Magicians and Science
Magicians are perhaps the best qualified to discern fact from fiction
Sharing two great examples of magicians who have debunked scientific charlatans.
Penn & Teller on Vaccines and Autism
The Amazing Randi Takes a Fatal Homeopathic Dose
Randi was involved in a 1988 paper in Nature about homeopathic claims of “water memory,” which was published with qualification. Editors and reviewers could find nothing wrong with the science, so the editors brought in Randi to observe as the scientists tried to recreate the experiment. He figured out quickly how they were “breaking the blind.” He reblinded the experiment, hiding some key information in a foil-wrapped packet and placing it in the ceiling. The experiments then failed spectacularly, and the paper was retracted.
Magicians know how to fool people. Harry Houdini was the first modern magician to debunk fakes and frauds, and the tradition continues. For more about Randi’s debunking, there is a good article here and another here.