James Randi - my hero

[Ridetsu]

Does anybody know who James Randi is? If you don't, shame upon yee! he is up there with Penn and Teller in terms of 'magical' trickery and exposing it.
basically, he is offering a million dollars (last i checked) to anyone who can prove that they have psychic/paranormal powers of any kind. All they have to do, is prove it in a scientific setting where controls and tests can be observed.
You might be asking then, why the magicians and psychics all around the world don't come to claim this prize. Why don't the pet whisperers, or those who can talk to the dead, or the faith healers, or anyone of that nature come forward for the money? Surely, if they had the power, they would spend one day and earn a million dollars.
"But i don't need the money, and i don't want to abuse my gift"
Answer: donate it to a charity of your choice then - you are using your gift to save lives then. But still nobody has been able to do it. Those we see on TV don't want to, because they know it will prove them to be a fake.
So here are a few U-tube links of him in action. I could sit and watch these all day.
His website: http://www.randi.org/

James Randi exposes James Hydrick: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlfMsZwr8rc&mode=related&search=

James Randi and a Medium: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxvPJFv6X94&mode=related&search=

James Randi exposes Uri Geller and Peter Popoff:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9w7jHYriFo&mode=related&search=


Just look around for some more.. those are just some of my favorites. Enjoy!

 

[xvart]

The first video with James Hydrick is great. Everyone in that video is classic seventies with their great clothes, facial hair, and lack of class (at least by today's standard), lol.

xvart.

 

[endparenthesis]

Magicians are an amazing resource for this sort of thing. They're like the white-hat hackers of the mind.

Unfortunately Randi made the prize more exclusive, because he just didn't have the resources to deal with all the crackpots who claimed that they intended to win it and then would never take the plunge. There's a section in his site somewhere where you can read the letters he gets. One person said his gift was the ability to make other people's finger's grow longer, temporarily. No other abilities to speak of. Just finger-growing.

Now the prize is only open to people very much in the public eye (thus affecting a lot of lives) like Sylvia Brown and John Edward. Dealing with them specifically is probably a better use of his time.

It's also still open to pseudo-sciences like homeopathy, I think.

I would recommend some of Houdini's old books on his efforts to expose the Spiritualists of his day. Penn and Randi owe a great deal to him (I'm sure they've said as much many times).

 

[tommyr]

Randi is great! Magic is fine but some people are just plain crazy. Randi sets them straight!
Even *I* know a few magic tricks that I freak some people and kids out with.