in 1974 a man was unexpectedly challenged on live television to guess
the content of a sealed envelope and then bend a solid stainless steel spoon.
incredibly he was able to do both. His name? No not Uri Geller but James Randi.
Today, at Stranger Stories we will see Randi perform that incredible
feat and then we'll learn how he did it. Let's go!
Welcome, my name is Massimo Polidoro and for the most part of my life I've been
investigating phenomena that appeared to be strange and mysterious.
But often, things are not what they seem. Every two weeks we will investigate a
new mystery that, upon close examination, may turn out to be somewhat different
from what it appeared to be. If you are like me and you too want to
learn how to discern fact from fiction I invite you to subscribe to my channel in
order not to miss the next episodes. So click on the red button and the little
bell and then... let's begin.
In the early 1970s a young Israeli psychic Uri Geller,
was convincing half the world that he possessed extraordinary psychic powers
that allowed him to perform inexplicable demonstrations. He could bend spoons and
forks just by gently stroking them and he could guess drawings hidden inside
sealed envelopes. He was able to convince scientists that his abilities were real
and he soon became a darling of the talk-shows circuits. But not everyone was
easily convinced. Among them magician and skeptic James Randi who had observed
closely Geller's demonstrations and thought they were not psychic at all.
He soon started duplicating the same stunts, revealing tricks that could be used,
so that scientists could be better equipped at spotting possible deceptions. However
soon Geller stopped performing in the laboratories and preferred to lecture or go
on TV. Randi too went on television, but his
hosts were not always the sympathetic to his work and, in one occasion, something
very unexpected took place. Something that could have ruined Randi's reputation...
In November 1974, Randi was invited to be a guest of a Canadian TV show titled
"ESPspecial People" on the global television network. The host was journalist Alan Spraggett,
a strong believer in the paranormal, and the main subject of the
talk show was going to be the hottest psychic topic of the moment, Uri Geller
of course. Spraggett was convinced that Geller was the real thing and that
Randi, by claiming that he could duplicate his feats, was only a bragging
skeptic, unable to really do what he claimed. Randi accepted to be on the
show but only on the condition that he would not be asked to perform any magic.
It was clear that, to prove his point, Spraggett
would never allow Randi the friendly atmosphere and relaxed conditions that
Geller received almost wherever he went. And, since these easygoing manners were
essential in order to "prepare" for the wonders that would later be shown on
camera, it was pointless for Randi to even try to demonstrate anything.
Spraggett accepted Randi's caveat and invited him only to check about the paranormal.
Or so it seemed...
The day of the show, Randi arrived very late, along with his assistant Moses Figueroa.
They were both soaking wet from a heavy
rain and were immediately escorted to the control room, where they dried off a bit.
Walter B. Gibson—a friend of Houdini and
the author of the famous Shadow detective stories - was present in the
control room, along with two other program guests. An interview was already
underway so Randi waited for his turn. "I was not particularly apprehensive",
he said, "since I was not under any pressure to perform, and was there only to be interviewed."
Randi was soon introduced in the studio, and the interview started.
They were only a few minutes into it when Spraggett
started pressuring Randi for a performance. If he was so good a magician,
Spraggett said, and if Geller was using magic tricks, Randi should be able to
do the same things right on the spot. When it was quite furious, though he had
said that he would not perform, Spraggett was demanding Randi do so under quite
impossible conditions. Suddenly, Spraggett took two oversized, heavy sturdy spoons
from his desk and challenged Randi to bend them. They were not at all similar
to the spoons that Geller had bent for Spraggett.
Without ever letting them go, Spraggett held the handles of the spoons and Randi
lightly stroke the bowls. Then, the journalist discarded one spoon and they
concentrated on the other. Spraggett agreed that at no time did Randi
put undue pressure on them. After a moment, the spoon suddenly seemed to
become like plastic, sheared off, and broke into two pieces.
Spraggett lost some colour in his face. "The spoons", private self, trying to find
an explanation for what had happened, "the spoon was bent as you were picking it up
and and and this is a phenomenon of course of in previously bending it so
that there is a stress point, and then with a bit of leverage, it it separates
quite neatly". In fact, as can be seen on the video recording of the show, Randi
never had a chance to hold the spoons in his hands
Spraggett held them the entire time, and Randi the only stroked
the bowls. Spraggett's explanation made no sense.
Next, Spraggett produced a nail from his pocket, but Randi "passed" on this test. The
journalist got some color back on his face, but it wasn't there for long. There
is a technique that's used, in con games in which the con artist wins a little,
then loses, and then seems ready to lose very big in order to really in the
victim. On the nail Randi appeared to be losing his edge,
but, in truth, he was getting ready to pull the fish into his net.
Spraggett reached into his inner pocket and extracted an envelope, sealed with
transparent tape. He explained that he had made a drawing 24 hours before, in
the privacy of his own home, and then sealed it in the envelope, which he had
kept in his jacket pocket. Geller had been able to reproduce a drawing under
those conditions. "Now" he said to Randi, "let's see you do that!"
"And if I could do it, what would you say?" ask Randi. "I would be very impressed. I'd
be extremely impressed". "But would you be impressed enough to say that I'm a psychic?"
"I don't know. I would have to consider that. But I would certainly say
that you're a hell of a lot better magician than I think you are!".
Wait a minute Randi countered. "You say that
Uri Geller is a psychic because he did this. Now, if I were able to do it, would you
say I'm a psychic?" " you do it and I'll say that the Amazing Randi has amazed me".
Spraggett evaded the question and allowed Randi to hold the envelope between his
hands for only 10 seconds, as he had allowed Geller to do. After the 10
seconds, Randi asked for a pad and a felt-tip marker and made a drawing,
allowing the camera a peak in order to show that it was really making the
drawing at a time. When he was finished it placed it face down on the table and
asked: "Would you like to open the envelope, Alan? Spraggett did so and
removed and unfolded a small sheet of blue paper revealing a drawing of a
tugboat with two decks, on the waves, with a single smokestack billowing smoke to
the right. "Am I a psychic if I have reproduced at, Alan? Yes or no?"
asked Randi. "If you have reproduced it, you're quite extraordinary". "But I'm
not a psychic?". "You are extraordinary I'd have to consider". Randi show this
drawing identical in every respect to the once Spraggett had drawn twenty-four hours
earlier. The journalist turned pale again. His attempt at debunking Randi
had backfired on him. "Am I extraordinary, Alan?" Randi asked.
"That's . . . quite extraordinary, Randi." "Have I proved
anything to you?" "Look, we have to take a break. . . ." And when the break was over,
Spraggett claimed he could easily figure out how Randi had done it, and in fact
he would probably have the answer in an hour. However, he was never able to do it.
Not in an hour, a day, or 48 years! And now for the very first time on
camera, here is the secret of that quite extraordinary trick.
When I first met Randi now 30 years ago, one of the first things that I asked him
was how on earth had he been able to pull off that stunt on sprocket show I
read about it and had seen the interview when it was shown on Italian television
doing a series on parapsychology by journalist Piero Angela by the way
that's the same clip I have shown you because the original in English seems to
be lost and in case any viewer knows better I hurt her or him to get in touch
with me I could not think of any trick used by magicians that could allow such
an incredible feat well Massimo Randy said I knew sprocket quite well and I
was quite sure that it was not going to play by the rules if he said he was not
going to ask me to perform I could quite confidently expect that he
was going to play some tricks on me then I had to be prepared and the solution is
quite surprising some time ago on a performance together
I asked brandy to explain how we did it
it's a complicated story but I said all the way out there running all my checks
I was with my assistant Wilson speaker law he got very lucky
action because when I drove in from Buffalo to present some that not her
fault okay to torture ah it started to rain like I have never
seen so I said that most of us I say the lane is very good this would be good
this direction the children's got it we had to run for the door to the studios
there was a guard sitting there would read it is and hash just to sign the
book I said we're supposed to speak with mr. spread it and I named it that time
on the clock that I was supposed to meet and I was supposed to be there at 3
o'clock but was there I told me that there was a time
difference between the United States Canada I was far too early
oh I'm very sorry I said however I will sign in out I'll come back later but I
would like to go and see so I can see the studio just to take a look at the
studio and my assistant Moses kept the guard busy with conversation and I
scurried down the corridor and looked into the studio window but I saw Paul
Rodriguez and then the other people in the program and I saw that mr. sprat was
very busy walking at them on camera I got compounded I saw at your sake I'll
inscribe your signal
locked in there was this big up there there was a briefcase there everything
was all made of durable product applause I don't think of an attache case there
was a beautiful antique school dirty fail to wonder she's not there and I
also saw a sealed envelope now I knew that he was trying to track me Lee and
already sent out the toggle no seals on long trips no bending spoon or nothing
like that and oh no but even lied to me I had
discovered that so I quickly took this beautiful big silver spoon the kids took
the on goal and I looked into her and I saw the same hospital to the drawers so
I just tore my pocket look at the drawing another so high blows oh but I
have heard that down the curtain closes of talking but preparing and I said when
whoa he's busy in the studio you can't see us now so let's go and have
something to eat so we went out into the rain again went to the car but haven't
said this too sometimes whoever it is up there or down there I'm
not sure of liturgy but if I call sometimes they smile on big issues it's
not over the car then
he was in uniform wipe the other girl he went inside he saw the dark clothes and
we saw the first guy the one that we had spoken with we saw him come on and get
into his car and drive away they were changing the shifts how do you say Oh
hallelujah we were very happy to see that because we do that the second guard
had never met us he didn't know who we were when we walked in and we were all
set so we just waited for a certain period of time to the car but being very
careful now remember I'm thinking I'm not letting things happen easily are
automatically as a magician I have to think a little bit ahead so what the two
of us did we stood outside until he was back in the ring so we walked in to see
the guard with you all right now who didn't know who we were we stepped over
to the guard they said Oh exclaims that means that he was weighted remember that
to see that we were wet and we had just arrived from the car that wasn't true
but that's what he would say after and again them the gods who looked after the
dishes we're still working was still working hard I don't know who he is or
one even tweet there she got go home but he walked out in the hall and we're
going down the hall all the way on his bike and he walked out of the studio he
so the program took place under those conditions that's why I was bragging
said they pulled out this big spoon I'm pretending to be surprised
well I thought we wanted to do this but I knew very well I was already ahead of
him by about 200 kilometres so when the spoon broke pilots private space but he
very quickly recovered and then he said ah but we set this envelope here and he
was he knew he would succeed with the envelope and so I made the drawing but
there was one cameraman looking over my shoulder trying to get a picture
secretly the videotape and I was constantly doing this recording them and
made the drawing it's exactly what he had originally drawn the tugboat with
the wings in pledge and when we took that to spread it he just made it sound
just like that it was a quick
of course as Randi usually did when he intended to prove his point and in this
case the point was that a television reporter as good as he could be
is no match for a good magician he left the chance for his puzzle to be solved
there was at least one way to get a clue as to how Randi did it someone may have
questioned the guard who had been on duty and Randi arrived in order to find
out whether Randi had been at the studio before if so the guard could only have
said no however at some honest the morning shift guard as well run this
trick might have been discovered the fact is that no one ever questioned that
guard if sprocket never checked all of the
possible trails in order to find a solution to the mystery that had baffled
him one can be pretty sure that he never bothered to look for alternatives to the
paranormal explanation when he met Laura Geller and other psychics he didn't
think he needed to he had already decided that paranormal was real and how
is it must have been then for Geller and the others to perform their miracles not
surprisingly the show it Randi was not broadcast on the day that previously had
been announced it was delayed by a week and two weeks later the station suddenly
canceled the entire special people series it seems that just a single very
special person had been enough to knock ESP off of that network I am Massimo
Paula Dora and I thank you for having watch this first episode of stranger
stories and I invite you to subscribe to my channel we'll meet again in two weeks
with another very unusual strange story
if you are interested in psychic trickery and how deception works you can
find some useful information in the links you will find in the description
below tell me what you think of this video leave a comment and point out
other strange stories you would like me to investigate
I'll do my best to accommodate you until next time
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