Editing Paranormal (section)

==Paranormal challenges==
{{Main|List of prizes for evidence of the paranormal}}

In 1922, ''[[Scientific American]]'' offered two US$2,500 offers: (1) for the first authentic [[Spirit photography|spirit photograph]] made under test conditions, and (2) for the first psychic to produce a "visible [[psychic]] manifestation". [[Harry Houdini]] was a member of the investigating committee. The first [[mediumship|medium]] to be tested was [[George Valiantine]], who claimed that in his presence spirits would speak through a trumpet that floated around a darkened room. For the test, Valiantine was placed in a room, the lights were extinguished, but unbeknownst to him his chair had been rigged to light a signal in an adjoining room if he ever left his seat. Because the light signals were tripped during his performance, Valiantine did not collect the award.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://skepdic.com/randi.html|title=Randi $1,000,000 paranormal challenge| publisher=The Skeptic's Dictionary|access-date=2008-02-03}}</ref> The last to be examined by Scientific American was [[Mina Crandon]] in 1924.

Since then, many individuals and groups have offered similar monetary awards for proof of the paranormal in an observed setting. These prizes have a combined value of over $2.4&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.skepticreport.com/skepticism/getrichquick.htm | title=Get Rich Quick or Save the World| publisher=Skeptic Report | date= September 2003 | first=Claus | last=Larsen | access-date =2007-03-07 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070323193619/http://www.skepticreport.com/skepticism/getrichquick.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2007-03-23}}</ref>

The [[James Randi Educational Foundation]] offered a prize of a million dollars to a person who could prove that they had supernatural or paranormal abilities under appropriate test conditions. Several other skeptic groups also offer a monied prize for proof of the paranormal, including the largest group of paranormal investigators, the [[Independent Investigations Group]], which has chapters in Hollywood; Atlanta; Denver; Washington, D.C.; Alberta, B.C.; and San Francisco. The IIG offers a $100,000 prize and a $5,000 finders fee if a claimant can prove a paranormal claim under 2 scientifically controlled tests. Founded in 2000 no claimant has passed the first (and lower odds) of the test.<ref>{{cite web|last=[[Independent Investigations Group]]|title=Investigations|url=http://www.iigwest.org/investigations/index.html|access-date=2012-04-11}}</ref>