And now… for no particular reason here is a 1956 picture of The Amazing James Randi as sent to us by John Houdi by way of the Italian blog MassimoPolidoro.com.
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And now… for no particular reason here is a 1956 picture of The Amazing James Randi as sent to us by John Houdi by way of the Italian blog MassimoPolidoro.com.
Skeptic kingpin and magician James Randi has taken issue with the use of unscientific devises to detect bombs in Iraq and other war zones.
“It’s a dummy, complete fraud and fake,” said Randi, who has pursued similar questionable bomb detectors, like the Quadro, made in the United States.
Randi said devices like the ADE 651 or GT200 are classic dowsing rods, which use an antenna that swings back and forth, allegedly pointing to where the explosives — or whatever the substance being detected — are supposedly located. The antenna responds to very slight movements of the human hand, making people think it’s being directed by the device, when in fact it is responding to their own movements.
Interesting stuff.
The Guest:
• Eric Ross
What does David Blaine’s street magic marathon in Times Square to benefit the Haitian earthquake relief do for his legacy? What are the pros and cons of taking a long-term gig? Is storytelling the most important element of magic? In our lifetime, will Houdini ever be less important than he is now?
- Trick Shop Magic Get $10 off The Dracula Book Test 2.0 if you buy now!
Magician, Escape Artist and King Skeptic James Randi describes his bout with intestinal cancer, his experience with chemotherapy and his recent completion of his treatment at the end of 2009. It is truly inspiring stuff.
We’ve mentioned here before, and will again now, that both the publisher and editor of iTricks have ties to the James Randi Educational Foundation and are proud to call themselves friends of the man himself. We can say with first hand experience that during his recovery, both were consistently shocked by how spry the man was during what is supposed to be such a taxing process.
He is a great man and thanks to the relentlessly self-improving miracle of modern medicine, he stands to continue that trend much longer.
Watch Andrew Mayne and Justin Robert Young as they cover Carl Sagan Day featuring a talk from The Amazing James Randi.
The Guest:
• Andrew Mayne
How prestigious is performing at the White House? Who is the oddest celebrity you’ve ever seen perform magic? How hard is it to open a show in Las Vegas? Why do all the networks love the idea of magicians solving mysteries?
- Trick Shop Magic Get $10 off The Dracula Book Test 2.0 if you buy now!
For those who might have missed it live…
Thanks to everyone who helped make this a reality including David Nott, Barry & Stuart, Michael Shermer, Phil Plait, Penn Jillette, Teller and David Copperfield. Very special thanks to Brandon of the JREF for making sure this happened and, of course, to James Randi for allowing us the space and making a very special cameo at the beginning.