Randi forces a tantrum!

[shuttlt]

As I understand it Randi hadn't been supposed to do any demonstrations on the show. He was just there to talk. The keys were there as a surprise so that the host would have be able to spot him *cheating* and go off on one.

As for Randi being a lier. Presumably his position was that there were slight of hand ways of doing everything Geller did, but that he didn't KNOW Geller was using them. It's a fine line to tread without being disingenuous since Randi presumably does and did believe Geller was a lier.

 

[Toke]

Yes, and it is a very entertaining line to tread.

"Look, I can do the same without magic, and it works like this, would you like to try, I have more keys"

It is a wery powerfull technique, no wonder it caused a rant, the alternative would have been to admit to lying about magic powers.

 

[gdnp]

As for Randi being a lier. Presumably his position was that there were slight of hand ways of doing everything Geller did, but that he didn't KNOW Geller was using them. It's a fine line to tread without being disingenuous since Randi presumably does and did believe Geller was a lier.

I suppose that this is all a skeptic can do: either get the charlatan to agree to a test that he knows he will fail--not likely--or demonstrate that you can do everything that the charlatan can do despite lacking magical powers.

After all, once presented with a bent key, there is no test that can be performed on it that will prove whether it was bent by mundane or paranormal means.

 

[ponderingturtle]

You don't invite someone on your show to scream at him and storm off in a huff without listening to your guest.

THink about if he had modern talk hosts to draw from, he would know the behavior is to scream at them and cut their mike.

 

[ponderingturtle]

Lane's view on the saintliness of Doris Stokes shows his gullibility and his behaviour shows he's an ass. However, Randi's claim to have never called Geller a 'fake' is an insult to the intelligence.

In many video clips I have seen from Randi in the 80's he generaly does not state such unequivocal statements. Rather he shows how the effects that Geller is claiming/demonstrating can be done simply with stage magic.

Randi is has always seemed to speak publicialy in a very careful manner about calling people fakes and the like.

Now it seems certain that he had suggested that Geller might be less than honnest, and so infered that he was a fake. Of course now there is plenty of dirrect evidence of Geller faking his supposed powers.

 

[ponderingturtle]

After all, once presented with a bent key, there is no test that can be performed on it that will prove whether it was bent by mundane or paranormal means.

Not nessacarily true though Magic POWERZ could cause metal to change shape in ways that it would not through simple bending.

The most basic example I can think of is that any bent metal would be work hardened and showing fatigue. If you could bend metal with out that(assumeing things like not heating it up and so on) you could show that it was not bent with normal means.

 

[Belz...]

And the amazing thing is, Psychic Samurai et al see this as Randi being owned by Don Lane. In there world he who gets the last word in wins, even if it is an unintelligible, substanceless rant.

It's amazing how many people think that when they shout louder it means they're right.

I suppose it's a remnant from the good old days when you'd settle disputes with swords or guns at duels because God would never let a righteous man lose...

 

[xblade]

. Well dan, doesnt common sense, which you lack, show that no one can possibly have psychic powers?

I have psychic powers, but they only work when bigfoot is around. I challenge any of you to prove otherwise.

I also have a sword that glows when orcs are near....

 

[jayman]

Randi is the Master

Randi demonstrates once again that he is the Zen Master of calm and of dealing with buffoons like Don Lane. I wish I could be that calm and collected.

 

[Miss_Kitt]

The statement I most recall Randi making about Uri Geller back in "the day" is approximately, "If Uri Geller is using psychic powers, he's doing it the hard way."

Which is not calling Geller a liar, but very succintly brings the issue of evidence and likelihood into view.

MK