I recently found this set of videos from Richard Dawkins' TV program "The Enemies of Reason", where he interviews Derren Brown about mediums and psychics, especially their use of cold reading and blatant manipulation of their subject - something Derren can do better than anyone I know of, and without any bullshit claims to psychic powers.

http://uk.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=55A986E56B106611

It was a good program. I liked the blatant rationalizing from the failed water diviners. The lady who went on about reshaping Dawkins' DNA with her mind was good value too.

It was a good program. I liked the blatant rationalizing from the failed water diviners. The lady who went on about reshaping Dawkins' DNA with her mind was good value too.

I never actually saw the programs themselves, just this interview. I'd love to see that woman claim that to Dawkins' face. Does she even know what DNA is? Was she trying to give him cancer or something?

:bs:

I never actually saw the programs themselves, just this interview. I'd love to see that woman claim that to Dawkins' face. Does she even know what DNA is? Was she trying to give him cancer or something?

:bs: Looks like most of the program is on YT. Here's the crazy woman:
YouTube - R Dawkins The Enemies Of Reason Part 2 The Irrational Health Service1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L87VXNj41EA)

From about the 3min mark.

"The Enemies of Reason"
How dramatic.

Randi just issued the One Million Dollar Challenge for a "no touch" knock out.

Letter section of this month's Black Belt has an interesting whine about it.....

Randi just issued the One Million Dollar Challenge for a "no touch" knock out.


Link? This should be awesome.

Randi just issued the One Million Dollar Challenge for a "no touch" knock out.

Letter section of this month's Black Belt has an interesting whine about it.....

I read that earlier this morning. I love how he basically says:

Yeah it [no touch KO's] didn't work a whole bunch of times, if we approach it scientifically and ignore all the people it doesn't work on and keep trying until we have convincing numbers - it'll have a great track record.

Then some more crap about how physical skills diminish over time. Yeah, totally, to the point where no one should ever bother learning anything physical ever. I recall reading from Saulo's book "Jiu Jitsu University" about how he went and trained with Helio Gracie (while Saulo was in his prime) and could not 'beat' him no matter how hard he tried because of how Helio forced Saulo into playing his game - submission or bust.

Point is, screw Matt Brown from Penacook, NH with his pot belly and his 8th Dan in Dillman Karate.

I read that earlier this morning. I love how he basically says:

[...]
Do you have a link -- or is it short enough that you can cite -- what he actually said? I predict that it will be vastly more amusing when coached in the original pretentiousness.

I love the part, and they all pull this, where he claims Randi isn't going to give him a fair test.

How could he "rig" it to fail? Either you can do it or you can't. Randi is going to send out "counter ki waves?"

It's all so stupid....

Randi's tests are always set up by Randi and his team together with the claimant; test protocols are agreed upon, not imposed. So, yes -- not just absurd, but in fact dishonest.

The response is almost a full page. I'll look for a link.

So far I've found nothing online. P. 18 Black Belt Magazine. March 2009.

Then some more crap about how physical skills diminish over time. What's even funnier is how it is a "secret" and all the "old" masters are able to perform it at will.

I must read this whiny article.

You know old master goes in bippity boppity boo everyone is down with out a drop of tea being spilled.

Randi just issued the One Million Dollar Challenge for a "no touch" knock out.

Letter section of this month's Black Belt has an interesting whine about it.....
YouTube - Derren Brown - One Inch Punch - Kung Fu - NLP (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLw8SVpoN5U)

Of course there's no way he'd say it was anything like ki or cobblers like that.

I love the instructors WTF face at about 2:35.:dontknow:

I'll give you guys two quotes from his article:

"The original...and current goal of the no-touch knockout was to prove that this energy and skill exist. How can we ever learn or grow if we don't experiment? How can we push the boundaries of our potential if we don't open our minds to the possibility that there are things in this world that exist but cannot be explained yet? For how many centuries ahs science been trying to prove the existence of chi while Asian cultures simply accept it?" - Matt Brown

I love how he generalizes it that "Asian cultures" accept chi. So...Thai people, Japanese people, Vietnamese and Korean people all accept it? Laotians? Filipinos? I know, Pacific Islanders is more proper for the latter two, my point stands. That's a load of ****.

Last one:

"What if it does really exist? What if in the future, many people can do it? Over time, physical skills diminish..." - Matt Brown

The last part is classic. Right, so instead of learning physical skills, we should jump on the mind over matter bandwagon to the furthest possible extreme. Ridiculous.

I will also note that he mentions James Randi's $1 million challenge and says that it isn't science - since a bunch of crazies that aren't legit will try it since they have nothing to lose which will beef up the statistics in the favor of the skeptics. He's leaving out the fact that odds are, James isn't going to let just anyone try it and won't try it, say, many times. I'd love to see Dillman get in front of the camera and embarass himself again, not that he doesn't do that constantly as is.

Near the middle, he mentions the infamous National Geographic disaster and again, says it's not science, because the 'scientist' wasn't carefully chosen and yadda yadda yadda. Next thing you know, he'll criticize that insane ghost-talkin' Kiai master that got TKO'd by that 'mma' dude because challenge matches aren't science.

Anyway, if I can find a link, I'll post it. Otherwise, I assure you all, the letter really just reads like a whining five-year-old with decent grammar.

No mention of toe up, toe down. ;)

Why isn't this in YMAS, by the way? It's Martial Art-BS related.