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From: davet@oakhill.UUCP (Dave Trissel)
Newsgroups: net.philosophy,net.physics
Subject: Re: Comment about Uri Geller
Message-ID: <447@oakhill.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 7-Jun-85 04:14:09 EDT
Article-I.D.: oakhill.447
Posted: Fri Jun  7 04:14:09 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 9-Jun-85 03:13:07 EDT
References: <470@nmtvax.UUCP> <1289@amdcad.UUCP> <1899@ut-sally.UUCP>
Reply-To: davet@oakhill.UUCP (Dave Trissel)
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[...If someone can mail me how to cause followup to another newsgroup...]

In article <636@digi-g.UUCP> brian@digi-g.UUCP (brian) writes:
>
>First, if he really can do this stuff, why does he need to fake things?
>Fakery would make ALL of his stunts suspect. ...

To parphrase your question: "Why doesn't he realize that fakery would cause
people to disbelieve him?"

Actually there are several question to ask which in my opinion come about
because of what a enigmatic person Uri is:

    Since he is known to have done amateur magician stuff why would he go onto
    the Tonight show and horribly fail?  Any magician worth his salt would
    certainly have his act together which means avoiding the embarassment of
    failing in front of an audience, let alone an entire network show.  Any
    number of conclusions could be drawn from him being an extremely poor
    excuse for a magician, or he is just crazy, or his "powers" (if any) only
    work at erratic times e.t.c.

    Another question would be what is he doing now?  Did his "powers" leave,
    or is he tired of using them, or tired of fooling people if he never had
    them?

    Take the time he was caught placing a picture into an aquarium by my
    friends.  Is he just that stupid?  If so how could he fool so many?
    Was he trying to act like he is stupid so nobody would try to accuse
    him of having the smarts to even try to fool people?  (In other words
    appear to be a bungler?)

Lots of reasons can be suggested.  My own opinion is that his gigantic ego
won't let him fail.  He is extremely hyperactive (or at least was when he
was in Austin several years ago.)  I actually think that the pressures he
feels (felt) make him act slightly out to lunch to begin with.  I think he
is psychologically forced to make something happen if no paranormal results
look like they are going to occur.  .

>acts almost always recall it slightly differently, saying "he never handled
>the object" when, say, he picked it up after it fell on the floor, etc.

Indeed, even though my friends (most of them) that were with Uri are quite
excellent observers, it was impossible for me to challenge them within the
same day of what they oberved.  By the time I got to them they had told their
versions to enough people that very likely what one person didn't remember
initially they thought they remembered later on.  Thus, the reliability of
their statements must be reduced.

>                 ...                                         By the way,
>James (The Amazing) Randi has bent spoons that electron microscopes can't
>figure out, either.  But then, that's not what electron microscopes are for.

I have only heard of Randi making this claim but no corroberative testamony. I
would appreciate it if you have any more details if you would mail them to me.

Dave Trissel    {ihnp4,seismo}!ut-sally!oakhill!davet