TestForEric

I had the pleasure to go see a lecture of his that he gave here on campus, debunking all sorts of paranormal claims, and such. Very interesting fellow, loved his lecture, bought one of his "13 Questions shirts", yadda yadda yadda.

I'm just wondering what the various opinions of him are on the board...

Philosoft

I think it takes all kinds of personalities to promote a skeptical worldview. Randi can be short, deliberate and abrasive but look at his main targets: people like Geller, Van Praagh and Sylvia Browne whose behavior strongly suggests they are consciously involved in the deception that they perform and are not just deluded true-believers. These are the charlatans who recieve the bulk of his harshest criticism. The 'everyday' dowsers and blindfold-readers who make up the majority of his test subjects are generally treated with dignity, if not respect. I think his harshest critics are simply critics of skepticism and Randi happens to be the most visible target at which to loose their venom.

I think he's done more good for skepticism than most give him credit for. I fear that there will be no one to take his place when he's gone. Massimo Pigliucci perhaps?

Sojourner553

James Randi is wonderful! and a hero of mine.

He is a leading member/contributor to the organization, the Skeptics. The Skeptics gives wonderful annual lectures at Caltech, where Randi will often give a "how to" detect con-men. The organization also puts out a first-class magazine.

James Randi's story of how he convinced Barbara Walters he had psychic powers is sooo funny!

Anyway, this is their website:

<a href="http://www.skeptic.com/" target="_blank">http://www.skeptic.com/</a>

[ April 23, 2002: Message edited by: Sojourner553 ]</p>

Writer@Large

James Randi is awesome! I love his abrasive, crotchety-old-man style; we can't all glad-handle the gullible or dishonest just because "it's not nice." The world needs men like James Randi and his foundation.

<a href="http://www.randi.org" target="_blank">http://www.randi.org</a>

--W@L

schu

I like Randi too. He takes on the frauds head on so to speak. I have his book "Flimflam" and use it to show the water dowsers around here why they can't do what they claim to do. Sometimes I give them a demonstration. I ask them to stake out a water line under my place here. None can do it. Makes them spitting mad and they never come back for more. They always claim my problem is I just don't believe enough. Yea. Watching him expose that fraud who would have you believe he was turning the pages of a book using his mind was a hoot. Randi just put down Styrofoam peanuts around the glass case the book was in and the guy couldn't do it any more. I also loved how he exposed Peter Popoff (sp) that fraud preacher in California. Good stuff and yes we need more like him.

Schu

Veil of Fire

"Randi just put down Styrofoam peanuts around the glass case the book was in and the guy couldn't do it any more."

How did THAT work? /boggle

Coragyps

My two guesses are:
1) Anti-psionic-wave styrofoam
or
2) The guy was blowing the pages over

Veil of Fire

Well, styrfoam IS pretty nifty...

freemonkey

Randi has been a hero of mine since I was a kid.

jj

The first time I saw something James Randi said 30 years ago, I was annoyed. 28 Years ago, I had acquired a great deal of information on subjective testing and I thought he was a very smart man.

I now think that he kicks butt, and righteously!

GO JAMES.