Comments
- Lee Bee said: hi, where can i get a songlist fro all the episodes? Please help!
- rfgshj said: do Aden and Belle get together for godd? (please say yes)
- ttm said: love the singing bee! would like to where i could get the songs from the "One Hit Wonders" show..Pleeezzz!!!
- Marcus said: Pasted from James Randi Educational Foundation Episode 3 SWIFT 25 July 2008 Written by James Randi Friday, 25 July 2008 NEXT EPISODE DOWN UNDER Reader Robert Matic of Melbourne, Australia, gives us his perceptive review of Episode 3 of “The One” – the TV series that features our Richard Saunders as its resident skeptic. As we’ve mentioned, Richard is not able – due to contractual restraints – to keep us informed of behind-the-scenes material that would of course be of great interest to us; all that will come later, and we’ll look forward to it. Presently, we’ll benefit from the observations of Robert Matic, who of course sees all this from the viewer-at-home perspective, and has to make allowances for the very careful, selective, and often misleading editing process that might take place before each program is transmitted to the public. Here’s Robert’s “take” on Episode 3: A short introduction of “hits” from the previous week opened the third episode of “The One” here in Australia. Once again, the “misses” were edited out of the introduction. However, a short preview of what would later be seen on the show was included. This showed a guess during a cold reading – “Your father had cancer?” – with a reply from an audience member – “Yes, he had three forms of cancer.” When the segment with this reading was later shown in its entirety, it was revealed that the question had been addressed to an audience member who replied “No” before the psychic moved the reading to another woman, who was no doubt nodding emphatically and confirming that the psychic’s guess applied to her. This raises the question: Why couldn’t at least the audience-reading segments of these episodes be aired live? The first test for the episode shows the segments are short enough for a live format. Randi comments: This is an often-used ploy by the “psychics,” a sudden switch to another person who believes that a missed guess applies to them. And, as you can imagine, it’s the delight of videotape editors, who can slant the content to the advantage of the woo-woo element. One correspondent – who told us that he accepted psychic powers as real – informed us that he had given a definite “no” head-shake to a guess made by “psychic” John Edward during a studio taping, only to subsequently see one of his energetic “yes” nods edited in as a response to that guess when the program was aired! “Creative Editing” is not a lost art... Test 1: Speed-reading The psychics had to speed-read members of the audience in five minutes, and only direct hits would be awarded, with a tally shown at the bottom right of the screen. Judge and skeptic Richard Saunders added an example where “Your boss’ name is David” would be counted as a hit, but “Who is David?” would not, with host Andrew Daddo replying, “So, no fishing?” That reply from Daddo caught my attention, because “fishing” is typically a word used by skeptics when discussing cold reading, and it may be an indication that Richard Saunders is providing a lot more input than is making it to the screen – as we expected was the case. Randi comments: Robert next uses the term “shotgun” in his report. This may require some definition. It’s a technique used by “psychics” whereby they throw out a stream of quick guesses, names, words, initials, cities, situations, conditions, etc., and pause only when they see a reaction to any item, and zero in on that one to develop it, ignoring the misses. Here’s a hypothetical example of “shotgunning” I created to illustrate this technique: I’m seeing a loud argument here, the name “Matthew,” some sort of contract, or a signed document, there’s a “J” or an “M” involved, perhaps something to do with Paris, maybe a financial condition, or a tightness here in the chest... Robert continues: During the speed-readings, the psychics showed how quickly they can “shotgun,” move the target, and make excuses for misses. Disappointingly, the psychic mentioned in my introduction was awarded hits after moving the target. The answers to her first five guesses provided one hit and four misses before she moved it to another audience member and was awarded hits for all five guesses! One poor performer was more interested in “helping people,” because “it’s not about scoring points.” One might ask: “Then why enter a psychic competition?” Oddly, the best cold reader from the previous week – who was credited with making “no misses” and a very specific hit with “Malta” – said, before making her reading, that speed-reading was new for her, and was very difficult. The Reiki practitioner said, “He sees colors and energy, but can’t always get specifics.” Without specifics, however, the colors are meaningless. The judges’ comments: Richard said he thought the psychics were just making a whole bunch of guesses, with some getting hits. Witch Stacey Demarco denied that psychics merely guess, and said that the high number of misses was due to the pressure of the five-minute time restriction of the test. Test 2: Finding the location of Ned Kelly’s remains Kelly Randi comments: The name Ned Kelly may not mean much to the average non-Australian reader. Kelly was perhaps the most famous outlaw in Australian history, a man who wore body-armor while astride his obviously overburdened horse. He’s well-known Down Under. Richard continues: The possible remains of famous Australian bushranger Ned Kelly were recently unearthed at a former prison. They had been moved in the 1920s from their former resting place. The excavation site where the remains were found was approximately 4,500 square metres [50,000 square feet] according to Stacey Demarco, and the exact location of the find is not widely known – although the find itself received a considerable amount of media attention, as a quick Google search will reveal. The psychics were taken to the Old Melbourne Gaol [Jail] where Kelly was executed for his crimes, to make a “spiritual connection” before traveling to the excavated site to attempt to find the location of the remains. The “readings” made by the psychics at the Old Melbourne Gaol were ridiculous. Ned Kelly – rightly or wrongly – has become an icon of Australian history. Making a reading of Ned Kelly would be like asking an American psychic to make a reading of Jesse James or Billy The Kid. All specific information provided by the psychics during this segment was widely known and useless in gauging psychic abilities. Randi comments: Again, though I understand that the producers of “The One” want to provide color and depth to their program, it seems that the contestants are not doing that, so they’re being allowed to pad their performances with material that does not fit the requirements. They were required to locate the spot where the remains of outlaw Ned Kelly had been interred. Instead, they blathered on and on, giving material that Google does much better... The excavation site, where the remains were found, hugged the walls of a section of the former prison giving the appearance of a backward L-shape with a small section coming off the end. Of the five psychics, three of them came to the general area of the correct location, but were still considerably far away from the exact spot. Randi comments: I see no reference here to why there are suddenly only five out of the seven “psychics” being involved in this divination, but there are multiple mysteries to be found here in “The One”... Judges’ comments: Although Richard Saunders said the choices made by the psychics seemed like pure guesswork and raised the likelihood of a group of non-psychics achieving similar results, Stacey Demarco predictably counted this as three amazing hits, triumphantly declaring, “Three people got to within twenty metres of the location on a 4,500 square metre site!” Let’s have a closer look at what this means. If we were to draw a circle around the guessing psychic with a radius of twenty metres, the area of the circle would be 1,257 square metres or a whopping 28 per cent of the excavation site, giving the psychic half-way between a one-in-three and a one-in-four chance of being within twenty metres of the correct location! Also – thanks to poster “EoR” on the excellent “Thinking Is Real” blog at tinyurl.com/62bpbj which covers “The One” in more detail – the general location of the grave had been revealed back in March 2008 at tinyurl.com/3yvmgemas “near the eastern end of the old F Division.” Test 3: Reading from personal items formerly owned by deceased rock stars The psychics were able to touch – but, not see – items formerly owned by deceased rock stars, and then make a reading. Luckily, the psychics were blindfolded for this test – the items were a pair of pants, a music award statuette, a guitar, sweatband and jacket! As we know, many of these items feel alike, making the reading very difficult. Generalizations that could apply to any rock star were thrown about willy-nilly. If the audience had not been shown which item – and former owner of the item – the psychics were reading, it would have been impossible to link the readings to the rock stars. In fact, if the psychics had to attempt to link the items to the owners after the readings – even with a one-in-five chance of choosing correctly, and knowing what the item was – I think the psychics would have struggled. Randi comments: Again, the same problem presents itself. These “psychics” should have been instructed – specifically – to match the items to the owners, though it’s not clear from this description whether the “rock stars” had been identified in advance of the test. This is an old stunt known as “psychometry,” whereby the performers are supposed to pick up “vibrations” and “auras” that identify an object with an individual. Elimination: The psychic who found the lost boy in under three minutes in the first episode was the next psychic to be eliminated from the show. It appears that the three-minute wonder was just a lucky guess after all, since her performance in episodes two and three was very ordinary – or, at least, even more ordinary than the other four contestants. We must remember – these contestants were chosen as Australia’s best. With only two episodes to go, I think the JREF million dollars and Australian Skeptics’ $100,000 are both safe. Robert, neither I nor Richard Saunders had any doubt of that last comment, believe me. If things continue to go in this way, we’ll simply have another example of how “psychics” fail when actually tested. There must be some panicking going on in “The One” offices, and that could lead to desperate measures designed to save a semblance of a win... I’m happy that Richard is in place, but I cannot see him becoming too much in demand on future test-the-psychic productions! http://www.randi.org/joom/commentary/swift/swift-july-25-2008.html
- beccoboop said: omg! cassie had her baby its a girl omg! and its HIV negitive! yay i love you so much cassie please come back to the bay please!
- sam said: hi its me again i got the website and please mike, fitzy and bree put it on friday night dowload.please http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr7neaMu59g
- sam said: mike please go onto youtube and type in Never trust a women. it is so funny and put i onto friday night download. please
- nash said: oh wow, i showd my name, happy now, bitch??
- Jayne Jenkins said: is there any update on doctor chris o brien i heard that his tumour had returned.
- Anonymous said: Sorry It's not shown in the US :-(
- Anonymous said: Where can I get a song list for all the episodes? couldn't stop laughing through the last show.
- nk. said: aden belle jack martha xxxx
- nash said: OH SHIT I CHECKED THE WEBSITE IT SAYS THAT MATTIE AND RIC GET BACK TOGETHER. THE WRITEERS NEED A KICK UP THE ASS
- Rebecca said: - Aden - Belle - Martha - Roman
- victor zammit said: Don't be silly Vince: you swallowed hook, line and sinker the pernicious propaganda of that closed minded materialst skeptic Randi who said the same thing as you did! In professional debate, the plaintiff lawyer presents the evidence - and I presented 23 different areas of afterlife evidence - then the technical onus shifts on to the defendant, ie the skeptic to show where, when, how and why the repeatable objective evidence ought not to be admitted in evidence. That, no reductionist scientist, no closed minded skeptic, no materialist has done in EIGHT years I had the million dollar challenge on the internet. Go to a litigatino lawyer for advice to explain to you the rules of professional debate before you show us you know nothing on how to technically rebut substantive objective and repeatable afterlife evidence. Victor Zammit
- Anonymous said: Check out the website http://channelnine.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=338594 Auditions in Sydney
- Anonymous said: Hi there, This is how to apply for Aussie wipeout: starnow.com.au On the page there is under the heading 'Jobs and Casting Calls' a title listing:Latest listings...CLICK ON THIS The listing for Aussie Wipeout is about the 7th one down and all you do is just apply!!! Goood luck applications close 1st August!!
- Anonymous said: Heyy PEOPLEEE!!! YES YES YES.....I found where to apply!! starnow.com.au On the page there is under the heading 'Jobs and Casting Calls' a title listing:Latest listings...CLICK ON THIS The listing for Aussie Wipeout is about the 7th one down and all you do is just apply!!! Goood luck applications close 1st August!!
- Anonymous said: Hey guys!! I think we are all in the same boat! I have spent most of the morning trying to find the application page to be a contestant on the Australian version of Wipeout after last nights show. I missed the details the put up at the conclusion of the show, but thought it would be easy enough to find on nine msn website, but no luck!! Has anyone tried calling the nine network?
- Mick said: Hi Hayley you don't know me but I was wondering if you found out where to apply for the aussie version of wipeout? Thanks for your help. Mick
- Anonymous said: I think your and idiot, she is cool.
- Haley-Rose Golab said: Hi There, I am in exactly the same boat as these guys, saw on the show last night that they were looking for cintestants for the Australian Show and I would love to apply with my partner. 26 year old girl and 32 year old guy from Newcastle NSW. Could u please advise me as to where I can do this. Cheers Haley Ph. 0439 314 785
- Courtney said: Ooops forgot to mention email address : courtneykndll@yahoo.com.au
- Courtney said: Desperately seeking any information in regards to appplying for Aussie version of Wipeout. 25 year old gal and 30 year old guy looking for an exciting challenge, after searching internet for an hour I cannot find anything that points in the right direction to apply. Would loooooooove to give this a go!!!! Please email me any relevant information as all links on multiple sites lead to no where. Cheers :)
- Vince said: Your million dollar challenge is completely flawed. I will give you a million dollars if you can disprove the experience of unicorns. The burden of proof is on you to prove the existence of what it is you are claiming to exist. I don't have to prove fairies don't exist; you have to prove that they do.
- Rachel said: Points and picks have all been updated :)
- Anonymous said: yeah :) they're toally cute. Annie is really nice to him and he acts kinda aloof she blatantly has a huge crush on him sweet
- madison said: wormwood is cool. i know one of the girls in it who weres the pink dress! shes funny and all my frends think so to
- Anonymous said: Uh, nice going, giving yourself away like that. ANTM wasn't a voting show. The judges decided who would stay, not viewers.
- Paul Schinzel said: I would love to be a contestant on your game show Wipeout in Australia. I am 34 years old married with 3 kids,love all sports and love a chellange and I think that being on your show would be allot of fun. On your last show that I watched you are looking for contestants to go on your Australian show,I was not quick enough to take down the info to apply to be a contestant so I am hoping that you might give me the opportunity to be on your show,or maybe even send me the right info so that I can apply. Hope to here back from you. Regards, Paul Schinzel. 0414254984.