An Introduction to James Randi

[unclejuniorsoprano]

There are only 3 magicians I would pay to see; Penn & Teller & The Amazing Randi. Obama needs them on his staff to make the debt disappear.

[SolDeSaBelle]

I love the image of preachers, aka how to punch a grandma in the face and be applauded for it

[lordlacolith]

Penn: "A shoe?"

Randi: "Gesundheit"

I lol'd.

[breerex123]

...Penn looks like John C Reilly 

[PhotonicDoctor]

Chemicals are very important and how they interact with the genes. Those people as they die would wish they did not throw them onto a stage. Genetics can be improved only by breeding. This is what biology is. The only purpose any organism has, is to reproduce and die. Pass on your genes and that's it. It can go both ways. Either improve the species or create further genetic problems.

[starlight1946]

As for faith healers, how come we don't see them in hospitals getting the deathly ill up and walking?

[kharnvelzyghur]

Haha. these phonies arent even fakirs. Easy to point out their phonies.

[DaManCallahan]

Randi kicks ass.

[MasterAdam100]

Randi not only see's your claim but makes sure you aren't using any sort of tricks.

Many believers in the paranormal have complained about Randi not being sincere about his promise. But even though the presenter may appear to be right, a little digging exposes them as frauds.

Randi knows how to spot bullshit. Don't complain. Prove your claims!

[MrKevMan]

All chicks are psychics, oh, i meant spycho.

[amig90]

*Splash*

YOU WIN!

[DeathWarrant90]

we need more people like James Randi =)

[Aprilshowersss]

I know how he did the Dice trick :)

[Isomnophilia]

James Randi is my ray of hope, was feeling depressed until I found the ultimate realist.

[colourmegone]

@Isomnophilia Have a look at Richard Dawkins and Daniel Dennet. Also Johnathan Miller's 'A Brief History of Disbelief' (3 episodes + 3 extra interviews) all on YouTube.

[Isomnophilia]

@colourmegone Yeah checked them out, bought and read some of their books. Really, really good books backed with full evidence.

I am going to check out Johnathan Miller now, thank you for suggestions.

[JackingtonKensington]

3 stars? Votebot attacks?

[GameDocumentaries]

jref should have uploaded the whole feature on randi. i watched it on another site. it's really good, despite its age

[lowellriggsiam]

It's all about suggestion. With the facts in plain site, it's easier for people to ignore the truth rather than accept it.

[GoddessFourWinds]

Ooo. Enigma's Principles of Lust. XD

[pitbull103]

Randi is one of the greatest human beings.

[cornflakeclusters]

Youre absolutely correct there pitbull103.

[Davester1988]

Where the hell does the dice go at 3:30? =(

[gerv55]

at a guess, it went into his right hand and sat behind the books.

[mkarnerfors]

The die never leaves his right hand. It looks as of he puts it in his left... but that is the very act of misdirection.

[MAGICnewyork]

I love the last segment of this clip... Randi looks down at an imaginary prize seeker who has claimed he/she can fly (after they step out a window) and says "You lose!" LMFAO! Knowing Randi, I'm sure if they landed on Uri Geller, John Edward, James Van Praage or Sylvia Browne, he'd make an exception and award them at least a crisp "C-note"! LOL

[tingtangs]

James Randi is my hero. He's getting old, but I hope he has many years left in him. I wonder who could take his place when he's gone... :(

[kablamo9999]

We need a million more Randis in this world. I'm tired of people being ignorant, believing in superstition, demons, magic and gods. It's extremely depressing!

[BAMikeyD]

Well at the same time though, until science provides all the answers to the universe as well one can't logically dismiss all deist concepts.

There could have been a "god" or something that set everything in motion, then just left it all to go on its own hence evolution. I could continue to place my views but I don't have enough character count to do so appropriately in a YouTube comment.

I am a Randy supporter, but I don't think either side is 100% proven its own point yet.

[kablamo9999]

Science is the only way to provide good answers about the cosmos. The thing is, we can't really be sure that we ever have a complete understanding of the cosmos.

But just because there are questions we can't answer right now does not mean we are justified in making stuff up and say "we can't dismiss this" and then decide to believe in it. If we're going down that road, then logically we're going to end up with an infinite number of possible deist or theist positions, all unsupported!

[kablamo9999]

Why invoke the god of the gaps? After all, the gaps are gaps for a reason, and that is we don't know. If we don't know, then isn't it better to wait and see what science finds out, instead of making something up?

There is an infinite number of possible deism/theism positions, all either unsupported or pointless. Some people look at the scientific worldview, then make something up and say "we can't dismiss this, let's discuss both sides" as if there were two sides, and not an infinite number.

[kablamo9999]

(contd)

And of course there really is only one side, and that's the side of science. You can come up with any solution you like, at the end of the day it must go through the test of science. Therefore, you can say there are a number of controversies within science, but you can't make something up and say it's an alternative to science.

[BAMikeyD]

Don't get me wrong here. I'm really all about science, and the wonderful things science has done for us. And by "either side" I basically meant the "creationists" vs. "Evolutionists".

I don't think so-called "scientists" like Hovand have proven anything, or provided a strong argument either.

I would love to see a concrete definitive answer to EVERYTHING, but that's the beauty and danger of man. We (being the collective "we") will always have that shadow of doubt in our brains.

[BAMikeyD]

And even if we find a way to prove God right/wrong/other then there will always be the deists and the religious out there.

Science and Religion will be at war for ever, and I'm content in having a belief that allows for a co-existence of both.

[kablamo9999]

But there is not just one creationist side. There are several kinds of creationism from the Bible alone. One one extreme side you have the literal interpretation (6000 year old universe, flat Earth, sky dome etc.), and on the other extreme you have the vague "God made all this". And that's just from one mythology! Consider Norse mythology, or Greek, or any of the native American mythologies. It's important to understand that they are myths, fables. To understand nature, one must do science.

[kablamo9999]

(contd.)

Also, whatever flavour of creationism you prefer, it's a statement about nature. That's why science and creationism are not non-overlapping magisteria. If creationism says the Earth is 6000 years, then that's a statement about nature. Same with the implication that evolution does not occur, as the Bible suggests. We know now that Earth is 4.5 billion years old and that evolution indeed has occurred for at least 3.5 billion years.

Stupid character count!

[kablamo9999]

(contd.)

And that is why I find it pointless to have religion and science in co-existence. It's possible that some religious beliefs are supported by facts and evidence, but then what? Most religious statements about cosmology and biology are wrong.

Science is a method, a process. It differs from faith, which is belief without evidence. Those two are not compatible. After all, whenever the faith is contradicted by evidence, why should one keep that faith? And why have faith to begin with?

[mkarnerfors]

I refuse to prove that I exist, says God, for proof denies faith and without faith I'm nothing. But, said man, the babel fish is a dead give-away isn't it? It proves you exist and so therefore you don't, Q.E.D. Oh dear, says God, I hadn't thought of that and probmply vanishes in a puff of logic". "Oh that was easy says man, and for an encore he proves that black is white and gets killed on the next zebra crossing.

- The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Fit the First

[Hellblade8]

As above, science =/ religion. The bible was never meant to be the Word of God, that was some bullshit started in the 50s-60s era because of asshats who wanted to control everything. Only the words of Jesus Christ are considered the Word of God. Hell, the bible isn't even complete as it leaves out other gospels. Science is the expert in its field, which is the physical world. Religion is the expert in its field; morality and faith. Two totally different things.

[Todd8Todd8Todd]

Slavery, incest, rape, and genocide aren't moral.

[Hellblade8]

Slavery...what does that have to do with this? Last I checked, rape was punishable by death. And finally, early Jews and Christians weren't the first one to commit genocide. It happend fairly often in those times in comparison to our own.

[Todd8Todd8Todd]

Joshua?

[AllergicBS]

"Science is the expert in its field, which is the physical world. Religion is the expert in its field; morality and faith."

What do you mean by "the physical world"? logic? rationality?

[Hellblade8]

The physical world. If I recall, science is the study of the world that surrounds us and how it works. It can't be an expert in logic and rationality since that's the basis of science, not what it studies, nor is such a thing limited to science.

[AllergicBS]

"It can't be an expert in logic and rationality since that's the basis of science."

So science is the study of logic and rationality (eventhough it's not an expert)

So to you, to study and act toward logic and rationality is not moral? since you said that religion is the "expert" in morality.

I am confused; you say science is not an expert in rationality, on the other hand, you are pretty sure that religion is an expert in morality.

This renders all atheists immoral.

[Hellblade8]

...*sigh*

Allow me to make it clear. Religion = human purpose, spiritual belief, and in some cases, morality. Science = Study of everything that can be studied and tested.

That's all. I have no idea where you're getting the atheist = immoral bullshit from. It's not even remotely logical in any sort of common sense.

[AllergicBS]

you just love to jump around. I doubt you really know what you are talking about. Look back at your previous argument: "Religion is the expert in its field; morality and faith." now you say "Religion = human purpose, spiritual belief, and IN SOME CASES, morality."

what's the fuck? who is the bullshitter around here now? Don't try to show you are insightful on a subject in which you are not.

Religion = human purpose WHAT???

isn't science (the study of nature) is human purpose too?

[lonewolfintj]

@Hellblade8 : No, religion is none of those things. Religion is wishful thinking. It's the root of all human evil. Purpose? No, that's will, the opposite of religion. Belief? That's evidence, the opposite of religion. Morality? That's logic, the opposite of religion. Purpose, belief, and morality can only exist after a person gives up the madness of wishful thinking (religion). I did it at age 13 and never looked back.

[colourmegone]

@Hellblade8 Religion = human purpose? it wasn't religion that got us to the moon or put probes on Mars, etc. Religion just lets us feel self-righteous about killing each other ('Gott mit uns' as the Nazis said). Have you read the Bible or the Koran? What morality? Spiritual belief? I suppose you mean thinking there's something after death. The end of our lives is something we find hard to accept but we won't be any worse off than we were before our birth.

[kablamo9999]

As for definitive concrete answers, technically you can't get that, as I pointed out. There is a mountain of various kinds of evidence for the theory of evolution. It's an observed fact, Darwin saw it on his journey, and we can see it in the fossil record. There is also genetic evidence.

But creationism is not opposed to evolution. An infinite number of hypothetical creationisms are, but you seem to believe in a form of creator that triggered evolution. But on what do you base that belief?

[Hellblade8]

Well, how do I base the belief that God created life (be it through evolution of a magic glove)? I would think that might have to do with the faith part of the concept that Christianity suggests.

[colourmegone]

@Hellblade8 Faith? I've got some great sea front property in Kansas and I can get you a real deal on a condo in Chernobyl which would make a great holiday home. Being a person of faith I'm sure you consult faith healers rather than physicians and regularly dose yourself with homeopathic remedies. You must speak to your deceased relatives and friends regularly and take comfort in the certain faith that you'll see them soon, probably just after the faith healer cures your heart problems.

[DaveC86]

randi's point is not that psychic power does not exist, just that he has seen NO evidence of it. so far all we see is scammers etc he can't completely rule out the possibility, but has no reason to believe in it.

[BAMikeyD]

That's why I'm a Randi supporter :D because he's not willing to just blindly believe but he IS willing to-be-shown.

I love everything Randi stands for. And the world will have lost a great treasure when he finally goes on to whatever.

[LegendSaber]

"What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence." - Christopher Hitchens.

'God did it' is nothing but an excuse that needs to die along with the rest of the psychic industry. If positive evidence of a god or supernatural entity/power is ever independently and properly tested and verified empirically, I shall embrace the concept with open arms. Until then, the ONLY logical conclusion is to assume it's bullshit.

[Hellblade8]

How is it bullshit? Religion is a far cry from psychic powers. It's the belief of something that isn't physical. It is the idea that we are more than the sum of our parts. Of course science isn't going to prove a higher power. To think that it will is as reliable as saying that flapping two carboard boxes will allow you to fly. Religion is in the realm of philosphy, not science. How do people keep getting these two mixed together?

[LegendSaber]

My post isn't about psychic powers, it's about evidence and proof. I don't care what you believe, but if you don't have independent, empirically verifiable evidence for it than it may as well be bullshit.

In this regard god is in the exact same boat as the psychic industry. Religious people make ardent claims with absolute certainty about god yet provide not the slightest wit of evidence to back it up.

Until you can give me evidence of god, as far as I'm concerned it's bullshit.

[DrunkAtheist]

you suck

[Josh111485]

I hope James Randi lives till 100 and beyond. A man like him is irreplaceable. The JREF and other skeptical organizations are very important and I am willing to support every one of them.

[zab666]

nicely put!

[MaskedSkeptic]

Me Too!

[TheOnlySolipsist]

The world needs more Randi's and the mainstream media has a responsibility to highlight the scams that prey on us all. What a marvelous man.

[dangerics]

True. Unfortunately the mainstream media promotes the BS, psychics, ghost etc.

Randi Rocks!

[awesome220]

Nice die trick! Great video. THanks for the post

[Clausfarre]

'You win!' Great ending.

Thanks for the compilation. I hope there are more treasures in the goodie bag.

[harryogre]

That's a fun little video.

Wow, Penn and Teller were so young!

The Amazing hasn't aged a day.

Can't wait for Randi's new book!

[GraphiteInMotion]

Happy belated birthday Randi! - To the JREF team, KEEP YOUR WORK UP!

[bimini]

Fighting for reason and rationality. Looking forward to the new book Randi. Long live the JREF!

[andreiduffy]

i mean, thanks to Randi, now it's obvious that 100% of the magicians/psychics/ETC are FAKE! Why won't people undrestand that. There is NO magic

[BadYahweh]

Awesome. Sorry, Amazing.