Alleged Psychic Sylvia Browne's 2008 Predictions: Success Rate

Before I start here, I would just like to offer the humblest of apologies for not posting on my blog for approximately four months. I won't make excuses, I'll just say that school and other activities kept me extremely busy.

As I hope any frequent reader of my blog has guessed by now, I am a critic of alleged psychic Sylvia Browne. Starting at the beginning of 2008, I began documenting the predictions she would make on the now-canceled daytime-talk show Montel, hosted by Montel Williams. On the December 31, 2007 broadcast of Montel, Browne made several verifiable predictions dealing with politics, pop culture medicine and natural disasters. I made a list of these predictions here, and offered a mid-year update on them here. Now that 2008 has given way to 2009, I can accurately assess the success rate for the predictions Browne gave for 2008.

On the December 31, 2007 episode of Montel, Browne made 14 predictions that were specific enough to be falsifiable. I will present these predictions in a simple list format, and refer to a correct prediction as a “hit” and an incorrect prediction as a “miss.” I will also offer links to any sources that support or refute the claims made in the predictions and provide my own commentary. Any text which appears in quotes is the exact phrasing used by Browne.

As with all of my posts dealing with Sylvia Browne, I admit freely that I do not think she is psychic in any way, shape or form. Browne's despicable business practices are my definition of evil, and I'm attempting to do what little I can to offer a critical assessment of her. I write these posts in an effort to make Browne's numerous failings as an alleged psychic clear to anyone who may be interested.

1. Britney Spears’ younger sister Jaime Lynn Spears will have her baby.
Spears the younger gave birth to a healthy, although 10-days-premature, baby girl on June 19, 2008. Complications during the delivery apparently forced doctors to perform an emergency Cesarean on the 17-year old. Browne had what amounts to a 50/50 chance of getting this prediction correct. Spears would have either had the baby, or somehow terminated the pregnancy. Given entertainment news media's obsession with the entire Spears family, an abortion of any kind was pretty much out of the question for young Jaime Lynn. Was Browne correct? Yes. Is it impressive? Hardly.
Prediction #1: Hit

2. Browne described Britney Spears as having a “bi-polar condition,” and that she will get help for it in 2008.
A December 9 post on the Times of the Internet explaining Spears' reluctance to embark on a 2009 concert tour was the only blog post or news story I could find that asserts Spears was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. However, the post does not offer any source to support its claim. Other stories discussing Spears' mental health offered only speculation and no concrete evidence to support the claim that she was officially diagnosed as being bipolar in 2008. Even if Spears actually is bipolar, no news stories reported the singer getting help for the condition.
Prediction #2: Miss

3. Actor Owen Wilson will have “another dip” in his depression.
After Wilson's alleged late-2007 suicide attempt, a 2008 depression-related incident seemed like a logical assertion. However, Wilson had no publicized bouts with depression in 2008. In fact, a February 28 post on the entertainment news blog Defamer reported on Wilson returning to work on Marley and Me, a film currently in theaters, and possible reuniting with actress Kate Hudson, his former girlfriend.
Prediction #3: Miss

4. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie will adopt another child.
A November 12 story from the news section of the website Celebrity Archives reported that Pitt and Jolie are planning to adopt another child, but will wait until their twins, born in July of 2008, are six months old.
Prediction #4: Miss

5. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie will not stay together.
Since this prediction was given as part of a list of predictions for the year 2008, I think it is safe to assume Browne meant to say that the couple will break up in 2008. As of the writing of this post, Pitt and Jolie are still together.
Prediction #5: Miss

6. United State troops stationed in Iraq will start coming home "in increments" due to the withdrawal of other collation forces.
No major United States troops withdrawals from Iraq took place in 2008. An August 21 article from the website for National Public Radio reported that a deal agreed upon by Iraq and the United States has set a preliminary timetable for a withdrawal of American forces from Iraqi cities by June of 2009.
Prediction #6: Miss

7. President Bush’s approval rating will continue to drop.
According to a December 31 article from the Los Angeles Times, President Bush will end his presidency with some of the lowest marks of approval of any recent president. From the article:

"According to a Pew survey released this month, just 11% of Americans rate Bush as an 'above-average president,' compared with 59% for Ronald Reagan and 44% for Bill Clinton as they left office."

Now, you only really have to have the ability to understand the English language and own a television set to "predict" that president Bush was not going to get any more popular in 2008. In all fairness, though, Browne did call this one correctly; as I'm sure most of the United States would have if asked.
Prediction #7: Hit

8. Senator Barack Obama will become the Democratic "front-runner" in the race to be the next president of the United States.
A cursory glance at any newspaper within the last few months will show that Browne was indeed correct on this one. Notice, however, that she did not go so far as to say that Obama will be the next president of the United States. Since this prediction was made way back in December of 2007, she could not confidently make such a claim. Rather, she saved the "prediction" that Obama will win the presidency for October 3, 2008; a month before the presidential elections. Browne offered this nugget of augury in a video posted on Youtube in which even she did not seem confident in her own powers. Quoted from the video:

"It's getting very close and I...I don't know, I really thought at one time that it might be Barack, but I'm leaning a little toward John McCain now. But that sounds like I'm doing a double thing but I'm still going to stick with Barack Obama. Because I think people need a new regime, I really do."

A month before the elections and she can't be anymore sure than this? Remember, everyone, this is a woman who charges $850 for an over-the-phone "reading."
Prediction #8: Hit

9. Browne predicts "diabetic breakthroughs."
In addition to a University of Manchester team discovering a new technique for turning stem cells into insulin-producing pancreatic tissue, a September 18 article from localtechwire.com reported on a University of North Carolina team that successfully turn human skin cells into insulin producing cells. Insulin is the hormone that people diagnosed with diabetes lack. I can assure you that "diabetic breakthroughs" is all Browne said regarding this specific prediction. Given such a broad claim, medical science was bound to produce something that could be counted as a "breakthrough" regarding diabetes in 2008. One has to wonder why Browne could not offer any more details.
Prediction #9: Hit

10. Browne predicts the use of "sound waves with cancer."
Again, the quoted statement was all Browne had to offer regarding the treatment of cancer with sound waves. Because of her trademark vagueness, a December 22 ScienceDaily article about a pocket-sized ultrasound device could possibly apply. This device, invented by a graduate student at Cornell University, could help treat brain cancer by using intense sound waves to push medication through the brain after surgery. This "prediction" was slightly more specific than "diabetic breakthroughs" but still did not offer much useful information.
Prediction #10: Hit

11. Browne predicts "whooping cough, mumps and measles will be on the rise" in 2008.
This prediction was the most difficult to investigate since news stories often only focus on outbreaks of such diseases in specific parts of the country, as opposed to rises nationwide. A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that cases of measles from January to July of 2008 were the highest they've been since 1996. An article in The New York Times attributed this rise in part to the unwillingness of many parents to vaccinate their children for fear of links to autism. Also, the Anchorage Daily News reported December 19 on a rise in reported cases of whooping cough in Alaska's capital city of Juneau, while Physorg.com offered a November 21 report on the rise of whooping cough cases in the Midwest. Despite the ambiguity of Browne's "prediction," I will count this one as a hit for her. Though one must ask the question: if Browne really did see these outbreaks coming, why did she not seek out any medical professionals who could have taken the proper steps to lessen the impacts of the outbreaks?
Prediction #11: Hit

12. Browne predicted more tsunamis.
No newsworthy tsunamis occurred in 2008.
Prediction #12: Miss

13. Browne predicted "a big earthquake in Japan."
A 7.2 magnitude earthquake did strike Japan’s Iwate prefecture on June 14, 2008 killing nine people and injuring at least 200. One would think Browne would have been obligated to alert Japanese authorities to this danger, or at least offer a more specific location. If Browne did either of these things, she did not publicize them.
Prediction #13: Hit

14. predicted "volcanoes erupting from all parts of the country that have been dead for years."
The only reported volcanic eruptions in the United States occurred in Alaska in midsummer 2008. A total of three Alaskan volcanoes erupted over the summer. Hardly "from all parts of the country" as Browne predicted.
Prediction #14: Miss

So, how well did Browne do predicting the major events of 2008? With regards to this list, she predicted seven events correctly and seven events incorrectly. Exactly half. I won't go on to mention the major events that Browne failed to predict, the economic collapse for one, since expecting her to predict events like that would be unfair. With that logic, for example, I could complain that she failed to predict me doing all the various things I did in 2008. It does make one wonder, though, how big does an event have to be for it to show up on Browne's radar?

Alleged Psychic Sylvia Browne's 2008 Predictions: Mid-Year Update

Readers of this blog, if any remain, might ask why I devote so much time to covering Sylvia Browne. Believe me, if I had more time on my hands and a steady income, I would be doing more. Offering a record and critiques of her predictions is truly the least I can do to make my wish that she be stopped come true. This is why I applaud the work of one Robert Lancaster (creator of stopsylviabrowne.com) A quick skim of his sight will reveal how Browne truly operates, and the stories of those she’s hurt. One of Mr. Lancaster’s most recent posts details his harrowing descent into the underworld that is Browne’s live show at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino, in my home town of Las Vegas. But I digress.

This mid-2008 update will review the predictions Browne has made for the year in attempt record which ones, if any, have come to pass. I’ll admit freely that I am biased against Browne and her despicable work, but I do try to be fair. So here, presented in a simple list format as before, is a review of Browne’s predictions for 2008 (in bold) and anything news-worthy that has happened with regards to them.

1. Britney Spears’ younger sister Jaime Lynn Spears will have her baby.
Spears the younger gave birth to a healthy, although 10-days-premature, baby girl on June 19, 2008. Complications during the delivery apparently forced doctors to perform an emergency Cesarean on the 17-year old.

2. Browne described Britney Spears as having a "bi-polar condition," and that she will get help for it in 2008.
Several reports released a week or so after Spears was released from a Los Angeles area hospital in January of 2008 claim that the singer’s family suspects Spears may suffer from bipolar disorder. However, I could only find rumors and speculation regarding Spears’ actual diagnosis.

3. Actor Owen Wilson will have "another dip" in his depression.
As of this posting, actor Owen Wilson has not had any other publicized bouts of depression.

4. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie will adopt another child, but the couple will not stay together.
The couple is planning to adopt another child some time after the twins Jolie is expecting this summer are born. It has yet to be seen if the couple will stay together. Browne failed to predict Jolie becoming pregnant with twins.

5. Jennifer Aniston will marry a producer in a year or two.
Aniston appears to currently be in a relationship with singer/songwriter John Mayer.

6. United State troops stationed in Iraq will start coming home "in increments" due to the withdrawal of other collation forces.
There have been no reports of US forces in Iraq returning home due to the withdrawal of other coalition forces. An NBC News affiliate in Colorado reports that President Bush plans to return some troops home from Iraq due to the recent decrease in violence there.

From the article:

"Our troops have driven the terrorists and extremists from many strongholds," Bush said. "As a result of this progress, some of our troops are coming home as a result of our policy called Return on Success,"

7. President Bush’s approval rating will continue to drop.

Bush’s approval rating has hit an all-time-low of 23% according to a poll conducted by the Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg News.

8. Senator Barack Obama will become the Democratic "front-runner" in the race to be the next president of the United States. Senator Hillary Clinton will be in the lead in polls until the summer and suddenly "flatten out."

The race to become the Democratic nominee for president ended well before summer started. The last few months were marked by Senator Clinton’s tenacious refusal to concede to her opponent from Illinois.

9. Browne predicts "diabetic breakthroughs" and the use of "sound waves with cancer."

The biggest diabetic breakthrough I could find was that of a team working at the University of Manchester. "Scientists have discovered a new technique for turning embryonic stem cells into insulin-producing pancreatic tissue in what could prove a significant breakthrough in the quest to find new treatments for diabetes," the article reported.

Regarding the use of "sound waves with cancer" a story by the National Prostate Cancer Coalition reports on a new clinic opening up in Argentina which uses High Intensity Focus Ultrasound (HIFU) as a treatment for prostate cancer.
"HIFU utilizes focused sound waves to rapidly heat and destroy the tissue within the prostate," the article reported. It would seem that Browne was correct about this one, until you realize that this story was written in August of 2007.

10. Browne predicts "whooping cough, mumps and measles will be on the rise" in 2008.

It appears that mumps did make a comeback, but in 2006. There was no news of which to speak regarding whooping cough, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims the US is on track to get hit by one of the biggest measles outbreaks in seven years, "A series of outbreaks in nine states between January and April 25 has resulted in 64 measles cases -- the highest number reported over the same time period since 2001," the article reported.

11. Browne predicts more tsunamis, "a big earthquake in Japan," and "volcanoes erupting from all parts of the country that have been dead for years."
As of this posting, there have not been any newsworthy tsunamis or any dormant volcanoes erupting around the country. A 7.2 magnitude earthquake did strike Japan’s Iwate prefecture on June 14, 2008 killing nine people and injuring at least 200. But did Browne offer an specifics with the predictions? Of course not. She also failed to predict the massive earthquake that struck China in May, killing 70,000 people.

Alleged Psychic Sylvia Browne's 2008 Predictions

If anyone reading this is a frequent reader of my blog, or indeed knows me at all, they will undoubtedly be aware of my extreme dislike and, some might even say, hatred of alleged psychic Sylvia Browne. On December 31, 2007, while making one of her many appearances on the day-time talk show Montel on NBC, Browne made several predictions about what will happen in 2008 with regards to various topics such as celebrity news, medical breakthroughs and politics. With this post, I will present all the predictions Browne made on this particular episode of Montel so that anyone at all can refer back to them once 2008 comes to an end in order to see how accurate Browne was. It is my opinion that recording Browne’s predictions about verifiable facts is one of the few ways that her status as a “world-renowned psychic” can be brought into serious question; something that I feel needs to be done immediately. In addition to Browne’s predictions, summaries of two questions that were asked of her by two separate audience members are also included; questions on which Browne utterly failed but was able to twist both her words and the words of the audience members to make it appear as though she answered the questions correctly.

The predictions will be presented in a simple list format, and any text which appears in quotes is the exact phrasing used by Browne.

1. Jamie Lynn Spears, 16-year-old sister of Britney Spears, will have her baby.

2. Browne described Britney Spears as having a “bi-polar condition,” and that she will get help for it in 2008.

3. Actor Owen Wilson will have “another dip” in his depression.

4. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie will adopt another child, but the couple will not stay together.

5. Pitt will never return to his ex-wife, actress Jennifer Aniston. Aniston will marry a producer “in a year or two.”

6. United State troops stationed in Iraq will start coming home “in increments” due to the withdrawal of other collation forces.

7. President Bush’s approval rating will continue to drop.

8. Senator Barack Obama will become the Democratic “front-runner” in the race to be the next president of the United States. Senator Hillary Clinton will be in the lead in polls until the summer and suddenly “flatten out.”

9. The next president of the United States will be from the Democratic Party.

10. Browne predicts that the Ford Motor Company will continue to produce electric-gasoline hybrid vehicles; despite the fact Ford has been doing this for the last year.

11. The stock market will be “like a rollercoaster.”

12. Browne predicts “diabetic breakthroughs” and the use of “sound waves with cancer.”

13. Browne predicts “whooping cough, mumps and measles will be on the rise” in 2008.

14. Browne predicts more tsunamis, “a big earthquake in Japan,” and “volcanoes erupting from all parts of the country that have been dead for years.”

Browne was asked by a young man in the studio audience whether or not he would be successful in his music career, to which Browne answered in the affirmative. Browne goes on to tell the young man that she sees four people around him. When the man makes it clear that he does not know about whom Browne could be talking, Browne says that in his music career, he will “absorb four other people.” Montel then asks the man what instrument he plays, to which the man replies the tenor saxophone. Montel reiterates Browne’s statement about meeting four people, and says that such an instrument generally is not played by itself. Montel says the man will most likely become part of a band with four other people; all in a fairly condescending tone. By retrofitting Browne’s original statement, that she sees four people around this man, Montel made it appear as if Browne predicted this man’s possible formation of a band when in fact she did not. Also, Montel made it seem as if the man who asked the question was somehow mistaken, and that it couldn’t have possibly been Browne who was wrong.

Browne was asked by a middle-aged woman in the studio audience where a family heirloom that belonged to her late grandmother could be found. The woman mentions that it was last seen in the possession of her son. With this information, Browne appears to assume that the aforementioned son is still a child, and that the missing heirloom will be found in the son’s belongings, explaining that he likes to hide things. Montel even chimes in and tells the woman to look through her son’s toys, to which Browne offers no correction. The woman then goes on to explain that her son is in his twenties, an age at which most people no longer have toys, or the desire to mischievously hide objects. Browne sticks to her guns and continues to tell the woman to look through her son’s things until another audience member with a question is called on. Browne was clearly incorrect about the age of the son, showing that she was most likely acting on an unwarranted assumption.

Tactics such as these lead me to believe that Browne possesses absolutely no ability to foresee the future or communicate with people who have died. Yet, Montel Williams, a former United States Marine with 22 years of service, continues to have Browne as a guest on his show and to shamelessly plug her myriad books and personal appearances. Browne seems to show no remorse for the often grieving and desperate people from whom she takes money; a 20-minute over-the-phone reading with Browne costs $700. It is not the people who continue to buy Browne’s books and services who are to blame, although consistently spending any amount of money on Browne is certainly ill-advised. Put very simply: Browne herself is to blame. She knows exactly what she is doing and yet continues to do it. I have been asked many times if I think evil exists. I maintain that I do. But instead of citing the obvious choices such as Adolf Hitler or Charles Manson, I cite “world-renowned psychic” Sylvia Browne and her ilk. In my mind, there is no greater evil than preying on the desperate and the credulous.

For more information on Sylvia Browne and her alleged “powers,” I suggest a visit to this website: http://www.stopsylviabrowne.com/home/