Randi’s Project Alpha deception at the McDonnell Laboratory

Record summary

Magicians Steve Shaw and Michael Edwards, working with James Randi, gained access to the McDonnell Laboratory and produced apparently paranormal effects while concealing simple conjuring methods. The episode, publicized as Project Alpha, exposed weaknesses in laboratory security and participant handling. It is a particularly valuable comparison case because it does not merely dispute a result; it demonstrates how inadequate controls can allow ordinary deception to survive inside a research setting. The controversy also raised ethical questions about whether researchers should be warned before a deception test.