The Amazing Randi on Uri Geller

[Jona Lendering]

Uri Geller has lost a lawsuit, so James Randi can continue broadcasting this nice little movie - I already destroyed two spoons, but now I know the trick. Quarrelling magicians, I love them.

[Goffredo]

Hi there.
Quarelling magicians? I think that is not quite so.
Randi is a magician. Of course Uri is a fake and is really a magician too. But the argument is deaper than that as Uri claims and his admirers think that he has paranormal powers. They are not argueing as two normal magicians would.

jeff

p.s. I had the great pleasure to see a lecture and demonstration of Randi about 10 years ago. Great fun but also psychologically, sociologically and philosophically stimulating. After the "show" I chatted with a guy that actually spent time considering (seriously - no joke) the possbilibilty that Randi was a double fake: that he PRETENDED to do with conventional tricks what paranormals do while really hiding the fact he really DID have paranormal powers! Ah... It is not only that the human mind can be decieved, it is also that humans WANT to be decieved!

[MARCVS PETRONIVS MAIVS]

Uri Geller.... that name haunts me even in the roman army forums... :roll:

[Jona Lendering]

Of course Uri is a fake and is really a magician too. But the argument is deeper than that as Uri claims and his admirers think that he has paranormal powers.

True; and that's what makes the Amazing Randy's work so important. I used to reach his articles in Skeptic Magazine. It is shocking how people like to ignore basic rules of evidence - and that includes scholars and scientists, unfortunately.

[scythius]

Uri Geller.... that name haunts me even in the roman army forums... :roll:

I am a cruel man, so here you go..

http://www.aprilwinchell.com/h/mp3/Cann ... er_you.mp3

[MARCVS PETRONIVS MAIVS]

Uri Geller.... that name haunts me even in the roman army forums... :roll:

I am a cruel man, so here you go..

http://www.aprilwinchell.com/h/mp3/Cann ... er_you.mp3

'What the Deuce?' lol ...

[Wander]

Goffredo wrote:

It is not only that the human mind can be decieved, it is also that humans WANT to be decieved!

I don't think it's so much that they WANT to be deceived, as many people -- despite the best efforts of skepticism and science -- want to believe in magic, or psychic phenomena, or paranormal events, or gods, or UFOs, or SOMETHING -- something mystical, that can't be seen, measured, or fully understood. "The answer is out there."

It's an ancient need, and science and inquiry have provided most of the answers -- but they're not the answers a lot of people want. They don't want to be deceived, they simply want the magic to be real.

[Tiberius Clodius Corvinus]

It is shocking how people like to ignore basic rules of evidence - and that includes scholars and scientists, unfortunately.

well, truly sad indeed and I go absolutely with Carl Sagan who put it once this way:

[i]“You can't convince a believer of anything; for their belief is not based on evidence, it's based on a deep seated need to believeâ€

[Jona Lendering]

what I don't understand about him, is this paranormal thing. he could be recognised as a great magician, if he wouldn't simply cheat his audience and say its all tricks as other successfull magicians do. :?

I think he is not such a great magician. Randi explains the tricks, and they are really simple; I tried the spoon trick, which I mastered pretty soon, although two spoons broke. And I attempted the drawing trick with the mirror yesterday in the pub, after I had been to the Dark Knight. It was an easy success, partly because my victim - well, she had drunk three or four beers.

[Tiberius Clodius Corvinus]

what I don't understand about him, is this paranormal thing. he could be recognised as a great magician, if he wouldn't simply cheat his audience and say its all tricks as other successfull magicians do. :?

I think he is not such a great magician. Randi explains the tricks, and they are really simple; I tried the spoon trick, which I mastered pretty soon, although two spoons broke. And I attempted the drawing trick with the mirror yesterday in the pub, after I had been to the Dark Knight. It was an easy success, partly because my victim - well, she had drunk three or four beers.

wow, Jona. Why don't you simply accept you ARE paranormal, too? :lol:

[Wander]

With enough beer, nearly anyone can be paranormal...

[Jona Lendering]

With enough beer, nearly anyone can be paranormal...

:lol:

[Tarbicus]

If I ever met Popoff face to face I'd gladly drop down to knee level and punch him very hard in the nuts so he could never spawn another Popoff again. His wife is also complicit in the whole deception.

Vile - Vermin - Filth - Scum.

[P. Clodius Secundus]

I was confused until I realized that you all were talking about the other Amazing Randi, the one with the Capital A. To avoid mistakes I usually drop the amazing part. Since the two words are essentially synonymous using both is redundant. Lately I've taken to the phrase "Randi with an "I"...... for the ladies!" :wink: