James Randi, Magician and Paranormal Debunker, Dies at 92
James Randi, a magician and illusionist known as “The Amazing Randi” as well as a scientific investigator who debunked paranormal and occult phenomena through his organization the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, has died. He was 92.
The Randi Foundation announced his passing in a tweet, saying he died of “age-related causes” on Tuesday.
dv said:
James Randi, Magician and Paranormal Debunker, Dies at 92James Randi, a magician and illusionist known as “The Amazing Randi” as well as a scientific investigator who debunked paranormal and occult phenomena through his organization the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, has died. He was 92.
The Randi Foundation announced his passing in a tweet, saying he died of “age-related causes” on Tuesday.
A long and useful life.
we don’t believe it
is there still a prize for someone who can prove supernatural stuff? a legacy prize
Skepticon is online (Youtube) from Brisbane this coming weekend. I am registered. I may not spend a lot of time on the forum over the weekend.
Bubblecar said:
dv said:
James Randi, Magician and Paranormal Debunker, Dies at 92James Randi, a magician and illusionist known as “The Amazing Randi” as well as a scientific investigator who debunked paranormal and occult phenomena through his organization the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, has died. He was 92.
The Randi Foundation announced his passing in a tweet, saying he died of “age-related causes” on Tuesday.
A long and useful life.
So long as people older than me keep dying, that’s OK.
“Age related causes” What other causes are there at the age of 92?
Will miss him though. He did a lot of good for the world of reason. Uri Geller will be happy probably.
gaghalfrunt said:
“Age related causes” What other causes are there at the age of 92?
If he died in a plane crash or was shot or had a piano fall on him, you probably wouldn’t call it age related.
gaghalfrunt said:
“Age related causes” What other causes are there at the age of 92?
Will miss him though. He did a lot of good for the world of reason. Uri Geller will be happy probably.
I reckon that Uri Geller and Donald Trump would get on really well together.
As they’re both narcissistic lying shits.
dv said:
gaghalfrunt said:
“Age related causes” What other causes are there at the age of 92?If he died in a plane crash or was shot or had a piano fall on him, you probably wouldn’t call it age related.
All deaths are age-related, in that you die at the age that you died at.
dv said:
gaghalfrunt said:
“Age related causes” What other causes are there at the age of 92?If he died in a plane crash or was shot or had a piano fall on him, you probably wouldn’t call it age related.
Ok I asked for that.
gaghalfrunt said:
dv said:
gaghalfrunt said:
“Age related causes” What other causes are there at the age of 92?If he died in a plane crash or was shot or had a piano fall on him, you probably wouldn’t call it age related.
Ok I asked for that.
Welcome to the logically ruthless world of DV ;)
dv said:
If he died in a plane crash or was shot or had a piano fall on him, you probably wouldn’t call it age related.
That could be age-related, too.
If you were able to live long enough (hundreds? thousands? of years) then the odds against you being involved in some such unlikely demise would steadily decrease.
That’s why the Americans sent their bomber crews home after 25 missions in WW2. Had they gone on indefinitely, it was almost certain that they’d be killed.
Unfortunately, no such respite was available to RAF Bomber Command crews, who suffered 45% fatalities, including many men who’d done dozens of missions. They kept going out until the odds caught up with them.
party_pants said:
gaghalfrunt said:
dv said:If he died in a plane crash or was shot or had a piano fall on him, you probably wouldn’t call it age related.
Ok I asked for that.
Welcome to the logically ruthless world of DV ;)
I wonder how many people over the age of 90 are squashed by a falling piano in an average year.
captain_spalding said:
dv said:If he died in a plane crash or was shot or had a piano fall on him, you probably wouldn’t call it age related.
That could be age-related, too.
If you were able to live long enough (hundreds? thousands? of years) then the odds against you being involved in some such unlikely demise would steadily decrease.
That’s why the Americans sent their bomber crews home after 25 missions in WW2. Had they gone on indefinitely, it was almost certain that they’d be killed.
Unfortunately, no such respite was available to RAF Bomber Command crews, who suffered 45% fatalities, including many men who’d done dozens of missions. They kept going out until the odds caught up with them.
Hmm.
It seems you are examining this problem from the opposite end of the probability spectrum :)
captain_spalding said:
dv said:If he died in a plane crash or was shot or had a piano fall on him, you probably wouldn’t call it age related.
That could be age-related, too.
If you were able to live long enough (hundreds? thousands? of years) then the odds against you being involved in some such unlikely demise would steadily decrease.
That’s why the Americans sent their bomber crews home after 25 missions in WW2. Had they gone on indefinitely, it was almost certain that they’d be killed.
Unfortunately, no such respite was available to RAF Bomber Command crews, who suffered 45% fatalities, including many men who’d done dozens of missions. They kept going out until the odds caught up with them.
The odds of a coin coming up heads after 50 tails in a row don’t change.
captain_spalding said:
dv said:If he died in a plane crash or was shot or had a piano fall on him, you probably wouldn’t call it age related.
That could be age-related, too.
If you were able to live long enough (hundreds? thousands? of years) then the odds against you being involved in some such unlikely demise would steadily decrease.
That’s why the Americans sent their bomber crews home after 25 missions in WW2. Had they gone on indefinitely, it was almost certain that they’d be killed.
Unfortunately, no such respite was available to RAF Bomber Command crews, who suffered 45% fatalities, including many men who’d done dozens of missions. They kept going out until the odds caught up with them.
I was thinking of that as the a plot device for a sci-fi story once. I remember Dr Karl years ago on his JJJ spot saying that we might be the last generation to die of old age or perhaps the first not to. However we would not be immortal, accidental death would catch us all in the end. The story was to revolve around 200 year olds with the mind and body of 25 year olds doing battle with actual 25 year olds.
Peak Warming Man said:
captain_spalding said:
dv said:If he died in a plane crash or was shot or had a piano fall on him, you probably wouldn’t call it age related.
That could be age-related, too.
If you were able to live long enough (hundreds? thousands? of years) then the odds against you being involved in some such unlikely demise would steadily decrease.
That’s why the Americans sent their bomber crews home after 25 missions in WW2. Had they gone on indefinitely, it was almost certain that they’d be killed.
Unfortunately, no such respite was available to RAF Bomber Command crews, who suffered 45% fatalities, including many men who’d done dozens of missions. They kept going out until the odds caught up with them.
The odds of a coin coming up heads after 50 tails in a row don’t change.
True, but irrelevant. The probability of tossing 50 heads in a row is 1 in 250; if the probability of being hit by a car whilst crossing a particular street is 0.5% and you crossed it 200 times, what’s the probability that you were hit by a car? Hint: it’s not 0.5%.
btm said:
Peak Warming Man said:
captain_spalding said:That could be age-related, too.
If you were able to live long enough (hundreds? thousands? of years) then the odds against you being involved in some such unlikely demise would steadily decrease.
That’s why the Americans sent their bomber crews home after 25 missions in WW2. Had they gone on indefinitely, it was almost certain that they’d be killed.
Unfortunately, no such respite was available to RAF Bomber Command crews, who suffered 45% fatalities, including many men who’d done dozens of missions. They kept going out until the odds caught up with them.
The odds of a coin coming up heads after 50 tails in a row don’t change.
True, but irrelevant. The probability of tossing 50 heads in a row is 1 in 250; if the probability of being hit by a car whilst crossing a particular street is 0.5% and you crossed it 200 times, what’s the probability that you were hit by a car? Hint: it’s not 0.5%.
Well the maths says 0.633042178, but after 200 crossings you really should have reduced the risk per crossing to less than 0.5%.
btm said:
Peak Warming Man said:
captain_spalding said:That could be age-related, too.
If you were able to live long enough (hundreds? thousands? of years) then the odds against you being involved in some such unlikely demise would steadily decrease.
That’s why the Americans sent their bomber crews home after 25 missions in WW2. Had they gone on indefinitely, it was almost certain that they’d be killed.
Unfortunately, no such respite was available to RAF Bomber Command crews, who suffered 45% fatalities, including many men who’d done dozens of missions. They kept going out until the odds caught up with them.
The odds of a coin coming up heads after 50 tails in a row don’t change.
True, but irrelevant. The probability of tossing 50 heads in a row is 1 in 250; if the probability of being hit by a car whilst crossing a particular street is 0.5% and you crossed it 200 times, what’s the probability that you were hit by a car? Hint: it’s not 0.5%.
Yes, in the split second between neuron firing and the signal reaching the finger to press the mouse button to post the missive I realised I was in trouble but it was too late. I just had to watch it happen but it was like in slow motion. First the white disappeared and then the black came and the letters appeared Post Submitted and then nothing. I must have passed out.
buffy said:
Skepticon is online (Youtube) from Brisbane this coming weekend. I am registered. I may not spend a lot of time on the forum over the weekend.
Keep us informed.
The Rev Dodgson said:
btm said:
Peak Warming Man said:The odds of a coin coming up heads after 50 tails in a row don’t change.
True, but irrelevant. The probability of tossing 50 heads in a row is 1 in 250; if the probability of being hit by a car whilst crossing a particular street is 0.5% and you crossed it 200 times, what’s the probability that you were hit by a car? Hint: it’s not 0.5%.
Well the maths says 0.633042178, but after 200 crossings you really should have reduced the risk per crossing to less than 0.5%.
exactly, the odds of a coin coming up heads after 50 tails in a row might not be 0.5
mollwollfumble said:
buffy said:
Skepticon is online (Youtube) from Brisbane this coming weekend. I am registered. I may not spend a lot of time on the forum over the weekend.Keep us informed.
You can still register for some time. The YouTubes will be up for 12 months.
https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing?eid=642441&
The first day was interesting. The last session on the TGA had some heated moments between the TGA man and Ken Harvey. Today the topics include pandemics, “Anti-Environmental Environmentalists – How Irrational Environmentalists Impede Their Own Cause”, a clinical psychologist’s take on Trump (that one should be interesting), a panel discussing evolution (which includes a talk on teeth and one on fossils), a talk about “thoughtless statistical analysis”, a talk on “Circular Reasoning: The Rise of the Flat Earth Belief”. And a couple of other bits and pieces.
buffy said:
, a talk on “Circular Reasoning: The Rise of the Flat Earth Belief”.
Scratches head.
Surely that’s the inverse of circular reasoning.
The Rev Dodgson said:
buffy said:, a talk on “Circular Reasoning: The Rise of the Flat Earth Belief”.
Scratches head.
Surely that’s the inverse of circular reasoning.
Some of the speakers like to make up interesting names for their talks. That flat earth one is Michael Marshall from England. He’s a good speaker, I’ve listened to him before talking about getting rid of homeopathy in the hospitals. Yesterday’s talk about fluoridation of the water supply was called “Water Fluoridation: Gobs, mobs and nutjobs”
The Rev Dodgson said:
buffy said:, a talk on “Circular Reasoning: The Rise of the Flat Earth Belief”.
Scratches head.
Surely that’s the inverse of circular reasoning.
but WLOG{x,y:x^2+y^2=r^2} does lie on a flat plane
The Rev Dodgson said:
buffy said:, a talk on “Circular Reasoning: The Rise of the Flat Earth Belief”.
Scratches head.
Surely that’s the inverse of circular reasoning.
hmm.
https://youtu.be/PIvolhx8yJA
Don Lane didnt like him much either. I bet he would be glad too if he wasnt so busy being dead himself
Trevtaowillgetyounowhere said:
https://youtu.be/PIvolhx8yJADon Lane didnt like him much either. I bet he would be glad too if he wasnt so busy being dead himself
Don Lane wasn’t very bright.
James Randi must have been worth a hundred Don Lanes
Bubblecar said:
Trevtaowillgetyounowhere said:
https://youtu.be/PIvolhx8yJADon Lane didnt like him much either. I bet he would be glad too if he wasnt so busy being dead himself
Don Lane wasn’t very bright.
Probably not. I only ever to watch the show he hosted late Monday nights about American football in the 1990s. He was enthusiastic and knowledgeable about that.