Project Alpha Lookback w/ Michael Edwards 2 of 2

Recorded: 5/27/2010

Original Alpha Kid, Michael Edwards pays a visit to the foundation and recalls some of the behind the scenes tricks that he and Steve Shaw (Banachek) did during the MacLab test.

From Wikipedia:
Project Alpha was an elaborate hoax orchestrated by the stage magician and skeptic James Randi. It involved planting two fake psychics, Steve Shaw (now better known as Banachek) and Michael Edwards, into a paranormal research project. During the initial stages of the investigation, the researchers came to believe that the pair's psychic powers were real. However, more formal experiments, as well as criticism from both the parapsychology community and Mr. Randi himself, led them to dismiss their initial trust.[1] The hoax was later revealed publicly.

The success of Project Alpha led Randi to use variations of the technique on several other occasions.

Great info on the Project Alpha Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Alpha

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• james randi
• michael edwards
• steve shaw
• banachek
• project alpha
• maclab
• psi
• psychic powers
• psychic debunking
• magic
• spoon bending
• moving objects mind

[detersgumig]

Mr. Randi is definitely one of the heroes of our time. I can't thank him enough for his tireless effort to expose all the bullshit and mumbo-jumbo.

[guely55]

Randi , my heroe!!!

[MrKyleMac]

How many fucking times does randi need to be corrected of events? that makes me skeptical.

[pmq123]

The Alpha kids sound like the Penn and Teller that got away! ;P

If you didn't know, Randi helped to create the Penn and Teller duo.

Love ya Randi, you're such a great man!

[jagara1]

James you are wonderful :)

[suchi4free]

Wow, what talented people magitians are.

I wish i was half that clever.

[BusinessIDBAI]

LoL, "Vidie-o-grapher". I love the way Randi pronounces things. XD

[harrowbits]

awesome!

[Jaagor]

This is pure genious. The idea and the execution of Project Alpha is just genious. Absolutely delightful videos. What I've noticed in the many James Randi videos, or the stories in those videos, is that the scientists involved in the studies/tests are trying to complicate things a lot. Let's say a fellow moves a pencil with his "mind". Any layman would say "OK. Where's the wire/string?", but it seems that a scientist is always highly confused about these "paranormal powers". Very strange indeed.

[mattluvsrush1]

the two dislikes worked in the mac lab circa 1980.

[irintheutubefan]

I disliked this video becuz it had 0 dislikes lol

[lanceoftheloc]

Warch and see how Edwards shamelessly admits he committed the "crime" of leaving a lab window open and sneaking into the lab in the middle of the night.