James Randi's fiery takedown of psychic fraud

Legendary skeptic James Randi takes a fatal dose of homeopathic sleeping pills onstage, kicking off a searing 18-minute indictment of irrational beliefs. He throws out a challenge to the world's psychics: Prove what you do is real, and I'll give you a million dollars. (No takers yet.)

James Randi has an international reputation as a magician and escape artist, but he is perhaps best known as the world's most tireless investigator and demystifier of paranormal and pseudoscientific claims.

Randi has pursued "psychic" spoonbenders, exposed the dirty tricks of faith healers, investigated homeopathic water "with a memory," and generally been a thorn in the sides of those who try to pull the wool over the public's eyes in the name of the supernatural. He has received numerous awards and recognitions, including a MacArthur "genius" grant in 1986. He's the author of numerous books, including The Truth About Uri Geller, The Faith Healers, Flim-Flam!, and An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural.
In 1996, the James Randi Education Foundation was established to further Randi's work. Randi's long-standing challenge to psychics now stands as a $1,000,000 prize administered by the Foundation. It remains unclaimed.

View the original here:
http://www.ted.com/talks/james_randi.html

Shared here under the creative commons license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• JamesRandi
• 2007

[donkerheid]

what an annoying grumpy old fart. he is simply wrong. of course none of you here would want to know why...

[ZuluFightrunner]

@donkerheid Nope.

[FEBFiedler]

@donkerheid Nope.

[kaizoebara]

@Hlejames I'm as chilly as an ocean breeze.

[Hlejames]

@kaizoebara Wow. Look at you trying to police a public forum. I'm not concerned with the "Foundation" so why would I care if they are concerned with me? I had my personal experience. That is all I am saying so have a coke and a smile and chill for a while, high-strung person.

[professorhoodoo]

@speedyguy8 lying cheating stealing illegal aliens should be put in jail for 12 years like the FB Iwants to do ...lol jose Alvarez...

[speedyguy8]

psychics and the gullible people that believe in them, are a pimple on the ass of society that needs to be popped >:)

[speedyguy8]

@professorhoodoo This "DUMMY" as you refer to him, has a 180IQ (which is clearly 95 points higher than what you can attain), and is done with your nonsense (the inability to research relevant data on your own and then fail trolling/bitching about it). I wont be responding to any more of your "trolls" because I've said more than enough that will cause anyone that looks back at this to clearly see you for the simpleton you are.

[professorhoodoo]

@speedyguy8 Show just one legal contract you idiot ... there never has been one ... all BS ... But you skeptics eat BS like a breakfast sandwich don't you.. LOL SHOW ME ONE CONTRACT OR KEEP DRINKING THE KOOL AID ... LOL DUMMY

[professorhoodoo]

The sandusky of magic .. LOL