We had the contents for this issue all planned, edited, and in proofs when the news came of the death of our dear friend and colleague James “The Amazing” Randi. His has been the strongest single voice of skepticism worldwide for a half century. Although just five days from deadline, we quickly changed plans. We asked some of Randi’s closest friends and associates in the skeptic and magic communities to share their memories. It is a measure of their love for Randi that we received virtually all of them by our deadline. I offer my own stories on Randi’s amazing life and legacy in the lead article.
As I write, we are still sifting through collections of great photos of Randi. Tyler Measom, creator of An Honest Liar, the fine feature-length documentary film about Randi, generously gave us access to that project’s still photos. Deyvi Peña, Randi’s husband (an artist and a wonderful person himself), kindly allowed us to use some of his own portraits of Randi. At this point, we still have no idea how much space our special Remembering Randi section will take up in the magazine or exactly how it is going to look, but we are committed to publishing an issue that does Randi proud.
From the seventeen tributes published here, you will learn much about Randi you didn’t know. You’ll hear about Randi’s phenomenal impact on skepticism and about his deep personal connections with so many people. You’ll hear about his kindness. You’ll learn from Penn & Teller how Randi proved, among other things, that you can be skeptical without being cynical and that being a skeptic is great fun. You’ll hear from Massimo Polidoro (who apprenticed with Randi) and Jamy Ian Swiss on how Randi mentored them; from Jim Alcock and Barry Karr on some of our extraordinary experiences traveling with Randi; from Harriet Hall on how Randi was like Harry Potter’s Dumbledore in so many uncanny ways … but better; from Chip Denman on helping start up Randi’s foundation; from Amardeo Sarma on how Randi’s help was so critical in starting his skeptic group in Germany and other European skeptic groups; from Bill Nye on how at a national science teachers’ conference Randi proceeded to steal the show—and in fact steal all sorts of things but then give them all back. And so on. It is sad to have to say goodbye to such a beloved and impactful figure. But we must, and we do.
Randi wasn’t the only noted skeptic we lost in the past few months. Psychology professor Scott Lilienfeld (page 10) was only fifty-nine; he was a longtime member of our Executive Council and an effective force for skepticism toward dubious claims in clinical and pop psychology. He was a great friend to the Skeptical Inquirer and remained active to the end. At the time of his death, his typically thoughtful article touting the merits of intellectual humility was our cover article.
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The sun also rises. We are proud to announce in this issue the election of ten new fellows of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Our congratulations to Jann Johnson Bellamy, Kenny Biddle, Timothy Caulfield, William M. London, Matthew C. Nisbet, Natalia Pasternak, James Underdown, Joseph Uscinski, Bertha Vazquez, and Mick West. They represent a new and vibrant generation of skeptics who are carrying on all the traditions of advancing science and reason.
—Kendrick Frazier