Haunted Library?

The Isaac Asimov Library at the James Randi Educational Foundation has many thousands of books on the occult, supernatural and paranormal. It also has a time lapse camera, which has recorded something previously found only in those volumes.

Watch the video. What is this ghostly image? A former resident dancing around the table? The manifestation of a spirit previously trapped in a long-shelved tome? Is it Isaac himself, come to gaze upon his portrait on the mantel?

Well, no. It's a piece of cotton on a coat hanger wielded by James Randi himself. There have been several "ghost" videos making the rounds of YouTube and elsewhere that depict "blobs" or "lights" gallivanting around gas stations and most recently, an exercise room. What's actually happening is that a bug is crawling on or near the lens of the security camera.

You see, the camera is focused for distance. Objects close to the lens are out of focus and appear distorted and blurred, and you can see through them because they are smaller than the lens itself. So, rather than a blob floating around the room, you're seeing a small solid object very close to the lens.

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Nonprofits & Activism

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[HappyWulf]

Clearly no one reads the video info.

[beautifulspam]

Clearly the library is haunted by the intimidating mutton chops of isaac asimov.

[bettyray69]

In the defence of the people who actually make videos "ghost hunting" and not just random videos with pop up images; the "orbs" they claim to encounter DO actually change in size (unlike yours) and look as though they're moving towards/away from the camera. They also look a lot smoother, yours look like still images being shown for half a second. Whilst you're trying to prove one point you're also proving you're awful at faking it yourself. In the name of science, you're not being objective!

[Rarae192]

Cotton balls -- the most balls a paranormal activist will ever have.

[loszhor]

ORBS! Like on Ghost Hunters! .... Ha!

[shkotay]

LORD GOD save us from teh cotton balls :O

[JorgensZelda]

@beautifulspam Dude! I thought so too! Those things scare the crap out of me.

[uatemycow]

lol yup i agree with be haunted by cotton balls lol whats even funnier is to try to make it look scarey they put a skull book holder in the back lol

[kwill81]

All Libraries are haunted by ghosts of frustrated authors and cotton balls.

[textr]

It's haunted by spirits of past cottons, obviously.

[Etyde]

Hahaha. Funny ^^

[oraclecrank]

It's all explained with science, isn't it? You people see so well with your EYES but are blind in the HEART. You can dissect and inspect something and know all about it physically, but never see its SOUL.

All ghosts look like cotton balls because all cotton balls are ghosts. Cotton balls are ghosts that the cotton ball factory captured and put into bags. That's why they disappear when you leave the bag open!