On Randi

This is a bit old hat, but this post by Massimo Pigliucci on James “The Amazing” Randi and his not-so-sensible post on Anthropogenic Climate Change is worth reading. The comments thread especially.

Comments

Amazing. He uses all the Creationist tricks, with a straight face. Was that dull thud I just heard the sound of his reputation falling to the floor, or was it the collapse of scepticism?

Yes. I’m being interviewed as part of a new, New Zealand-centric, podcast and if I get a chance I plan to bring it up. The comments over at the JREF are informative; basically, people are saying that not only do you not need to be an expert in a field to have a qualified opinion but that experts shouldn’t be trusted anyway, which, as you say, really does sound like the Intelligent Design advocates.