On the subject of a little bit of hero worship
I've written here about some of my nerdy, geeky heroes, specifically Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins of Penny Arcade and Scott Kurtz of PVP. They are three of my creative heroes for taking what was essentially a hobby activity and turning their respective comic strips into major money-making businesses.
I want to introduce you to another of my heroes, James (The Amazing) Randi.
James Randi is a stage magician. Following in the footsteps of Harry Houdini, he took on a personal mission of exposing fakes and frauds who use stage magic and psychological tricks to con people out of money under the guise of being psychic healers and mediums.
Since he began this quest, he has managed to expose or suggest plausible fakeries for the powers professed by a few individuals.
Like Faith Healer Peter Popoff
And he has had a longtime rivalry with alleged psychic Uri Geller
He has founded an organization, the James Randi Educational Foundation (see the link at the top) to organize like-minded individuals to the cause.
The JREF also sponsors the $1,000,000.00 challenge. The challenge, specifically, offers one million dollars to anyone who can provide proof of psychic or paranormal phenomena. That proof has to be able to stand up to scientific scrutiny, the final tests required are not performed by the JREF itself, but by an outside organization. The tests required are designed by the applicant with approval by the JREF. If the applicant can pass that test, the money is paid.
The challenge has been available since 1964, when it was only $1,000. Though thousands have applied, no one has yet won.
The JREF also puts on a convention every year in Las Vegas called "The Amazing Meeting", which is attended by such individuals as Penn and Teller, Adam Savage, and Neil deGrasse Tyson.
In addition, he has exposed fraudulent elements of psychic surgery, dowsing, astrology, and homeopathy.
I want to introduce you to another of my heroes, James (The Amazing) Randi.
James Randi is a stage magician. Following in the footsteps of Harry Houdini, he took on a personal mission of exposing fakes and frauds who use stage magic and psychological tricks to con people out of money under the guise of being psychic healers and mediums.
Since he began this quest, he has managed to expose or suggest plausible fakeries for the powers professed by a few individuals.
Like Faith Healer Peter Popoff
Click to viewAnd he has had a longtime rivalry with alleged psychic Uri Geller
He has founded an organization, the James Randi Educational Foundation (see the link at the top) to organize like-minded individuals to the cause.
The JREF also sponsors the $1,000,000.00 challenge. The challenge, specifically, offers one million dollars to anyone who can provide proof of psychic or paranormal phenomena. That proof has to be able to stand up to scientific scrutiny, the final tests required are not performed by the JREF itself, but by an outside organization. The tests required are designed by the applicant with approval by the JREF. If the applicant can pass that test, the money is paid.
The challenge has been available since 1964, when it was only $1,000. Though thousands have applied, no one has yet won.
The JREF also puts on a convention every year in Las Vegas called "The Amazing Meeting", which is attended by such individuals as Penn and Teller, Adam Savage, and Neil deGrasse Tyson.
In addition, he has exposed fraudulent elements of psychic surgery, dowsing, astrology, and homeopathy.