• We have updated the guidelines regarding posting political content: please see the stickied thread on Website Issues.

James Randi—Discuss

While reading up on Randi, I came across this chap: Arthur Benner Lintgen whose special ability was verified by Randi. It is not a psychic or paranormal ability but certainly an unusual one. Within a certain narrow range, he is able to look at a vinyl record (ask your grandparents) and tell what piece of music it is from the shape of the groove.

Amusingly, <<When given an Alice Cooper recording as a control, he said it looked "disorganized" and "[like] gibberish".>>

Back to Randi: I've watched a few videos of him debunking ("investigating") claims. Whilst I generally agree with his stance, he comes across to me as a bit holier than thou: a slightly more avuncular and genial Dawkins.
 
Mikefule said:
While reading up on Randi, I came across this chap: Arthur Benner Lintgen whose special ability was verified by Randi. It is not a psychic or paranormal ability but certainly an unusual one. Within a certain narrow range, he is able to look at a vinyl record (ask your grandparents) and tell what piece of music it is from the shape of the groove.
Click to expand...

A bloke on some Saturday evening TV variety show years ago could identify songs from the way the flame of a candle moved when it was standing in front of a loudspeaker.
 
Here is a good anti Randi article. We can discuss the pros and cons until eternity, but I could imagine that Randi stifled some good research. He was a bit of a zealot too.

https://boingboing.net/2020/10/26/t...skepticism.html/amp?__twitter_impression=true

This is interesting:

More recently I've begun to wonder about his educational foundation, the JREF, which claims tax exempt status in the US and is partly dependant on public donations. I wondered what actual educative work the organisation — which between 2011 and 2013 had an average revenue of $1.2 million per year — did. Financial documents reveal just $5,100, on average, being spent on grants.

There are some e-books, videos and lesson plans on subjects such as fairies on their website. They organise an annual fan convention. James Randi, over that period, has been paid an average annual salary of $195,000. My requests for details of the educational foundation's educational activities, over the last 12 months, were dodged and then ignored.
 
ramonmercado said:
I bet he's hired Michael Flatley to dance on Randi's grave.
Click to expand...

He seemed good natured really, calling Randi his greatest publicist. I tried to embed the post showing the video, but it would only allow me to post the link.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top