[Merged] James Randi has died

[Carnoferox]

Various members of the skeptic community are reporting on Twitter that James Randi has died at age 92. There are unfortunately no news articles yet.

 

 

 

Edited October 21, 2020 by Carnoferox

[Carnoferox]

The James Randi Educational Foundation has confirmed that he passed away yesterday.

https://web.randi.org/home/james-randi-has-died

[docyabut2]

I remember his cutting with his hands,  but is it truetrue true ? psychic surgery

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Randi

Edited October 21, 2020 by docyabut2

[ChrLzs]

1 hour ago, Carnoferox said:

The James Randi Educational Foundation has confirmed that he passed away yesterday.

https://web.randi.org/home/james-randi-has-died

Perhaps a little too 'curt' for some (I liked it!), but always an entertainer, and 99.999% of the time he was 100% right.  I loved the way he made fools of the scamming paranormal claimants.

 

 

Edited October 21, 2020 by ChrLzs

[Resume]

Loved it when he helped Carson debunk that phony Uri Geller.

And phony psychic surgeons.

And charlatan preachers like Popoff.

And . . . 

Edited October 22, 2020 by Resume

[zep73]

There's this thing about illusionists, they know exactly how to fool an audience. That's why they're experts on deception, and very capable of calling out scams.
Randi was Houdini v.2.0. Like Houdini, he used his knowledge about deception in service of the truth.

[psyche101]

RIP Randi. The world is a better place for having had you in it. 

[ChrLzs]

I'd like to post some videos as a tribute to Randi, and as a slap in the face to papa....  Apologies, I think at least one of these links has already been posted..

First up, Uri Geller failing completely on Carson:

 

And here's Randi on Geller's later admissions:

..more to come..

[ChrLzs]

Randi exposes the hideous scamming, in order to demolish Peter Popoff, the 'evangelist' - what a scumbag, eh papa... using religion to fleece the gullible and vulnerable.  What animals these people are...

 

Edited October 22, 2020 by ChrLzs

[ChrLzs]

Randi exposes a psycho-kinesis scammer who simply (but quietly) blows stuff around, and ... well, watch the video

 

[ChrLzs]

Now, here's an initially 'satisfied' customer of the psychic Maureen Flynn... but after the reading, James Randi helps that customer remember what she actually said, and how it all happened....

 

[Resume]

5 minutes ago, ChrLzs said:

Now, here's an initially 'satisfied' customer of the psychic Maureen Flynn... but after the reading, James Randi helps that customer remember what she actually said, and how it all happened....

Again, that is the sort of stuff that papa laps up....

That woman was worse than the Long Island Medium.  Well, maybe not worse.

[Davros of Skaro]

RIP Mr. Randi.

 

[Raptor Witness]

I publicly offered to forecast the day of James Randi’s death, years ago, if I was given his million dollar prize, in return, and they turned me down; on the grounds that I somehow might facilitate his death. I then agreed to contract to give the prize money to a charity of my choice. They didn’t like that either.

I then offered to do it in a secret envelope format, to be opened when James Randi died, and again, they denied me a chance at the $1 million prize, saying that I could still hire someone to do it, to which I replied, OK then let’s specify it has to be a natural death. Still they refused.

That’s when I knew that his million dollar prize offer, was a fraud. 

Edited October 22, 2020 by Raptor Witness

[psyche101]

17 minutes ago, Raptor Witness said:

I publicly offered to forecast the day of James Randi’s death, years ago, if I was given his million dollar prize, in return, and they turned me down; on the grounds that I somehow might facilitate his death. I then agreed to contract to give the prize money to a charity of my choice. They didn’t like that either.

I then offered to do it in a secret envelope format, to be opened when James Randi died, and again, they denied me a chance at the $1 million prize, saying that I could still hire someone to do it, to which I replied, OK then let’s specify it has to be a natural death. Still they refused.

That’s when I knew that his million dollar prize offer, was a fraud. 

Did you offer the information to anyone else at the time? 

[Carnoferox]

20 minutes ago, Raptor Witness said:

I publicly offered to forecast the day of James Randi’s death, years ago, if I was given his million dollar prize, in return, and they turned me down; on the grounds that I somehow might facilitate his death. I then agreed to contract to give the prize money to a charity of my choice. They didn’t like that either.

I then offered to do it in a secret envelope format, to be opened when James Randi died, and again, they denied me a chance at the $1 million prize, saying that I could still hire someone to do it, to which I replied, OK then let’s specify it has to be a natural death. Still they refused.

That’s when I knew that his million dollar prize offer, was a fraud. 

They probably turned you down because you sound like a nutcase. Why not predict some benign event? "Foretelling" the death of the person running the challenge sounds like a threat.

Edited October 22, 2020 by Carnoferox

[danydandan]

James Randi waa a big influence on the sceptical movement, he will be sadly missed. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/21/obituaries/james-randi-dead.html

[ChrLzs]

46 minutes ago, Raptor Witness said:

I publicly offered to forecast the day of James Randi’s death, years ago, if I was given his million dollar prize, in return, and they turned me down; on the grounds that I somehow might facilitate his death. I then agreed to contract to give the prize money to a charity of my choice. They didn’t like that either.

I then offered to do it in a secret envelope format, to be opened when James Randi died, and again, they denied me a chance at the $1 million prize, saying that I could still hire someone to do it, to which I replied, OK then let’s specify it has to be a natural death. Still they refused.

That’s when I knew that his million dollar prize offer, was a fraud. 

You do realise we can check this thru the JREF?  And that your proposal was NOT the sort of thing that the $1M Challenge was about, so of course they refused to accept your silly suggestion.  Seriously, what is wrong with you?

And...
 

Quote

Did you offer the information to anyone else at the time? 

Answer please.

Edited October 22, 2020 by ChrLzs

[onlookerofmayhem]

Terribly sad news. Mr. Randi was a titan.

One of the biggest influences in my development into how I look at the world.

I'm glad he stuck around for as long as he did.

May generations of the future stand on his mighty shoulders. 

 

[jethrofloyd]

R.I.P Mr. Randi.

[Peter B]

Ah, that's sad news.

I met the man a couple of times. Once in 2000 at a Skeptics event in Sydney, and again in 2004 at TAM 2 in Las Vegas. I think I have his autograph somewhere (perhaps a psychic could tell me where it is...).

Older Australians might remember Randi as the guy who got Don Lane so mad that Lane walked off his own live TV show.

And just with regard to Geller, the thing about Randi was that he was able to re-create every psychic "skill" Geller demonstrated. Randi obviously was using trickery to do so, so isn't it reasonable to believe that Geller was using the same trick too?

ETA: One of the more useful bits of wisdom that Randi shared was that we can all be fooled. Several years ago I wrote this about him: "He reserves particular scorn for those with PhD after their names, as people believing themselves incapable of being mistaken."

Edited October 22, 2020 by Peter B

[XenoFish]

92 is a good long life. Fare there well Mr. Randi.

[Saru]

Thread cleaned

For obvious reasons, let's keep the comments civil and respectful please.

Thank you.

[Peter B]

3 hours ago, Raptor Witness said:

I publicly offered to forecast the day of James Randi’s death, years ago, if I was given his million dollar prize, in return, and they turned me down; on the grounds that I somehow might facilitate his death. I then agreed to contract to give the prize money to a charity of my choice. They didn’t like that either.

I then offered to do it in a secret envelope format, to be opened when James Randi died, and again, they denied me a chance at the $1 million prize, saying that I could still hire someone to do it, to which I replied, OK then let’s specify it has to be a natural death. Still they refused.

That’s when I knew that his million dollar prize offer, was a fraud. 

If you truly had such a skill it would be easy to demonstrate it, and easy to publicise your success, Randi's prize or not.

You know - write your prediction, put it in a tamper-proof envelope, post the envelope to yourself to get it datestamped, put all this on a website which you advertise here, and break out the prediction when it comes true. I'm sure there would be plenty of UM members - skeptics and believers - who'd be happy to help you undertake this demonstration.

These days there are plenty of ways of getting publicity for genuine skills, and plenty of ways to monetise if you wish.

[XenoFish]

26 minutes ago, Peter B said:

If you truly had such a skill it would be easy to demonstrate it, and easy to publicise your success, Randi's prize or not.

You know - write your prediction, put it in a tamper-proof envelope, post the envelope to yourself to get it datestamped, put all this on a website which you advertise here, and break out the prediction when it comes true. I'm sure there would be plenty of UM members - skeptics and believers - who'd be happy to help you undertake this demonstration.

These days there are plenty of ways of getting publicity for genuine skills, and plenty of ways to monetise if you wish.

The problem with his posted prediction is extreme vagueness and how he shifts things around to confirm what he's predicted. It's a lot like saying, by the end of 2020 a car crash will happen. No real details, etc. Just that a car crash will happen. And when it does, "I was right!!!". I've seen him do that quite a lot. It's a lot like predicting hurricanes on the east coast of the US, happens every year.