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Randi's Gang - fpw - 08-09-2011
I joined the James Randi Educational Foundation. If you value critical thinking, you will too. http://www.randi.org/site/
Randi's Gang - Scott Miller - 08-09-2011
fpw Wrote:I joined the James Randi Educational Foundation. If you value critical thinking, you will too. http://www.randi.org/site/
What a bunch of Flim-Flam; just kidding, I love The Amazing Randi.
Randi's Gang - GCBurner - 08-11-2011
I've been a James Randi fan for years. I think the folks that believe in the Woo-woo still outnumber the skeptics, though.
Randi's Gang - Bluesman Mike Lindner - 08-11-2011
Can't agree, souls.
I think the Amazing Randi was a very frightened man regarding the paranormal. And, yeah, the paranormal exists.
Back in the good old days of the New York Fortean Society, John Keel (a
member of the Magic Circle himself) invited every stage magician he knew to amaze the gang. (Did they explain their illusions? Of course not!)
But Keel and Doug Skinner (a professional magician too) were under no, uh, illusions, strange stuff happens.
If anyone can explain the UFO phenomenon, I'd sure like to hear it. Convince me, and I will give you my blue suede shoes.
Randi's Gang - Bluesman Mike Lindner - 08-11-2011
But I gotta say too, there's a =lotta= bogus "psychics'' out there (Paul has described them in his fiction). What can I tell you? For every guy in the in, there's a sad mark.
BUT...there are genuine talents too. I know. I've seen them.
Randi's Gang - Peter - 08-17-2011
The whole UFO/paranormal topic is difficult for me. UFO's? Yes I'm more then happy to believe people see strange things in the sky, I have myself once. But can I believe they are alien spaceships? Nope, sorry I can't. I subscribe to the belief that no-one (or nothing) is going to undertake that long and difficult a journey just to tease us when they get here.
PSI talents? What evidence there is just all too unrepeatable under proper observed conditions to really be regarded as proof. Maybe just hints at best.
So, I'm with Randi and, I would guess, FPW on this. Isaac Asimov was also a great debunker of this sort of stuff, worth reading some of his science articles. They were collected in several books.
Oh, I have also joined Randi's Foundation so thank you for the reference Dr. Wilson.
Randi's Gang - Lysistrata - 08-17-2011
Peter Wrote:The whole UFO/paranormal topic is difficult for me. UFO's? Yes I'm more then happy to believe people see strange things in the sky, I have myself once. (...)
I regularly see UFOs. Being near-sighted with no wish whatsoever for glasses does the trick.
And I agree with you, no reason for sentient beings untertaking so long a trip to play tricks with us. They could observe us (and understandably choose to remain hidden), but they would not make random lights in the sky or kill cows and leave the cadavers around.
Randi's Gang - MisterCrowley - 08-18-2011
I'm with Blues on this. I believe in the paranormal/supernatural. I don't have a particular reason for it. Just a feeling that there are things out there we don't understand.
Jim
Randi's Gang - mad4tunes - 08-21-2011
MisterCrowley Wrote:Just a feeling that there are things out there we don't understand.
Jim
Well, hell, MisterCrowley, that describes life in a nutshell
!I admire James Randi, for the same reason I admired Harry Houdini.
FPW could probably tell me for sure...I vaguely remember a quote that I think was from Theodore Sturgeon that any sufficiently advanced technology was indistinguishable from magic.
Randi's Gang - fpw - 08-21-2011
The important matter is critical thinking. Invest 9.5 minutes in this Neil Tyson video. It's an astoundingly concise overview of the UFO phenom and critical thinking in general. Blues, you especially need to see this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfAzaDyae-k&feature=youtu.be