Welcome to the first installment of Notes from the Classroom. This will be a regular feature at randi.org highlighting some of our education-related programs, events, and resources. This week, we're announcing a new workshop in the Washington, D.C. area and the publication of James Randi's The Truth About Uri Gellar.
How do you tell the best place to dig a well? Or locate utility pipes under the pavement? Or even detect hidden explosives? For hundreds of years, rural water witches and their urban counterparts have used pendulums and dowsing rods to seek knowledge, resources and treasure. What are they doing and why does it sometimes seem to work?
To find out, join us Sunday, Sept. 25 at the University of Maryland for The Science of Divination: What they DON’T teach at Hogwarts. This 3-hour hands-on workshop will cover the history, current application, and construction of divination devices, presented from a skeptical perspective, and featuring the research of James Randi on the topic. The workshop will emphasize how paranormal beliefs like dowsing are not trivial, and have real-world implications. Participants will make both pendulums and dowsing rods, and devise randomized, double-blinded trials to test their effectiveness.
This event is presented by the JREF in cooperation with the UMD Society of Inquiry, and the National Capital Area Skeptics. Registration is $10 (free for students and members of participating organizations). Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information or visit the event page to register.
We have also been busy with a number of digital publishing projects including the first digital edition of James Randi’s The Truth about Uri Geller to iBooks (iOS devices), the Kindle, and the Nook.
This classic, formerly known as The Magic of Uri Geller, challenges Uri Geller's assertion that he performs paranormal feats. Randi explores Geller's background as a stage magician, and explains how Geller's spoon bending can be easily reproduced by any magician using sleight of hand. It can be downloaded at the special price of $6.99 from the following sites: