Quick hpathy query

[Tom Morris]

I'm just reading up on Benveniste in detail and I'm interested if anyone has any information from interviews that have taken part with Sir John Maddox where he mentioned why he chose Randi. I mean, I know why. But I want to know how and why Maddox chose Randi.

 

[Chris Haynes]

Hmmm... good question. But I think that it is also not the first time. I plugged "Maddox" in the the JREF's search on the main page and got this commentary:
http://www.randi.org/jr/01-13-2000.html

In it there is this paragraph (which I snipped parts out of):

"This is a very expected academic reaction. In July of 1988, when I was invited by Nature Magazine to visit the INSERM (the French national health service) laboratory at Clamart in the company of Walter Stewart of the US National Institutes of Health, and Sir John Maddox, then editor of Nature, to investigate tests of homeopathy that had appeared to yield highly significant positive results, .......... A much more detailed account than has ever been published before about this episode will appear in one of my next books, "A Magician in the Laboratory."

This seems to indicate that the visit to Benveniste's lab was not the first time Randi was called by Maddox --- and that there is a more complete explanation in one of Randi's latest books.

editted for spelling

 

[Rolfe]

This is also mentioned in a book I have about the Cold Fusion saga (a paper Maddox rejected, possibly because he regretted having published Benveniste less than a year previously). There it is mentioned that Randi is a fellow of some august institute by virtue of his reputation for being able to spot dodgy experiments. It was implied that he was invited in his capacity as a fellow of that institute. (Sorry, I don't have access to the book at the moment - maybe someone else knows what I'm talking about better than I do.)

Rolfe.

 

[BillHoyt]

This seems to indicate that the visit to Benveniste's lab was not the first time Randi was called by Maddox --- and that there is a more complete explanation in one of Randi's latest books.

editted for spelling

Neither is it the first time magicians have been used by scientists for these kinds of purposes. Early last century, Harry Houdini served on Scientific American's investigating committee and was called upon to investigate many paranormal claims that fooled scientists. His practiced eye for sleight-of-hand was critical to exposing tricks. Like JREF, that SciAm committee offered a cash prize for proof of the paranormal. Like JREF, it never had to pay a penny.

 

[Soapy Sam]

Rolfe- might that be Bob Park's "Voodoo Science"?

 

[Rolfe]

No - John Huizenga's book.

Rolfe.