James Randi
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[edit] Introduction
James Randi is a magician, escape artist, skeptic and long-time investigator of paranormal and pseudoscientific claims. Founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation and recipient of a MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Fellowship, Randi has authored several books and many magazine articles on skeptical topics.
Born Randall James Hamilton Zwinge on August 7, 1928 in Toronto, Canada, Randi legally changed his name to James Randi in 1987, but is probably most well-known by his stage name "The Amazing Randi".
[edit] James Randi Educational Foundation
Commonly referred to as "JREF", the foundation is a not-for-profit organization established by James Randi in 1996.
According to the foundation's web site, its aim is:
- "to promote critical thinking by reaching out to the public and media with reliable information about paranormal and supernatural ideas so widespread in our society today."
The foundation also offers a Million Dollar Prize to any individual who can:
- "demonstrate any psychic, supernatural or paranormal ability of any kind under mutually agreed upon scientific conditions."
This prize remains unclaimed.
[edit] Partial Bibliography
- Flim-Flam! Psychics, ESP, Unicorns, and Other Delusions (Pub: 1982 ISBN 0879751983)
- The Faith Healers (Pub: 1989 ISBN 0879755350)
- The Mask of Nostradamus: The Prophecies of the World's Most Famous Seer (Pub: 1993 ISBN 0879758309)
- The Truth About Uri Geller (Pub: 1982 ISBN 0879751991)
- The Magic World of the Amazing Randi (Pub: 1989 ISBN 1558509828)
- The Mystery Chronicles: More Real-Life X-Files] (Co-authored with Joe Nickell, Pub: 2004 ISBN 0813123186)
- An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural (Co-authored with Arthur C. Clarke, Pub: 1997 ISBN 0312151195)
- James Randi: Psychic Investigator (Pub: 1991 ISBN 1852831448)
- Conjuring (ISBN 0312097719)
