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James Randi
Magician and Scientific Skeptic
James Randi is the founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF). Randi began his career as a magician, but when he retired at age 60, he switched to investigating paranormal, occult, and supernatural claims, which he collectively calls "woo-woo." Although often referred to as a "debunker," Randi rejects that title owing to its perceived bias, instead describing himself as an "investigator". He has written about the paranormal, skepticism, and the history of magic. He was a frequent guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and is occasionally featured on the television program Penn & Teller: Bullshit!.
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4 min
What makes the famous skeptic feel awe? Great magic tricks, of course. And sunsets.
3 min
As a teenager in the ’40s, James Randi “would have gotten stoned” for being gay. But when he outed himself to the world in 2010, the reaction was “wonderful.”
4 min
Hi, Mom?…Yeah, I’m in a coffin at the bottom of the La Hogue River.”
3 min
The James Randi Educational Foundation has never met a “psychic” it couldn’t discredit—easily. Still, Randi understands why such frauds appeal to people.
7 min
What prompted the skeptic’s public crusades against Uri Geller, Sylvia Browne, and other self-proclaimed mystics?
3 min
Real magicians don’t pretend to be mystical characters. By telling us they’re just performing tricks, they make their feats all the more breathtaking.