James Randi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids James Randi
Born	Randall James Hamilton Zwinge (1928-08-07)August 7, 1928 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Died	October 20, 2020(2020-10-20) (aged 92) Plantation, Florida, U.S.
Citizenship	Canada United States
Occupation	Stage magician scientific skeptic author
Years active	1946−2016
Spouse(s)	José Alvarez ​ (m. 2013)​
Signature

James Randi (born Randall James Hamilton Zwinge; August 7, 1928 – October 20, 2020) was a famous Canadian-American stage magician and author. He was also a scientific skeptic who challenged claims about the paranormal and pseudoscientific (things that seem scientific but aren't).

Randi helped start the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI). He also founded the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF). He began his career as a magician called The Amazing Randi. Later, he spent most of his time looking into paranormal, occult, and supernatural claims. He often called these claims "woo-woo." Randi stopped performing magic at age 60. He retired from his foundation when he was 87.

People often called Randi a "debunker" (someone who proves something is false). But he didn't like that word. He preferred to call himself an "investigator." He wrote many books about strange phenomena, skepticism, and the history of magic. He was a regular guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He became famous for showing that a "faith healer" named Peter Popoff was using tricks.

Before Randi retired, the JREF offered a big prize. It was called the One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge. It offered one million US dollars to anyone who could show a paranormal power. The test had to be done under conditions that both sides agreed on. In 2015, the JREF changed the rules. They would no longer take applications directly from people claiming powers. Instead, they would offer the challenge to anyone who passed a test approved by them.

Early Life and Inspiration

James Randi was born on August 7, 1928, in Toronto, Canada. His parents were Marie Alice and George Randall Zwinge. He became interested in magic after seeing Harry Blackstone Sr. and reading magic books. This happened while he was in a body cast for 13 months after a bicycle accident. Doctors thought he might never walk again, but he surprised them.

Randi was very smart, scoring 168 on an IQ test. He often skipped school. At 17, he left high school to perform as a magician in a carnival. He worked as a mentalist in nightclubs and at the Canadian National Exhibition. He also wrote for a tabloid newspaper in Montreal.

One day, as a teenager, he found a church where the pastor claimed to read minds. Randi showed the church members how the trick was done. The pastor's wife called the police, and Randi spent four hours in jail. This event inspired him to become a scientific skeptic.

In his 20s, Randi pretended to be an astrologer. He wrote an astrology column for a Canadian tabloid called Midnight. He simply shuffled and pasted random predictions from other newspapers. This showed that astrology was just simple tricks. In his 30s, Randi worked in the UK, Europe, Philippine nightclubs, and Japan. He saw many tricks that people said were supernatural. He once saw an evangelist use a trick to make people believe he had divine powers.

Career as a Magician

A fork bent by Randi

James Randi started his career as a professional stage magician and escapologist in 1946. At first, he used his real name, Randall Zwinge. Later, he became known as "The Amazing Randi." Early in his career, he performed many escape acts. He escaped from jail cells and safes all over the world.

On February 7, 1956, he appeared on NBC's Today show. He stayed in a sealed metal coffin underwater for 104 minutes. This broke what was said to be Harry Houdini's record of 93 minutes. Randi pointed out that he was much younger than Houdini when he set his record.

Randi was a frequent guest on radio shows. He also hosted his own show, The Amazing Randi Show, from 1967 to 1968. This show often featured guests who believed in paranormal claims. Randi said he left the show because of complaints about his comments on religion.

He also hosted many TV specials and went on world tours. As "The Amazing Randi," he appeared on the children's TV show Wonderama from 1959 to 1967. In 1974, he wrote that magicians rely on "mutual trust and faith." In 2003, a magic magazine said, "Perhaps Randi's ethics are what make him Amazing."

During Alice Cooper's 1973–1974 tour, Randi performed on stage. He played a mad dentist and Cooper's executioner. He also built stage props, including a guillotine. In 1976, for a Canadian TV special, Randi escaped from a straitjacket. He was hanging upside-down over Niagara Falls.

Some people accused Randi of using "psychic powers" for tricks like spoon bending. But Randi always said he was just a trickster. He would say, "Yes, indeed, I'm a trickster, I'm a cheat, I'm a charlatan, that's what I do for a living. Everything I've done here was by trickery." Even a senator, Claiborne Pell, thought Randi might be psychic without knowing it. Randi always denied having any real paranormal powers.

Randi was a member of several magic groups. These included the Society of American Magicians (SAM) and The Magic Circle in the UK.

Writing and Books

Randi wrote ten books. One of them was Conjuring (1992). This book was a history of famous magicians. Its full title was very long and funny. It talked about the "venerable arts of sorcery, prestidigitation, wizardry, deception, & chicanery." It also covered the "mountebanks & scoundrels" who used these tricks.

Another book was Houdini, His Life and Art (1976). He wrote this with Bert Sugar. It looked at the life of the famous magician Houdini. Randi's book, The Magic World of the Amazing Randi (1989), was for children. It taught them simple magic tricks.

Besides magic books, he wrote educational books about paranormal claims. These included biographies of Uri Geller and Nostradamus. He also wrote reference books on other paranormal figures. In 2011, he was working on A Magician in the Laboratory. This book was about how he used skepticism in science.

Randi was part of a literary club called the Trap Door Spiders. This club was the basis for his friend Isaac Asimov's fictional mystery group, the Black Widowers.

Other books by Randi include Flim-Flam! (1982) and The Faith Healers (1987). He also wrote James Randi, Psychic Investigator (1991) and An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural (1995).

Randi wrote a regular column for Skeptic magazine. He also wrote often for Skeptical Inquirer magazine. This magazine is published by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, where he was a fellow.

Skepticism and Investigations

Randi using sleight of hand to duplicate "psychic surgery" on his Open Media series for ITV in 1991

Randi became internationally famous in 1972. This happened when he publicly challenged the claims of Uri Geller. Geller claimed to have psychic powers. Randi said Geller was a charlatan (a fraud) who used regular magic tricks. He wrote about this in his book The Truth About Uri Geller (1982).

Randi believed it was important to get media personalities to challenge Geller. He and the CSICOP worked to educate them. Randi said that CSICOP had a "very substantial influence on the printed media." He connected with Johnny Carson, who hosted The Tonight Show. Carson was a former magician and was also skeptical. Randi said Carson would ask how he could help during interviews.

In 1973, Geller appeared on The Tonight Show. Randi advised Carson to prepare his own props. This was to prevent Geller from using his own tricks. Geller seemed surprised on stage. He was expected to use the show's items, not his own. Geller said he didn't feel "strong" and couldn't show his powers.

However, this TV appearance didn't stop Geller as much as Randi hoped. Randi realized more needed to be done. So, in 1976, he teamed up with psychologist Ray Hyman and writer Martin Gardner. They formed the Committee for Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP).

Randi traveled the world for CSICOP. He became the public face of the skeptical movement. András G. Pintér called Randi the "grandfather of European skepticism."

Geller sued Randi and CSICOP for $15 million in 1991. He lost the lawsuit. Geller's case against CSICOP was dismissed in 1995. He was ordered to pay $120,000 for filing a lawsuit without good reason. The legal costs used almost all of a $272,000 grant Randi received in 1986. Randi also said Geller's claims of psychic photography were just trick photography.

During the lawsuit, CSICOP asked Randi not to talk about Geller. Randi refused and resigned from CSICOP. But he kept a good relationship with the group. In 2006, they changed their name to the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI). In 2010, Randi was elected a CSI fellow.

Randi wrote many articles criticizing paranormal beliefs. He also showed problems in studies that claimed to find paranormal events. In his Project Alpha hoax, Randi successfully placed two fake psychics into a research experiment.

Randi appeared on many TV shows to expose other guests. In 1981, on That's My Line, he appeared with James Hydrick. Hydrick claimed he could move objects with his mind. Randi figured out Hydrick was secretly blowing on the objects. For a new demonstration, Randi put foam packaging peanuts in front of the phone book. This stopped Hydrick from performing his trick. Hydrick later "confessed everything."

Randi speaking at the first CSICOP Conference, in Buffalo, New York, 1983

Randi received a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship in 1986. This grant helped him investigate "faith healers." One famous case was Peter Popoff. Randi exposed Popoff on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1986. Randi showed a video of Popoff claiming to get information from God. Then, Randi replayed the video with sound from a radio scanner. His team had found that Popoff's wife was broadcasting information to a hidden receiver in Popoff's ear. This information came from "prayer cards" filled out by the audience.

News coverage of Randi's exposé led many TV stations to drop Popoff's show. Popoff went bankrupt in 1987. However, he later returned with new shows.

In 1988, Randi created his own hoax to test the media. He worked with Australia's 60 Minutes show. He created publicity for a "spirit channeler" named Carlos. Carlos was actually Randi's partner, José Alvarez. Randi used radio equipment to tell Alvarez what to say. The hoax was later revealed on 60 Minutes Australia.

Randi wrote in The Faith Healers that his anger came from caring about the victims of fraud. He also criticized João de Deus, a self-proclaimed "psychic surgeon." Randi said that to a magician, the methods used for "psychic surgery" are "very obvious."

Randi (far right) at 1983 CSICOP Conference in Buffalo, New York, with (from left) Pip Smith, Philip J. Klass (standing), Dick Smith, Robert Sheaffer and John Merrell

In 1982, Randi confirmed the abilities of Arthur Lintgen. Lintgen, a doctor, could identify classical music on a vinyl LP just by looking at its grooves. Lintgen did not claim any paranormal ability. He just had special knowledge of how the grooves formed patterns.

In 1988, John Maddox, editor of Nature science journal, asked Randi to help. He wanted Randi to supervise homeopathy experiments. Randi put in stricter rules for the experiment. After that, the positive results could not be repeated.

The James Randi Beard Photo, taken at the JREF Amaz!ng Meeting 9 ("TAM 9 From Outer Space"), July 16, 2011

Randi said that Daniel Dunglas Home, who supposedly played an accordion in a cage without touching it, was caught cheating. Randi believed Home used a one-octave mouth organ hidden under his mustache.

Randi explained the difference between pseudoscience and "crackpot science." He saw most of parapsychology as pseudoscience. But he still thought it was a topic that "should be pursued." He believed real scientific discoveries might come from it.

Magicians Penn & Teller said Randi influenced their careers. Penn Jillette said Flim-Flam! was an early influence. He stated, "If not for Randi there would not be Penn & Teller as we are today."

At a skeptic conference in 2017, Randi talked about how amazing it was to learn about the speed of light as a child. He said, "More kids need to be stunned."

At The Amaz!ng Meeting in 2011, the Independent Investigations Group (IIG) honored Randi. They wore fake white beards and took a group photo with him. Randi was very touched by this gesture.

In 2019, Randi's friend Harriet Hall compared him to the fictional Albus Dumbledore. She noted their long white beards and love for flamboyant clothes. She said both were caring, very smart, and could do amazing magic. Hall stated Randi was a "major inspiration" for her skeptical work.

Exploring Psychic Powers ... Live TV Show

Exploring Psychic Powers ... Live was a two-hour TV special on June 7, 1989. Randi examined several people who claimed to have psychic powers. The show offered $100,000 to anyone who could show real psychic abilities. Actor Bill Bixby hosted it.

• An astrologer, Joseph Meriwether, claimed he could find a person's astrological sign. He needed to get ten out of 12 correct. He got none right.
• Barbara Martin claimed to read auras. She said auras were visible above people. She said she saw auras over all ten screens, but only four had people behind them.
• A dowser, Forrest Bayes, claimed he could find water in a sealed box. He chose eight boxes, saying they had water. Only one of his choices actually contained water.
• A psychometric psychic, Sharon McLaren-Straz, claimed to get information from objects. She needed to match nine out of twelve sets of keys and watches to their owners. She only matched two correctly.
• Crystal healer Valerie Swan tried to use ESP to guess 250 Zener cards. She needed to be right on at least 82 cards. She only got 50 correct, which is what you'd expect from random guessing.

James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF)

In 1996, Randi started the James Randi Educational Foundation. Randi and his team wrote for the JREF's blog, Swift. They discussed topics like interesting math puzzles. In his weekly comments, Randi often shared examples of the "nonsense" he dealt with.

Starting in 2003, the JREF held an annual event called The Amaz!ng Meeting. This was a gathering of scientists, skeptics, and atheists. The last meeting was in 2015, when Randi retired from the JREF.

Later Years and Legacy

Randi with skull cane, 2014

Randi started a series of conferences called "The Amazing Meeting" (TAM). These quickly became the largest gatherings of skeptics in the world. They attracted people from many countries and a lot of young attendees. Randi was often featured on podcasts like Skepticality and Point of Inquiry. He also had a column called "Randi Speaks" on The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe podcast.

In 2014, a documentary film called An Honest Liar was released. It was about Randi's life, his investigations, and his relationship with his partner, José Alvarez. The film was shown at several festivals and received good reviews. It also aired on PBS in 2016.

In December 2014, Randi visited Australia for a tour. It included screenings of An Honest Liar and talks with Randi.

In 2017, Randi appeared in an animated video on the Holy Koolaid website. He talked about how magicians balance connecting with their audience and tricking them. He said this is a challenge for many magicians.

The One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge

The James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) offered a US$1,000,000 prize. This was for anyone who could show a supernatural ability. The test had to follow scientific rules agreed upon by both sides. This challenge was inspired by similar ones from John Nevil Maskelyne and Houdini.

The foundation started the prize in 1996. Randi put up $1,000 of his own money. The prize grew to $1,000,000 and had official rules. No one ever passed the first test. This test was set up with rules agreed to by Randi and the person claiming powers. Randi would not accept challengers who might get hurt or die during the test.

In 2007, the rules changed. Only people with a well-known media profile and support from a respected academic could apply. This was to avoid wasting JREF's resources on silly claims.

On Larry King Live in 2001, Larry King asked claimed medium Sylvia Browne if she would take the challenge. She agreed. Randi appeared with Browne later, and she seemed to accept again. However, Randi said she never agreed to be tested. The Randi Foundation kept a clock on its website. It showed how many weeks passed since Browne supposedly accepted the challenge. This continued until her death in 2013.

In 2001, Randi challenged another claimed medium, Rosemary Altea, on Larry King Live. She refused to answer if she would take the challenge. She only said there were "cheats and charlatans everywhere." In 2007, they appeared on the show again, and Altea again refused to answer.

In 2007, claimed psychic John Edward was asked about Randi's challenge. Edward joked, "why would I allow myself to be tested by somebody who's got an adjective as a first name?"

Randi asked British businessman Jim McCormick to take the challenge in 2008. McCormick invented the fake ADE 651 bomb detector. Randi called the device "a useless quack device" and "a blatant fraud." McCormick did not respond. The ADE 651 was sold to the Baghdad bomb squad. It was later linked to the deaths of hundreds of people. In 2013, McCormick was found guilty of fraud and sentenced to ten years in prison. Randi was the first to expose this fraud.

A public list of past participants in the Million Dollar Challenge exists. In 2015, the challenge officially ended. This was because Randi retired and was no longer directly involved with the foundation.

Legal Challenges

Randi was involved in several legal disputes. He said he "never paid even one dollar or even one cent to anyone who ever sued me." However, he did pay large amounts to defend himself in these lawsuits.

Uri Geller Lawsuits

Randi met magician Uri Geller in the early 1970s. Randi found Geller charming but believed he was a con artist. Randi began a long effort to expose him. Randi said Geller tried to sue him many times for libel. Geller never won. One Japanese court ordered Randi to pay a tiny amount, but this was later canceled.

In May 1991, Geller sued Randi and CSICOP for $15 million. He claimed slander after Randi told a newspaper that Geller "tricked even reputable scientists." Randi said Geller's tricks were "the kind that used to be on the back of cereal boxes." The court dismissed the case. Geller had to pay $120,000. Randi showed the court a cereal box with instructions on how to do the spoon-bending trick. Geller's lawyer was disbarred during this case. Geller ended up suing his own lawyer.

Other Cases

In 1996, Randi sued a psychic named Earl Gordon Curley for libel. Curley had made bad comments about Randi online. The lawsuit was dropped in 1998 when Curley died.

Allison DuBois, whose life inspired the TV show Medium, threatened to sue Randi. This was for using her photo from her website without permission. Randi removed the photo. He later used a caricature of DuBois when mentioning her.

Sniffex, a company that made a fake bomb detection device, sued Randi and the JREF in 2007. They lost the case. Sniffex sued Randi for his comments after their device failed a government test. The company was later investigated and charged with fraud.

Personal Life

In the 1960s, when Randi hosted his radio show, he lived in a small house. It had a sign that read: "Randi—Charlatan."

In 1987, Randi became a naturalized citizen of the United States. He said one reason was an incident with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. They searched his band's lockers during an Alice Cooper tour.

In February 2006, Randi had coronary artery bypass surgery. He recovered and helped organize The Amaz!ng Meeting in 2007.

Randi was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in June 2009. He had small tumors removed. He announced this at The Amaz!ng Meeting 7. He also said he would start chemotherapy. In April 2010, Randi announced he had a clean bill of health.

Randi married Venezuelan artist José Alvarez (born Deyvi Orangel Peña Arteaga) on July 2, 2013. They were married in Washington. Randi met Alvarez in 1986. They lived in Plantation, Florida.

In October 2017, Randi shared that he had a minor stroke. He was advised by doctors not to travel during his recovery.

James Randi died at his home on October 20, 2020, at age 92. The James Randi Educational Foundation said his death was due to "age-related causes." The Center for Inquiry said Randi "was the public face of skeptical inquiry." They added that he brought "a sense of fun and mischievousness to a serious mission." Kendrick Frazier said Randi was a "kind and gentle man."

Awards and Honors

World Records

The following are Guinness World Records:

• Randi stayed in a sealed casket underwater for one hour and 44 minutes. This broke the record of one hour and 33 minutes set by Harry Houdini in 1926.
• Randi was encased in a block of ice for 55 minutes.

Television and Film Appearances

Publicity material for ITV series "James Randi: Psychic Investigator" produced by Open Media in 1991

With guests on ITV series "James Randi: Psychic Investigator" produced by Open Media in 1991

As an Actor

• Good to See You Again, Alice Cooper (1974) as the Dentist/Executioner
• Ragtime (1981) (stunt coordinator: Houdini)
• Penn & Teller's Invisible Thread (1987) (TV)
• Penn & Teller Get Killed (1989) as the 3rd Rope Holder
• Beyond Desire (1994) as the Coroner

Appearing as Himself

• Wonderama (1959–1967) (TV) as The Amazing Randi
• I've Got a Secret (1965) (TV) as The Amazing Randi
• Sesame Street Test Show 1 (1969) (TV) as The Amazing Randi
• Happy Days – "The Magic Show" (1978) as the Amazing Randi
• Today (many appearances)
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (32 appearances between 1973 and 1993 plus repeats)
• The Oprah Winfrey Show 2 episodes
• Larry King Live (CNN) (June 5, 2001, September 3, 2001, January 26, 2007, several more)
• James Randi: Psychic Investigator (1991) (Open Media series for the ITV network)
• Exploring Psychic Powers ... Live (June 7, 1989; hosted by Bill Bixby)
• An Honest Liar (2014, aired as Exposed: Magicians, Psychics and Frauds on BBC Storyville)

Images for kids

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  With guests on ITV series "James Randi: Psychic Investigator" produced by Open Media in 1991

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  Publicity material for ITV series "James Randi: Psychic Investigator" produced by Open Media in 1991

See also

In Spanish: James Randi para niños

• List of topics characterized as pseudoscience
• Pigasus Award