Legend, RIP. P&T walk in his massive footsteps.
I knew of him from Carson’s Tonight Show. Back in those days you could count on 1/3 of the people who were awake at 11:35 watching that show. So we all had common ground.
The under 35 crowd grew up with cable. They didn’t see every Brady Bunch episode like we did. They have less common media background than us four-channel kids did.
What was Randi doing in 2016 when we needed him?
A friend of mine share his memories of the Amazing Randi on Facebook. My friend is the vice chair of the Bay Area skeptics.
Just heard that we lost a truly amazing man - James “The Amazing” Randi.
He had a profound effect on me and many, many people around the world. I was fortunate to meet and speak with him on many occasions.
For those of you that don’t know Randi, he was one of the founders of the modern skeptical movement. He made me aware that you could blend magic, science, and critical thinking to question extraordinary claims in society.
I remember the first time I met him, I’d convinced my boss in about 2007 or 2008 that I needed to go to the MIT Media Lab to represent Intel for a meeting of supporting companies. That was true, but my main motive was to meet the keynote speaker for the meeting- James Randi.
I went to his “Amazing Meeting” every year in Las Vegas after returning to the US from the UK, and a highlight was being the first speaker on the last day of the last Amazing Meeting. I’ll never forget the experience.
My interactions with him and likeminded followers of the modern skeptical movement have unquestionably changed my life for the better. He was truly a man worthy of the term “Amazing”.
My deepest sympathy to his partner
Jose Alvarez Dopa
. The world shares your loss… but rejoices at an amazing life.
In my condolence note to my friend I said, " I’m sorry he didn’t live to see the biggest con man in history thrown out of office."
He should have time for that mustache.
I was kind of prepared for this as I went through a period of about six months a year or two ago where I was convinced I had heard he’d died, so I came to terms with it then and was pleasantly surprised to later find out he was still alive.
That’s surprising to me. I had heard of him years ago and I’m Brazilian! Granted, I’m not the average Brazilian (which most definitely never heard of him), but still.
Aw fuck. Randi was one of the good ones. RIP.
I suspect this has a lot more to do with age. There were no psychics and people playing mystical powers running around on TV outside of some shows in Vegas and those weirdo little buildings in various parts of towns with neon signs claiming to tell you they can get you your future.
And not only that, don’t recognize the men who hosted those shows and barely recall their names. It’s just a time younger members of the board missed.
Could be. I’m in my mid-40’s and I know Craig is still in his 30’s. I don’t know your age and I’m not gonna ask, but I assume you’re also younger than I am.
Truth, brother. All the Gilligan episodes too!
I got to meet Randi once at a party after he spoke at a local community college. I talked to him briefly but was at a loss for anything interesting to say to him, sadly.
Whatever. I’m 46 and I don’t remember Randi at all, which means ya’ll complaining are just boomers. And you know what we say to boomers.
This makes the Umbrella Academy make more sense to me because that whole healing guru thing seemed so far fetch… but apparently, it was a real thing that ran rampart according to everyone here.
Yeah, remember at the end of Man on the Moon, where Andy Kaufmann/Jim Carrey flies to the Philippines for a literal Hail Mary to get rid of his cancer? People had desperate needs and money to throw away, and other people had no scruples or problems with taking that money. James Randi and other pro skeptics, explainers, and debunkers did the world a service by bringing that nonsense to light.
I do remember there being some kind of ‘ghost whisperer’ TV show that got fairly popular around the turn of the millennium. I remember seeing it once and being weirded out by how it basically looked like a game show (dramatic lighting, sound effects, etc.). It seemed to be like Who Wants to be a Millionaire? but with ‘communicating with dead relatives’ instead of trivia and a less charismatic host instead of Regis.
Maybe Crossing Over with John Edwards?
There was a “medium” boom around that time. Mostly very obvious cold reads.
After probably peaking with Uri Gellar, Randi I think was mostly known in skeptic circles, which is, to be fair, the kind of thing that probably appeals to a certain kind of science/computer minded high schooler, the kind that is probably over-represented on QT3.
A mini plug for Oh No Ross and Carrie, which for people who haven’t listened is a podcast that touches a number of the same kinds of pseudoscience topics, with psychics and the like.
Yep, that was definitely it.
I went to some oddball church in St. Louis when I was dating a wiccan woman. I can’t remember the name of it but the pastor did cold readings and spoke to the dead during the service. She’d pick out someone in the congregation and communicate with dead relatives. She would do obvious things like figure out some woman’s grandmother was dead and then the message would be to make sure your coat is buttoned because it’s cold outside (it was winter). The member would say something like, “Yes, my grandmother always used to tell me that!”
I’m 37 and was a big fan of Randi’s as a teenager on. I think I was introduced to him through Penn & Teller, if I recall.