James Randi

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James Randi

Born Randall James Hamilton Zwinge
August 7, 1928 (1928-08-07) (age 80)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Occupation Magician, skeptic, writer
Website
www.randi.org

James Randi (born August 7, 1928)[1] (stage name The Amazing Randi) is a stage magician and scientific skeptic best known as a challenger of paranormal claims and pseudoscience. Born Randall James Hamilton Zwinge,[1] in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Randi is the founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF). Randi began his career as a magician, but when he retired at age 60, he switched to investigating paranormal, occult, and supernatural claims. Although often referred to as a "debunker", Randi rejects that title, describing himself as an "investigator".[2] He has written about the paranormal, skepticism, and the history of magic. He was a frequent guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and is occasionally featured on the television program Penn & Teller: Bullshit!.

The JREF sponsors the famous million dollar challenge offering a prize of US $1,000,000 to anyone who can demonstrate evidence of any paranormal, supernatural or occult power or event, under test conditions agreed to by both parties. As of this time, no one has claimed this prize, which is to be discontinued on March 6, 2010.[3] The prize money held by the Foundation will be used for other projects, the nature of which will be announced at that time.[4]

Contents

[edit] Early and personal life

Randi is the oldest of three children[5], having a younger brother and sister.[6] He took up magic after reading magic books while spending 13 months in a body cast due to a bicycle accident.[5] His doctors expected Randi would never walk again, but he did.[5] At 17, he dropped out of high school to perform as a conjurer in a carnival roadshow.[7] In his thirties, Randi worked in Philippine night clubs.[8] He witnessed many tricks that were presented as being supernatural. One of his earliest reported experiences is that of seeing an evangelist using the "one-ahead"[9] routine to convince churchgoers of his divine powers.[10]

In 1987, Randi became a naturalized citizen of the United States.[11] Randi has said that one reason he became an American citizen was an incident while on tour with Alice Cooper where the Royal Canadian Mounted Police searched the band's lockers during a performance, holding Randi at gunpoint when he objected.[12]

In February 2006, Randi underwent coronary artery bypass surgery.[13] In early February 2006, he was declared to be in stable condition and "receiving excellent care" with his recovery proceeding well. The weekly commentary updates to his website were made by guests while he was hospitalized.[14] Randi recovered after his surgery and was able to help organize and attend the 2007 Amazing Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada (an annual convention of scientists, magicians, skeptics, atheists and free thinkers).[15]

Randi for many years has been an amateur astronomer, influenced by his friend Carl Sagan. In 1981 asteroid 3163 Randi was named for him.[5]

[edit] Career as a magician

Randi worked as a professional stage magician and escapologist beginning in 1946, initially under his birth name, Randall Zwinge. Early in his career, Randi was part of numerous stunts involving his escape from jail cells and safes. On February 7 1956, he appeared live on The Today Show remaining in a sealed metal coffin submerged in a hotel swimming pool for 104 minutes, breaking what was said to be Houdini's record of 93 minutes.[16][17]

Randi was the host of The Amazing Randi Show on New York radio station WOR in the mid-1960s.[18] He also hosted numerous television specials and went on several world tours. Then Randi appeared as "The Amazing Randi" on a television show titled Wonderama from 1967 to 1972[19] and as host of a revival of the 1950s children's show The Magic Clown in 1970.[20] In the February 2, 1974 issue of Abracadabra (a British conjuring magazine), Randi defined the magic community saying, "I know of no calling which depends so much upon mutual trust and faith as does ours." In the December 2003 issue of the The Linking Ring, the monthly publication of The International Brotherhood of Magicians, Points to Ponder: Another Matter of Ethics, p. 97, it is stated, "Perhaps Randi's ethics are what make him Amazing" and "The Amazing Randi not only talks the talk, he walks the walk."

During Alice Cooper's 1973-1974 tour, Randi performed as the dentist and executioner on stage.[21] Also, Randi had designed and built several of the stage props, including the guillotine.[22][23] Shortly after, in February 1975, Randi escaped from a straitjacket while suspended upside-down over Niagara Falls in the winter on the Canadian TV program World of Wizards.[24]

Early in his career, Randi was sent a contract for a tour in Florida.[5] His friends in New York mentioned to him that he’d certainly be working before audiences segregated by race, so before he signed the agreement, he wrote in a clause specifying that the promoters could not deny tickets to blacks or segregate the audiences in any way. Upon arriving on scene, he found that the concert promoter had ignored this stipulation in his contract. He discovered that blacks were forced to watch the show from the balcony, and he immediately walked away from the tour. Appealing to the American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA), he was paid in full for the balance of the tour.[citation needed]

Randi was once accused of actually using 'psychic powers' to perform acts such as spoon bending. James Alcock relates this incident which occurred at a meeting where Randi was duplicating the performances of Uri Geller: A professor from the University at Buffalo shouted out that Randi was a fraud. Randi said, "Yes indeed, I'm a trickster, I'm a cheat, I'm a charlatan, that's what I do for a living. Everything I've done here was by trickery." The professor shouted back: "That's not what I mean. You're a fraud because you're pretending to do these things through trickery, but you're actually using psychic powers and misleading us by not admitting it."[25] The famous author and believer in spiritualism Arthur Conan Doyle had years earlier made a similar accusation against the magician Harry Houdini.[26]

[edit] Author

Randi is author of Conjuring (1992), a biographical history of noted magicians. The book is subtitled: Being a Definitive History of the Venerable Arts of Sorcery, Prestidigitation, Wizardry, Deception, & Chicanery and of the Mountebanks & Scoundrels Who have Perpetrated these Subterfuges on a Bewildered Public, in short, MAGIC!. The book selects the most influential magicians, and explains their history in the context of strange deaths and career on the road. This work expanded on his 1976 book Houdini, His Life and Art, which focused on Houdini and his cohorts. Randi also wrote a children's book in 1989 titled The Magic World of the Amazing Randi, which introduced children to magic tricks. In addition to his magic books, he has written several educational works about the paranormal and pseudoscientific. These include biographies of Uri Geller and Nostradamus as well as reference material on other major paranormal figures. He is currently working on A Magician in the Laboratory, which recounts his application of skepticism to science.[27] He is a member of the all-male literary banqueting club the Trap Door Spiders, which served as the basis of Isaac Asimov's fictional group of mystery solvers the Black Widowers.[citation needed]

[edit] Career as a skeptic

James Randi's The Truth About Uri Geller (1982).

Randi entered the international spotlight in 1972 when he publicly challenged the claims of Uri Geller. Randi accused Geller of being nothing more than a charlatan and a fraud, who used standard magic tricks to accomplish his allegedly paranormal feats, and he supported his claims in the book The Truth About Uri Geller.[10][28] Geller sued Randi for $15 million in 1991.[29] Geller's suit against the Committee for Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP) was thrown out in 1995, and he was ordered to pay $120,000 for filing a frivolous lawsuit.[30]

Randi was a founding fellow and prominent member of CSICOP.[31] During the period when Geller was filing numerous civil suits against him, CSICOP's leadership, wanting to avoid becoming a target of Geller's litigation, requested that Randi refrain from commenting on Geller. Randi refused and resigned. However, he still maintains a respectful relationship with the group and frequently writes articles for its magazine.

Randi has gone on to write several books criticizing beliefs and claims regarding the paranormal.[32] He has also demonstrated flaws in studies suggesting the existence of paranormal phenomena; in his Project Alpha hoax, Randi revealed that he had been able to orchestrate a three-year-long compromise of a privately-funded psychic research experiment.[33] The hoax became a scandal and demonstrated the shortcomings of many paranormal research projects at the university level. Some said that the hoax was unethical, while others saw his actions as a legitimate exercise in exposing poor research techniques.[34]

Randi has appeared on numerous TV shows, sometimes to directly debunk the claimed abilities of fellow guests. In a 1981 appearance on a show called That's My Line, Randi appeared opposite psychic James Hydrick, who claimed that he could move things with his mind, and demonstrated this ability on live television by apparently turning a page in a telephone book without touching it.[35] Randi, having determined that the trick was most likely based on Hydrick surreptitiously blowing, arranged packaging peanuts on the table in front of the telephone book for the demonstration, preventing Hydrick from demonstrating his abilities which would have been exposed when the blowing moved the packaging.[36] Many years later, Hydrick admitted his fraud.[37]

Randi was awarded a MacArthur Foundation "Genius" award in 1986.[5] The money was used for Randi's comprehensive exposé of faith healers including Peter Popoff, W. V. Grant and Ernest Angley.[5] During the course of the investigation Randi was "healed" by these ministers.[5] When Popoff was exposed, he was forced to declare bankruptcy within the year.[38]

In 1988, Randi showed how gullible the media are by perpetrating a "fraud" of his own. By teaming up with Australia's 60 Minutes program and by releasing a fake press package he built up publicity for a spirit channeler named Carlos, who was actually an artist named Jose Alvares, a friend of Randi. Randi would tell him what to say through sophisticated radio equipment. The media and the public were taken in, as no reporter bothered to check Carlos' credentials and history, which were all made up. The hoax was exposed on 60 Minutes; Carlos and Randi explained how they pulled it off. [39] [40]

In the book The Faith Healers, Randi explains his anger and relentlessness as arising out of compassion for the helpless victims of frauds. Randi has also been critical of João de Deus (John of God) a self-proclaimed psychic surgeon who has received international attention.[41] Randi observed, referring to psychic surgery, "To any experienced conjurer, the methods by which these seeming miracles are produced are very obvious."[42]

In 1982, Randi verified the abilities of Arthur Lintgen, a Philadelphia physician who is able to determine the classical music recorded on a vinyl LP solely by examining the grooves on the record. However, Lintgen does not claim to have any paranormal ability, merely knowledge of the way that the grooves form patterns on particular recordings.[43]

[edit] James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF)

Main article: James Randi Educational Foundation

In 1996, Randi established the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF). Randi updates the JREF's website on Fridays with a written commentary titled Swift: Online Newsletter of the JREF. Topics have included the mathematics of the one-seventh area triangle. Randi also contributes a regular column, titled "'Twas Brillig," to The Skeptics Society's Skeptic Magazine. In his weekly commentary, Randi often gives examples of what he considers the nonsense that he deals with every day.[44]

He has regularly featured on many podcasts that can be found online, including The Skeptics Society's official podcast Skepticality [45] and the Center for Inquiry's official podcast Point of Inquiry [46]. From September 2006 onwards, he occasionally contributes to The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe podcast with a column titled "Randi Speaks."[47] In addition, "The Amazing Show" is a podcast in which Randi shares various anecdotes in an interview format.

[edit] Randi on religion

In his essay "Why I Deny Religion, How Silly and Fantastic It Is, and Why I'm a Dedicated and Vociferous Bright," Randi has stated that many accounts in religious texts, including the virgin birth, the miracles of Jesus Christ, and the parting of the Red Sea by Moses, are not believable. For example, Randi refers to the Virgin Mary as being "impregnated by a ghost of some sort, and as a result produced a son who could walk on water, raise the dead, turn water into wine, and multiply loaves of bread and fishes", and questions how Adam and Eve could have two sons, one of whom killed the other, and yet managed to populate the earth without committing incest. He writes that, compared to the Bible, "The Wizard of Oz is more believable. And more fun."[48] In An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural he looks at a variety of spiritual practices sceptically. Of the meditation techniques of Guru Maharaj Ji (Prem Rawat) he writes that, "Only the very naive were convinced that they had been let in on some sort of celestial secret."[49]

[edit] The $1 million challenge

Main article: The One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge

The James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) currently offers a prize of one million U.S. dollars to anyone who can demonstrate a supernatural ability under agreed-upon scientific testing criteria. Similar to the paranormal challenges of John Nevil Maskelyne and Houdini, in 1964, Randi put up $1,000 of his own money payable to the first person who could provide objective proof of the paranormal.[50] Since then, the prize money has grown to the current $1,000,000, and has formal published rules. No one has progressed past the preliminary test which is set up with parameters agreed to by both Randi and the applicant. He refuses to accept any challengers who might suffer serious injury or death as a result of the testing.

On Larry King Live March 6 2001, Larry King asked Sylvia Browne if she would take the challenge and she agreed.[51] Then Randi appeared with Browne on Larry King Live on September 3, 2001 and she again accepted the challenge.[52] However, she has refused to be tested and Randi keeps a clock on his website recording the number of weeks that have passed since Browne accepted the challenge without following through.[53] During Larry King Live on June 5 2001, Randi challenged Rosemary Altea to undergo testing for the million dollars. However, Altea would not even address the question.[54] Instead Altea, in part, replied "I agree with what he says, that there are many, many people who claim to be spiritual mediums, they claim to talk to the dead. There are many, people, we all know this. There are cheats and charlatans everywhere."[54] Then on January 26 2007 Altea and Randi again appeared on Larry King Live. Once again, she refused to answer whether or not she would take the One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge.[55]

Starting on April 1 2007, only those with an already existing media profile and the backing of a reputable academic would be allowed to apply for the challenge.[56] The resources freed up by not having to test obscure and possibly mentally ill claimants will then be used to more aggressively challenge notorious high-profile alleged psychics and mediums such as Sylvia Browne, Allison DuBois and John Edward with a campaign in the media.[56]

On January 4 2008 it was announced that the million dollar challenge would be discontinued on March 6 2010 in order to free up the money and resources for other uses.[57]

JREF maintains a public log of past participants in the Million Dollar Challenge.[58]

[edit] Legal disputes

Randi has been involved in a variety of legal disputes, but claims to have "never paid even one dollar or even one cent to anyone who ever sued me."[59]

[edit] Eldon Byrd

In an interview with Twilight Zone Magazine, Randi accused Uri Geller and Eldon Byrd of being the ringleaders in a criminal blackmail plot aimed at destroying Randi.[60] Byrd sued Randi when he was accused by the magician of being a convicted child molester. Following the trial a press release from Randi said "Testimony adduced at the trial revealed that, in fact, Mr. Byrd had not been convicted of the crime of child molestation as suggested by Mr. Randi, but instead had been arrested for possession with intent to distribute obscene materials involving children, and had pled guilty to a reduced charge of possession with intent to distribute obscene materials." The jury also heard testimony that Byrd had sexually molested, and later married, his sister-in-law.[61] Despite this, Byrd won the case, but received no monetary judgment.[62]

[edit] Uri Geller

In a 1989 interview with a Japanese newspaper, Randi was quoted as saying that Uri Geller had driven a metallurgist named Wilbur Franklin to "shoot himself in the head," after the scientist realized that Geller had tricked him. This statement was incorrect—Franklin had died of natural causes. In the same Japanese newspaper interview, Randi also called Geller a "sociopath." In 1990, Geller sued Randi in a Japanese court over the statements Randi had made in the Japanese newspaper. Randi did not participate in the trial, but in March 1993, the judge ruled against Randi, and awarded Geller 500,000 yen (at the time about US$4400). Randi initially refused to pay the amount. Geller later agreed not to pursue Randi for the money in a subsequent settlement with CSICOP.[63][64] Randi later stated that the phrase "shot himself in the head" was a metaphor lost in translation.[65] He had made a similar statement in English three years earlier in a Toronto newspaper: "The scientist shot himself after I showed him how the key bending trick was done."[66]

Wikisource
Wikisource has original text related to this article:

In 1991, Randi commented that Uri Geller's public performances were of the same quality as those found on the backs of cereal boxes. Geller sued both Randi and CSICOP. CSICOP argued that the organization was not responsible for Randi's statements. The court agreed that including CSICOP was frivolous and dropped them from the action, leaving Randi to face the action alone. Geller was ordered to pay substantial damages to CSICOP.[67][68] Randi and Geller subsequently settled their dispute out of court, the details of which have been kept confidential. The settlement also included an agreement that Geller would not pursue Randi for the award in the Japanese case, or other outstanding cases.

[edit] Other

Allison DuBois, on whose life the television series Medium was based, threatened Randi with legal action for using a photo of her from her website in his December 17, 2004 commentary without her permission.[69] Randi removed the photo, and now uses a caricature of DuBois when mentioning her on his site, beginning with his December 23, 2005 commentary.[70]

Late in 1996 Randi launched a libel suit against a Toronto-area psychic named Earl Gordon Curley.[71] Curley had made multiple objectionable comments about Randi on Usenet. Despite prodding Randi via Usenet to sue (Curley's comments had implied that if Randi did not sue then his allegations must be true), Curley seemed entirely surprised when Randi actually retained Toronto's largest law firm and initiated legal proceedings. The suit was eventually dropped in 1998 when Earl Curley died suddenly at the age of 51.[72]

Sniffex, producer of a dowsing bomb detection device, unsuccessfully sued Randi and the JREF in 2007.[73] Sniffex sued Randi for his comments regarding a failed government test and the company was later investigated and charged with fraud.[73]

[edit] Awards

[edit] World records

The following are Guinness records.

  • Randi was in a sealed casket for an hour and 44 minutes, which broke Harry Houdini's record of one hour and 31 minutes set on August 5, 1926.[5]
  • Randi was encased in a block of ice for 55 minutes.[5]

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] TV and film

[edit] Actor

  • Beyond Desire (1994) as the Coroner
  • Penn & Teller Get Killed (1989) .... 3rd Rope Holder ... aka Dead Funny
  • Penn & Teller's Invisible Thread (1987) (TV)
  • Ragtime (1981) (stunt coordinator: Houdini)
  • Happy Days - "The Magic Show" (1978) as the Amazing Randi
  • Good to See You Again, Alice Cooper (1974) as the Dentist/Executioner
  • Wonderama (1955) (TV) as The Amazing Randi

[edit] Himself

[edit] See also

[edit] References

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ a b H.W. Wilson Company (1987). Current Biography Yearbook. Silverplatter International. pp. 455. 
  2. ^ One-Million-Dollar Challenge from MIT Media Lab: Affective Computing Group
  3. ^ Challenge Application - James Randi Educational Foundation
  4. ^ Announcement of Million Dollar Challenge discontinuation at randi.org; January 4, 2008
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Orwen, Patricia (August 23, 1986). "The Amazing Randi". The Toronto Star. 
  6. ^ Randi, James (May 9, 2008). "How Wrong Can You Get?". Swift. James Randi Educational Foundation. http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/192-swift-may-9-2008.html#i3. Retrieved on 2008-12-17. 
  7. ^ [1]
  8. ^ randi.org, Filipino Justice
  9. ^ a b Jaroff, Leon (June 24, 2001). "Fighting Against Flimflam". Time. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,149448,00.html?iid=chix-sphere. Retrieved on 2007-06-18. 
  10. ^ a b Philip B., Jr., Taft (July 5, 1981). "A Charlatan in Pursuit of Truth". New York Times. 
  11. ^ Randi, James (September 17, 2001). "Commentary: Etc.". Swift. James Randi Educational Foundation. http://www.randi.org/jr/091701.html. Retrieved on 2006-10-29. 
  12. ^ "On the Soap Box". James Randi Educational Foundation. July 15, 2005. http://www.randi.org/jr/071505on.html#1. Retrieved on 2007-05-18. 
  13. ^ "Randi Update". James Randi Educational Foundation. February 10, 2006. http://www.randi.org/jr/2006-02/021006busted.html#i1. Retrieved on 2007-05-18. 
  14. ^ Randi, James; Paul Hatchman (February 17, 2006). "introductory paragraph". Swift. James Randi Educational Foundation. http://www.randi.org/jr/2006-02/021706hal.html. Retrieved on 2006-10-29. 
  15. ^ Randi, James (February 2, 2007). "In Conclusion...". Swift. James Randi Educational Foundation. http://www.randi.org/jr/2007-02/020207geller.html#i11. Retrieved on 2007-10-29. 
  16. ^ Sinclair, Gordon, "Television & radio column", Toronto Star, February 7, 1956.
  17. ^ Bryant, George, "Handcuffs no problem Toronto-born magician laughs at locksmiths", Toronto Star, June 21, 1956.
  18. ^ "James Randi Biography". James Randi Educational Foundation. 2007. http://randi.org/jr/bio.html. Retrieved on 2007-05-18. 
  19. ^ ""Wonderama!"". TVparty On!. http://www.tvparty.com/lostwonder1.html. Retrieved on 2007-04-05.  "Sonny Fox hosted another 'Wonderama Thanksgiving Day Party' on Thursday afternoon, November 23, 1961 with guests ventriloquist and cartoon voice-over performer Paul Winchell, magician/escape artist and magic historian The Amazing James Randi and folk singer Pat Woodell." [2]
  20. ^ Kevin S. Butler. ""Bonamo, The Magic Clown"". TVparty On!. http://www.tvparty.com/lostny2bonamo.html. Retrieved on 2008-05-13. 
  21. ^ "Good To See You Again, Alice Cooper," Live 1973 (DVD 2005), "Billion Dollar Babies Tour"
  22. ^ Pettigrew, Emily (2007). "Alice Cooper". St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g1epc/is_bio/ai_2419200281. Retrieved on 2007-05-18. 
  23. ^ "The Amazing Randi". sickthingsuk.co.uk. 2007. http://www.sickthingsuk.co.uk/people/p-randi.php. Retrieved on 2007-05-18. 
  24. ^ Randi, James (2007). "Hilarious Name-Dropping". James Randi Educational Foundation. http://www.randi.org/jr/050302.html. Retrieved on 2007-05-18. 
  25. ^ (Alcock 2001:42)
  26. ^ Arthur Conan Doyle (1930) The Edge of the Unknown, Putnam's
  27. ^ Randi's resume from Randi.org
  28. ^ Rensberger, Boyce (December 13, 1975). "Magicians Term Israeli 'Psychic' a Fraud". New York Times: p. 29. 
  29. ^ Petit, Charles (May 23, 1991). "Bay Magicians Back Uri Geller's Critic". San Francisco Chronicle: p. A27. 
  30. ^ Levy, Michael (March 13, 1995). "Group Gets $40,000 From 'psychic' Geller Starts Paying Debunkers $120,000". The Buffalo News. http://docs.newsbank.com/g/GooglePM/BN/lib00142,0EAF986A6473E6E1.html. Retrieved on 2007-12-29. 
  31. ^ Michael Kernan, "God's Chariot! Science Looks at the New Occult," The Washington Post, June 11, 1978
  32. ^ ""About James Randi"". jref.org. James Randi Educational Foundation. http://www.randi.org/jr/bio.html. Retrieved on 2007-12-29. 
  33. ^ Philip J. Hilts, "Magicians Score a Hit On Scientific Researchers," Washington Post March 1, 1983 First Section; A1
  34. ^ WILLIAM J. BROAD, "MAGICIAN'S EFFORT TO DEBUNK SCIENTISTS RAISES ETHICAL ISSUES," The New York Times, February 15, 1983, Page 3, Column 1
  35. ^ "A Look at the Past". James Randi Educational Foundation. September 22, 2006. http://www.randi.org/jr/2006-09/092206bad.html#i11. Retrieved on 2007-05-07. 
  36. ^ Video of Hydrick's page turning debunking from Google Video
  37. ^ Korem, Dan (1983). Psychic Confession. (also transcript)
  38. ^ "A Profitable Prophet". Inside Edition. February 27, 2007. http://www.insideedition.com/ourstories/reports/story.aspx?storyid=639. Retrieved on 2007-05-07. 
  39. ^ "Carlos" hoax of Jose Alvarez
  40. ^ http://www.abc.net.au/science/correx/archives/randi4.htm Randi talking about Carlos hoax
  41. ^ Randi, James (February 18, 2005). "The ABC-TV Infomercial for John of God". James Randi Educational Foundation. http://www.randi.org/jr/021805a.html#1. Retrieved on 2006-11-18. 
  42. ^ Randi, James (2006). "An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural: Psychic surgery". St. Martin's Press. http://www.randi.org/encyclopedia/psychic%20surgery.html. Retrieved on 2006-11-18. 
  43. ^ The Record Reader from Snopes.com
  44. ^ Randi, James (July 2005). "Fakers and Innocents". Skeptical Inquirer 29 (4). ISSN 0194-6730. http://www.csicop.org/si/2005-07/randi.html. Retrieved on 2006-10-29. 
  45. ^ "Skepticality". http://www.skepticality.com/. Retrieved on 2007-01-30. 
  46. ^ "Point of Inquiry". http://www.pointofinquiry.org/. Retrieved on 2006-06-30. 
  47. ^ "The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe". http://theskepticsguide.org/. Retrieved on 2006-10-29. 
  48. ^ "Commentary, July 25, 2003 — Why I Deny Religion, How Silly and Fantastic It Is, and Why I'm a Dedicated and Vociferous Bright.". http://www.randi.org/jr/072503.html. 
  49. ^ "James Randi Educational Foundation — An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural". http://www.randi.org/encyclopedia/Maharaj%20Ji.html. Retrieved on 2008-10-05. 
  50. ^ Poulsen, Kevin (12 January 2007). "Skeptic Revamps $1M Psychic Prize". Wired. http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/01/72482. Retrieved on 2008-04-11. 
  51. ^ Are Psychics for Real? appeared with John Edward March 6 2001 on Larry King Live CNN
  52. ^ King, Larry (2001-09-03). "Are Psychics Real?". Larry King Live (CNN). http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0109/03/lkl.00.html. Retrieved on 2006-08-18. 
  53. ^ The Sylvia Browne Clock from the James Randi Educational Foundation website
  54. ^ a b Spiritual Medium Versus Paranormal Skeptic (Rosemary Altea verses Randi) on Larry King Live June 5, 2001
  55. ^ "Altea and James Randi". Larry King Live. January 26 2007. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0701/26/lkl.01.html. Retrieved on 2007-02-02. 
  56. ^ a b Poulsen, Kevin (January 12, 2007). "Skeptic Revamps $1M Psychic Prize". Wired. http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,72482-0.html?tw=wn_index_1. Retrieved on 2007-01-14. 
  57. ^ January 4 2008 edition of SWIFT [3]
  58. ^ ""Challenge Applications"". James Randi Educational Foundation. http://forums.randi.org/forumdisplay.php?f=43. Retrieved on 2007-07-13. 
  59. ^ Randi, James (February 9, 2007). "More Geller Woo-Woo". SWIFT Newsletter. James Randi Educational Foundation. http://www.randi.org/jr/2007-02/020209morebrowne.html#i6. Retrieved on 2007-01-29. 
  60. ^ Orenstein, Russell T. (June 17, 1992). "Letter to Eldon Byrd". urigeller.com. http://www.uri-geller.com/eldon.htm. Retrieved on 2007-06-03. 
  61. ^ Randi, James (June 5, 1993). "Press Release". Skeptic Tank Text Archive File. http://www.skepticfiles.org/skeptic/randi012.htm. Retrieved on 2007-06-03. 
  62. ^ url = http://www.skepticfiles.org/skeptic/randi013.htm
  63. ^ Randi, James (February 9, 2007). "More Geller Woo-Woo". Swift (James Randi Educational Foundation). http://www.randi.org/jr/2007-02/020209morebrowne.html#i7. Retrieved on 2007-06-03. 
  64. ^ Marcello Truzzi, An End to the Uri Geller vs. Randi & CSICOP Litigations? [4]
  65. ^ Krol, Carol (1995). "Cuckoos and Cocoa Puffs". Skeptical Eye 8 (3). ISSN 1063-2077. http://www.skepticfiles.org/randi/legal.htm. Retrieved on 2006-10-29. 
  66. ^ OrwenTorontoStar, Patricia (1986-08-23). "The Amazing Randi". Toronto Star: pp. M.1. ISSN 03190781. http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.lapl.org/pqdweb?did=475380421&Fmt=7&clientId=13322&RQT=309&VName=PQD. Retrieved on 2009-04-03. 
  67. ^ ""Uri Geller Libel Suit Dismissed"". www.csicop.org. Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. August 1994. http://www.csicop.org/articles/uri_dis.html. Retrieved on 2007-06-03. 
  68. ^ ""Lawsuit Against CSICOP Dismissed" (CSICOP press release)". Skeptic Tank Text Archive File. http://www.skepticfiles.org/skeptic/randi032.htm. Retrieved on 2007-06-03. 
  69. ^ Randi, James (December 17, 2004). ""Another Medium Well Done"". Swift. James Randi Educational Foundation. http://www.randi.org/jr/121704no.html#5. Retrieved on 2006-10-29. 
  70. ^ Randi, James; Paul Hatchman (December 23, 2005). ""Medium Well Done"". Swift. James Randi Educational Foundation. http://www.randi.org/jr/200512/122305hallelujah.html#i2. Retrieved on 2006-10-29. 
  71. ^ Randi, James (4 December 1996). ""Action initiated . . ."". James Randi Educational Foundation Info List. http://www.randi.org/hotline/1996/0085.html. Retrieved on 2006-10-29. 
  72. ^ Randi, James (8 July 1998). ""Curley Confirmation + Sony Corp. and ESP, More on Theremin"". James Randi Educational Foundation Info List. http://www.randi.org/hotline/1998/0025.html. Retrieved on 2006-10-29. 
  73. ^ a b Randi, James (July 25, 2008). "An Encouraging Development". James Randi Educational Foundation. http://www.randi.org/joom/content/view/204/1/#i1. Retrieved on 2008-10-29. 
  74. ^ Joseph A. Burton Forum Award
  75. ^ Randi, James (March 23, 2007). "In Closing". James Randi Educational Foundation. http://www.randi.org/jr/2007-03/032307tx.html#i11. Retrieved on 2007-05-18. 
  76. ^ Avila, Jim (May 11, 2007). "Selling Salvation?". 20/20. http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=3164858&page=1. Retrieved on 2007-03-01. 
  77. ^ http://www.five.tv/programmes/extraordinarypeople/
  78. ^ [tt_news=5316&tx_ttnews[backPid]=1974&cHash=0e36f258ac "De trucs van Char, het medium - 23 maart 2008: ZEMBLA:"]. http://zembla.vara.nl/Voorpagina.1975.0.html?&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=5316&tx_ttnews[backPid]=1974&cHash=0e36f258ac. 

[edit] Books

  • Alcock, James (2001), "Science vs. Pseudoscience, Nonscience, and Nonsense", in Kurtz, Paul, Skeptical Odysseys: Personal accounts by the world's leading paranormal inquirers, Prometheus Books, ISBN 1-57392-884-4 

[edit] External links

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