James Randi and The Psychic Chemist

Many thanks to ThinkerHa, http://www.youtube.com/user/ThinkerHa for originally making this available on YouTube.

The original posted from http://216.247.205.102/path/randi.html had some time/frame rate sync problems, so I was able to fix it in Final Cut Pro and upload that version here.

A fairly good explanation of what's happening with the chemicals can be found here:
http://badpsychics.com/thefraudfiles/modules/news/article.php?storyid=519

The corrected MP4 version is available @
http://www.thedolittle.com/randi.mp4

Category:

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Tags:

• James
• Randi
• Educational
• Foundation
• Psychic
• Chemist
• National
• Capital
• Area
• Skeptics

[mikelheron20]

What do they call the class before chemistry 101?

[TheDoLittle]

@mikelheron20 We called it Kindergarten.

[TheBenEEeee]

Is it just me, or does this video seem to be missing a conclusion?

[TheDoLittle]

@TheBenEEeee

What conclusion are you expecting to see? First off, it's only a portion of video taken of one of Randi's many lectures. He more than likely goes into an explanation after the video stops rolling. Secondly, it's fairly obvious that this demonstration is more likely a chemical reaction that anyone can recreate rather than someone with a bad sense of '80s fashion sense has a magical power.

Honestly, if anyone is looking for a better conclusion, someone please speak up.

[wristawareness]

@lakeshoreful are you some kind of authority on Randi's life? Did he commission you to write his biography? What does it matter if he's ever been married or not? What does it matter if he's "interested in females" or not? Stupid comment.

[WolfCoder]

@TheDoLittle Therefore, bad 80s fashion gives you psychic power over mundane liquids!

[dmg46664]

@TheDoLittle It would have been nice to see the conclusion to the experiment, to understand why reactions can take so long to occur... or whether it's the heat from the hands? or alcohol on his breath... etc...

[mythicalhell]

Wow, he turned it from blue to yellow by incantation? Simply amazing! I knew the supernatural existed. :p

[Defhrone]

@thedarkmoonmidnight it's prolly a simple acid-base reaction where because he's breathing into the glass the carbon oxide in his breath gets dissolved into the water making it more acidic and changing the color. If you drop Potasiumhydrooxide in it (the other clear substance) it'll change back and he can just repeat. Drop toomuch in and it will just take longer. I would get laughed at if I'd 'demonstrate' this in chemistry class.

[AlanCFA]

@Staminist2010

I am doing this from memory so I might get some details wrong. But if you look at the guy, he puts his hands on the sides of the beaker and his head is right over it. I think he is simply breathing down on the water. The CO2 in his breath dissolves into the water and turns it into a weak carbonic acid which will change the color of the agent (probably bromothymol blue which is bluish green when the solution has a neutral ph and yellow or blue when the ph is acidic or base).

[sanjosepanacken1]

@stuckvanilla impresso

[ashwinnarayanVlog]

@Staminist2010 Now there is no more base in the solution just some slightly acidic indicators which are yellow so the solution turns clear then pale yellow. I'm pretty sure it's because of the stirring. If the stirring were stopped I think the solution will return to being blue.

Sorry I made it that long. Read through it if it doesn't bore you!