1. Banachek first came to public attention as a teenager for his role in James Randi's Project Alpha experiment, which exposed the lack of objectivity in parapsychology research.
11 Facts About Banachek
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Banachek is currently a fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, a program of the Center for Inquiry, and the president of JREF.
3.
Banachek was born in England and raised in South Africa and Australia.
4.
Banachek was abandoned at the age of nine in South Africa with his two brothers, aged one and three, and raised them by himself until he was 16.
5.
Banachek was inspired to take up magic after reading The Truth About Uri Geller, a book by magician James Randi that debunked the paranormal claims of Uri Geller, famous for his feats of mentalism, particularly spoon bending.
6.
Banachek collaborated with fellow teenager Michael Edwards on James Randi's Project Alpha experiment at the newly founded McDonnell Laboratory for Psychical Research of Washington University in St Louis.
7.
Banachek later assisted with Randi's investigation into the deceptive practices and false claims of self-proclaimed faith healer Peter Popoff.
8.
Banachek has appeared as himself and produced several television programs and shows, including An Honest Liar, Criss Angel BeLIEve, and Criss Angel Mindfreak.
9.
Banachek demonstrated his ability to bend forks on Unscrewed with Martin Sargent.
10.
Banachek served as director of the JREF Million Dollar Challenge, overseeing numerous tests of supposed psychics, until it was suspended in 2015.
11.
When engaging in mentalism, Banachek provides the disclaimer that his show is "simply entertainment" and that he is not in fact a psychic, a practice that has aroused the ire of other mentalists.