martin gardner

I want to have it remembered that the late Martin Gardner--in addition to being a writer, philosopher, puzzler, mathematical explainer and skeptic--was a magician. Gardner, with Randi, helped expose some of the phonies who tried to pass off simple magic tricks as genuine miracles. Gardner...

I saw the atheists excellent thread on the "paranormalists" winning, and the lamentable decline in to superstition which I'm sure we all oppose. I have a rather heretical thought, and while perhaps it should live in religion it's actually about "paranormal" beliefs, and their relationship to...

Colm Mulcahy, who writes the "Card Colm" (geddit?) for the Mathematical Association of America tells me that the latest one has an interview with Martin Gardner (92 today) and a card trick based on an idea of his. http://www.maa.org/columns/colm/cardcolm200610.html

Few writers have had more influence on me than Martin Gardner. I was always pretty good at math, but Gardner showed me how to love mathematics. Thanks, Martin! His writings, especially his writings on mathematical topics, hold up very well. He has explained some concepts better than any...