On this date in 1928, the Amazing James Randi was born in Canada. James Randi has used his international reputation as a magician and escape artist to investigate and expose claims of the paranormal. He exposed both psychic "spoonbender" Uri Geller and "faith-healer" Peter Popoff on the "Johnny Carson Show." His numerous awards and recognitions include a "Genius" Fellowship from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in 1986. In 1993, PBS-TV's "NOVA" dedicated a one-hour special to coverage of Randi's work, particularly his investigations of Geller and various occult and healing claims being made by scientists in Russia. His books include: The Truth About Uri Geller, The Faith Healers, Flim-Flam!, and An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural. Randi is a founding fellow of CSICOP, the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. He established the James Randi Education Foundation in 1996. The Foundation offers a $1,000,000 standing prize for any psychic who can prove the veracity of their claims, which has long remained unclaimed.
Amazing James Randi
“We have fought long and hard to escape from medieval superstition. I, for one, do not wish to go back.”
—Amazing James Randi, g
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