, FBIS) at a Las Vegas company called Warp Drive Metrics to study the "conveyance of persons by psychic means" and "transport through extra space dimensions or parallel universes." - 2005 — City Council of AucklandAucklandThe Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, for a NZ$2,500 (US$1,800) grant to the Foundation For Spiritualist Mediums "to teach people to communicate with the dead". - 2006 — Templeton Foundation for spending US$2.4 million and ten years research on a study researching the effectiveness of prayer.
- 2007 — The White House, described by Randi as “faith-basedFaith-basedThe term faith-based is a neologism , mostly current in US English, to describe any organization or government idea or plan based on religious beliefs, specifically Christian beliefs....
”. - 2008 — Logan Craft Walt Ruloff, and John Sullivan, producers of Expelled: No Intelligence AllowedExpelled: No Intelligence AllowedExpelled: No Intelligence Allowed is a 2008 documentary film, directed by Nathan Frankowski and hosted by Ben Stein. The film contends that the mainstream science establishment suppresses academics who believe they see evidence of intelligent design in nature and who criticize evidence supporting...
. - 2009 — Iraq's Interior MinistryMinistry of Interior (Iraq)The Ministry of Interior of Iraq handles policing and border control in Iraq. The MoI consists of several elements, including the Iraqi Police, Highway Patrol, Traffic Department, Emergency Response Unit, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, and Department of Border Enforcement...
, for spending millions on bomb-detecting dowsing rodsDowsingDowsing is a type of divination employed in attempts to locate ground water, buried metals or ores, gemstones, oil, gravesites, and many other objects and materials, as well as so-called currents of earth radiation , without the use of scientific apparatus...
, the ADE 651ADE 651The ADE 651 is a hand-held device produced by ATSC , which claims the device can detect from a distance the presence and location of various types of explosives, drugs, and other substances. The device has been sold to a number of countries in the Middle and Far East, including Iraq, for as much as...
. - 2010 — CVS/pharmacy, for their supporting of homeopathic medication.
Category 3 – Media
- 1979 — Prentice HallPrentice HallPrentice Hall is a major educational publisher. It is an imprint of Pearson Education, Inc., based in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, USA. Prentice Hall publishes print and digital content for the 6-12 and higher-education market. Prentice Hall distributes its technical titles through the Safari...
and American International PicturesAmerican International PicturesAmerican International Pictures was a film production company formed in April 1956 from American Releasing Corporation by James H. Nicholson, former Sales Manager of Realart Pictures, and Samuel Z. Arkoff, an entertainment lawyer...
, for The Amityville HorrorThe Amityville Horror (1979 film)The Amityville Horror is a 1979 American horror film based on the bestselling 1977 novel of the same name by Jay Anson. It is the first movie in the Amityville Horror franchise....
, labeled as "A True story". - 1980 — The reality television series That's Incredible!That's Incredible!That's Incredible! was an American reality television show that aired on the ABC television network from 1980 to 1984.-Synopsis:In the tradition of You Asked For It, Ripley's Believe It or Not! and Real People, the show featured people performing stunts and reenactments of allegedly paranormal events...
, for declaring a simple magic trick to be genuine. (The performer, James HydrickJames HydrickJames Alan Hydrick is a former American performer and self-described psychic. Hydrick claimed to be able to perform acts of telekinesis, such as his trademark trick involving the movement of a pencil resting at the edge of a table...
, later admitted it to be false.) - 1981 — TV station KNBCKNBCKNBC, channel 4, is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC Television Network, licensed to Los Angeles, California, USA. KNBC's studios and offices are located within the NBC Studios complex in Burbank, California, and its transmitter is located on Mount Wilson...
of Los Angeles, for accepting the Tamara Rand hoax as real without checking into it. - 1996 — Awarded collectively to a number of media outlets for perpetuating the Roswell UFO incidentRoswell UFO incidentThe Roswell UFO Incident was the recovery of an object that crashed in the general vicinity of Roswell, New Mexico, in June or July 1947, allegedly an extra-terrestrial spacecraft and its alien occupants. Since the late 1970s the incident has been the subject of intense controversy and of...
. - 1999 — Television host Bill MaherBill MaherWilliam "Bill" Maher, Jr. is an American stand-up comedian, television host, political commentator, author and actor. Before his current role as the host of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, Maher hosted a similar late-night talk show called Politically Incorrect originally on Comedy Central and...
for endorsing a series of psychics. - 2004 — The film What tнe #$*! Do ωΣ (k)πow!?What the Bleep Do We Know!?What the Bleep Do We Know!? is a 2004 film that combines documentary-style interviews, computer-animated graphics, and a narrative that describes the spiritual connection between quantum physics and consciousness...
. - 2005 — ABC's Primetime Live for its credulous "John of God" special, about Brazilian "psychic surgeon"Psychic surgeryPsychic surgery is a procedure typically involving the supposed creation of an incision using only the bare hands, the supposed removal of pathological matter, and the seemingly spontaneous healing of the incision....
João TeixeiraJoão de Deus (medium)João Teixeira de Faria , known also as João de Deus , is a self-described medium and "psychic surgeon" from Brazil. He is based in Abadiânia, a small town in the state of Goiás, southwest of Brasília.-Early life:... - 2006 & 2007 — Daytime talk show host Montel WilliamsMontel WilliamsMontel Brian Anthony Williams is an American television personality, radio talk show host and actor. He is best known as host of the long-running The Montel Williams Show, and more recently as a spokesperson for the Partnership for Prescription Assistance...
for promotion of Sylvia BrowneSylvia BrowneSylvia Browne is an American author who describes herself as a psychic and spiritual medium...
. - 2008 — Late-night cable televisionCable televisionCable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
, for carrying advertisements for pseudoscientific products and services, in particular, EnzyteEnzyteEnzyte is a herbal nutritional supplement originally manufactured by Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals of Cincinnati, Ohio. The manufacturer has claimed Enzyte promotes "natural male enhancement", which is suggestive of a euphemism for penile enlargement...
. - 2009 — The Oprah Winfrey ShowThe Oprah Winfrey ShowThe Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
- 2010 — Dr. Mehmet OzMehmet OzMehmet Cengiz Oz , also known as Dr. Oz, is a Turkish-American cardiothoracic surgeon, author, talk show host, and commentator for The Dr. Oz Show, a daily television program focusing on medical issues/personal health....
, again for his promotion of quack medical practices. Oz is the first person to receive a Pigasus Award two years in a row.
Category 4 – Performer
- 1979 — Philip Jordan, who was hired by Tioga CountyTioga County, New YorkAs of the census of 2010, there were 51,125 people residing in the county, with 22,203 housing units, of these 20,350 occupied, 1,853 vacant. The population density was 98 people per square mile...
, New York, Public Defender R. L. Miller to assist in choosing jurors by their "aurasAura (paranormal)In parapsychology and many forms of spiritual practice, an aura is a field of subtle, luminous radiation surrounding a person or object . The depiction of such an aura often connotes a person of particular power or holiness. Sometimes, however, it is said that all living things and all objects...
". - 1980 — Dorothy AllisonDorothy Allison (psychic)Dorothy Allison was a self-proclaimed psychic detective from New Jersey. In 1980, James Randi declared her the winner of a Pigasus Award.-Biography:...
, a housewife/psychic who was called upon to solve a series of murders in AtlantaAtlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Georgia. She failed to do anything but give the police 42 different names for the murderer. - 1981 — Tamara Rand who claimed she had predicted an assassination attempt on President Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
months before the incident when she actually did it a day after the event. - 1996 — Sheldan Nidle who predicted the end of the world on December 17, 1996, then explained that it came, but we were all unaware of it.
- 1999 — NostradamusNostradamusMichel de Nostredame , usually Latinised to Nostradamus, was a French apothecary and reputed seer who published collections of prophecies that have since become famous worldwide. He is best known for his book Les Propheties , the first edition of which appeared in 1555...
- 2001 — John EdwardJohn EdwardJohn Edward McGee, Jr. is an American television personality and professional psychic medium. He is best known for his TV shows Crossing Over with John Edward and John Edward Cross Country....
- 2003 & 2004 — Sylvia BrowneSylvia BrowneSylvia Browne is an American author who describes herself as a psychic and spiritual medium...
- 2005 — Allison DuBoisAllison DuBoisAllison DuBois is an American author and medium. DuBois has controversially claimed to possess psychic abilities and use them to help U.S. law enforcement officials solve crimes, which formed the basis of the TV series Medium....
, inspiration of NBC TV show MediumMedium (TV series)Medium is an American television drama series that premiered on NBC on January 3, 2005, and ended on CBS on January 21, 2011. Themed on supernatural gifts, its lead character, Allison DuBois , is a medium employed as a consultant for the Phoenix, Arizona district attorney's office...
. - 2006 — Uri GellerUri GellerUri Geller is a self-proclaimed psychic known for his trademark television performances of spoon bending and other supposed psychic effects. Throughout the years, Geller has been accused of using simple conjuring tricks to achieve the effects of psychokinesis and telepathy...
- 2007 — Swiss performer Vincent Raven for his tricks on The Next Uri Geller program.
- 2008 — Jenny McCarthyJenny McCarthyJennifer Ann "Jenny" McCarthy is an American model, comedian, actress, author, activist, and game show host. She began her career in 1993 as a nude model for Playboy magazine and was later named their Playmate of the Year. McCarthy then parlayed her Playboy fame into a successful television and...
, for being a spokesperson for the anti-vaccination movement. - 2009 — Chip CoffeyChip CoffeyChip Coffey is an American psychic from Elmira, New York, currently living in Atlanta, Georgia. He appears as a medium on various paranormal television programs, primarily Paranormal State and Psychic Kids. On Psychic Kids he acts as a mentor towards children who have allegedly experienced psychic...
, for his television show Psychic KidsPsychic KidsPsychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal is a paranormal television series broadcast on the A&E television network. Hosted by Chip Coffey, an American psychic investigator, with Edy Nathan, Chris Fleming, and Kim Russo, the show brings together children who report having psychic abilities with...
. - 2010 — Televangelist Peter PopoffPeter PopoffPeter Popoff is a German-born American faith healer and the president of Peter Popoff Ministries. He conducts revival meetings and has a national television program...
, for offering “supernatural debt relief”.
Category 5 – Refusal to face reality
- 2005 — Journal of Reproductive Medicine, for refusal to denounce the now-discredited Cha/Wirth paper, Does Prayer Influence the Success of in Vitro Fertilization-Embryo Transfer, that JRM published. (Paper co-signer Rogerio Lobo won the 2004 Pigasus Scientist award.)
- 2008 — Kevin TrudeauKevin TrudeauKevin Mark Trudeau is an American author, radio personality, and infomercial salesman best known for promoting alternative medicine. A number of his television infomercials and several of his books, including Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About, allege that both the U.S...
- 2009 — ScientologistsScientologyScientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by science fiction and fantasy author L. Ron Hubbard , starting in 1952, as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics...
- 2010 — Andrew WakefieldAndrew WakefieldAndrew Wakefield is a British former surgeon and medical researcher, known as an advocate for the discredited claim that there is a link between the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, autism and bowel disease, and for his fraudulent 1998 research paper in support of that claim.Four years after...
, the researcher who launched the modern anti-vaccine panic with unfounded statements linking the MMR vaccine with autism that were not borne out by any research.
External links
2010