AAI 2010: James Randi - The Sleep of Reason [1/7]

The Sleep of Reason

In his new lecture James Randi examines the new monsters brought forth to victimize a credulous public, worldwide. In this hour-long talk, he discusses the major causes of modern irrationality, such as the rise of sensationalist journalism and the decline of responsible investigative reportage; the origins of "complimentary/alternative medicine" and the means by which it edges ever closer to acceptability; and how the outrageous claims of religions and their leaders encourage the public to accept the outrageous claims of secular hucksters.

These forces of irrationality mean to drag us into a new Dark Ages -- and to the extent that religious demagoguery, superstition, and magical thinking succeed in our world, The Enlightenment has failed. Only when we decide to reject belief in demons, gods, prophecy, eternal life and similar nonsense, can we fulfil our historic responsibility and ensure that The Enlightenment and its values endure.

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About James Randi:

James Randi is a former stage magician, author and probably the world's most prominent skeptic.

Randi is perhaps best known as a challenger of paranormal claims and pseudo-science and the founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF). The JREF sponsors The One Million Dollar Paranormal 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.

Randi investigates paranormal, occult, and supernatural claims, collectively known as woo-woo. He has written extensively about the paranormal, skepticism, and the history of magic.

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James Randi on the net:
http://www.randi.org

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Atheism
• AAI
• Copenhagen
• 2010
• Gods&Politics
• Conference
• James
• Randi
• The
• Sleep
• of
• Reason

[comp7878]

Randi starts to speak at 6:18.

[nothingnesswithouten]

James Randi is such a hero of rational thought!

[phuckingkunt]

randi sounds like george carlin when he starts

[uncled39]

What a man!

[pillowbugg]

You can sure tell that James is getting old sounding in his speech. I hope he lives for a much longer period of time. We need him today more then ever!

[bigjohn756]

I think I saw a Viking with a backpack stride across the screen at 00:16.

[UrsoDaCortesia]

Pretty much the same lecture as "searching for the chimera" even the jokes, if you seen it there is not that much for you here if you didn`t its awesome and you will prolly learn a lot.

We need more Randis



[mlonster]

randi for the win! :)