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	'''Martin Gardner''' (21 October 1914 – 22 May 2010) was an American writer on recreational mathematics, magic, and popular science, widely credited as a founding figure of the modern scientific skepticism movement. Though not formally trained as a mathematician, he became one of the 20th century's most influential popularisers of the subject through his long-running ''Mathematical Games'' column for ''Scientific American'', and separately built a parallel reputation as one of the paranormal's most consistent and effective critics.<ref name="neurologica">{{cite web \|title=Martin Gardner 1914-2010 \|url=https://theness.com/neurologicablog/martin-gardner-1914-2010/ \|website=NeuroLogica Blog \|date=24 May 2010}}</ref>		'''Martin Gardner''' (21 October 1914 – 22 May 2010) was an American writer on recreational mathematics, magic, and popular science, widely credited as a founding figure of the modern scientific skepticism movement. Though not formally trained as a mathematician, he became one of the 20th century's most influential popularisers of the subject through his long-running ''Mathematical Games'' column for ''Scientific American'', and separately built a parallel reputation as one of the paranormal's most consistent and effective critics.<ref name="neurologica">{{cite web \|title=Martin Gardner 1914-2010 \|url=https://theness.com/neurologicablog/martin-gardner-1914-2010/ \|website=NeuroLogica Blog \|date=24 May 2010}}</ref>

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GaryJJSpate: Created page with "{{PersonInfobox |name=Martin Gardner |born=21 October 1914, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA |died=22 May 2010, Norman, Oklahoma, USA |occupation=Writer, mathematics populariser, magician |known_for=''Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science''; co-founding CSICOP; the ''Mathematical Games'' column |status=Deceased }} '''Martin Gardner''' (21 October 1..."

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Created page with "{{PersonInfobox |name=Martin Gardner |born=21 October 1914, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA |died=22 May 2010, Norman, Oklahoma, USA |occupation=Writer, mathematics populariser, magician |known_for=''Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science''; co-founding CSICOP; the ''Mathematical Games'' column |status=Deceased }} '''Martin Gardner''' (21 October 1..."

New page

{{PersonInfobox
|name=Martin Gardner
|born=21 October 1914, [[Tulsa]], [[:Category:Oklahoma|Oklahoma]], [[:Category:United States of America|USA]]
|died=22 May 2010, [[Norman]], [[:Category:Oklahoma|Oklahoma]], [[:Category:United States of America|USA]]
|occupation=Writer, mathematics populariser, magician
|known_for=''Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science''; co-founding CSICOP; the ''Mathematical Games'' column
|status=Deceased
}}

'''Martin Gardner''' (21 October 1914 – 22 May 2010) was an American writer on recreational mathematics, magic, and popular science, widely credited as a founding figure of the modern scientific skepticism movement. Though not formally trained as a mathematician, he became one of the 20th century's most influential popularisers of the subject through his long-running ''Mathematical Games'' column for ''Scientific American'', and separately built a parallel reputation as one of the paranormal's most consistent and effective critics.<ref name="neurologica">{{cite web |title=Martin Gardner 1914-2010 |url=https://theness.com/neurologicablog/martin-gardner-1914-2010/ |website=NeuroLogica Blog |date=24 May 2010}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Gardner was born in [[Tulsa]], Oklahoma, to petroleum geologist James Henry Gardner and Montessori-trained teacher Willie Wilkerson Spiers, who taught him to read before he started school.<ref name="handwiki">{{cite web |title=Martin Gardner |url=https://handwiki.org/wiki/Biography:Martin_Gardner |website=HandWiki}}</ref> He earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of Chicago.<ref name="nbc">{{cite web |title=Mathemagician Martin Gardner dies |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/wbna37301801 |website=NBC News}}</ref> Despite his later reputation, Gardner readily acknowledged he was never formally a mathematician — he completed calculus and little further formal training — a point of some good-natured dispute among the many working mathematicians who credited him with shaping their careers.<ref name="skepticblog">{{cite web |title=Martin Gardner 1914-2010 |url=https://www.skepticblog.org/2010/05/24/martin-gardner-1914-2010/ |website=SkepticBlog}}</ref>

== Mathematical Games ==
From 1956 to 1981, Gardner wrote the ''Mathematical Games'' column for ''Scientific American'', through which he became, by wide consensus, the 20th century's foremost populariser of recreational mathematics, alongside other notable works including ''The Annotated Alice''.<ref name="famousscientists">{{cite web |title=Martin Gardner - Biography, Facts and Pictures |url=https://www.famousscientists.org/martin-gardner/ |website=Famous Scientists}}</ref>

== ''Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science'' ==
Gardner's 1952 book ''In the Name of Science'', substantially revised and reissued in 1957 as ''Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science'', is regarded as the founding text of the modern skeptical movement.<ref name="cfi">{{cite web |title=Remembering Martin Gardner |url=https://centerforinquiry.org/blog/remembering_martin_gardner/ |website=Center for Inquiry}}</ref> The book systematically examined a wide range of pseudoscientific movements and claims, including Fletcherism, Lamarckism, dowsing, the writings of Charles Fort, Rudolf Steiner's teachings, Dianetics, the Bates method, UFOs, [[Extrasensory Perception|extra-sensory perception]], and [[Psychokinesis]].<ref name="scientificlib">{{cite web |title=Martin Gardner |url=https://www.scientificlib.com/en/Mathematics/Biographies/MartinGardner.html |website=ScientificLib}}</ref> Gardner also identified recurring behavioural patterns common to pseudoscientists — among them a tendency to view themselves as unjustly persecuted, comparing themselves to historical figures such as Galileo or Copernicus.<ref name="famousscientists" /> Gardner followed the book with further critical works, including ''Science: Good, Bad, and Bogus'' (1981).<ref name="neurologica" />

== Founding CSICOP ==
In 1976, Gardner joined [[Ray Hyman]], [[James Randi]], and [[Paul Kurtz]] in founding the [[Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal]] (CSICOP), now the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI).<ref name="handwiki" /> He went on to write a regular column for ''Skeptical Inquirer'' until his retirement from it in 2002, and was described as "the single most powerful antagonist of the paranormal in the second half of the 20th century."<ref name="satsblog">{{cite web |title=Martin Gardner |url=http://www.skepticalaboutskeptics.org/investigating-skeptics/whos-who-of-media-skeptics/martin-gardner/ |website=Skeptical About Skeptics}}</ref> His interest in stage magic, a lifelong hobby, informed much of his criticism of psychical research, which frequently centred on the possibility of deliberate cheating rather than purely statistical argument — including published critiques of self-described psychic [[Uri Geller]].<ref name="nbc" /><ref name="satsblog" /> His public writing style was frequently described as sharp, derisive, and personal, earning him considerable and lasting antagonism from figures in fringe science and New Age movements.<ref name="handwiki" />

Despite this reputation, Gardner was not an atheist — unusually among prominent sceptics of his generation, his scepticism of the paranormal coexisted with a personal theism, professing belief in a creator God while remaining critical of organised religion.<ref name="satsblog" /><ref name="scientificlib" />

== Public profile ==
Gardner was famously shy and avoided public speaking and lecture appearances throughout his life, reportedly declining honours that would have required him to appear in person to accept them. He nonetheless attended the first two "Gathering for Gardner" events organised by admirers in 1993 and 1996, and appeared without presenting at a CSICOP Executive Council meeting in Tampa Bay, Florida, in 1989.<ref name="cfi" />

== Death ==
Gardner died on 22 May 2010, aged 95, at Norman Regional Hospital in [[Norman]], Oklahoma, following a brief illness.<ref name="nbc" /> [[James Randi]], a longtime friend of some 50 years, described him as "a very bright spot in my firmament."<ref name="neurologica" />

== See also ==
* [[Skepticism]]
* [[Ray Hyman]]
* [[James Randi]]
* [[Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal]]
* [[Uri Geller]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://centerforinquiry.org/blog/remembering_martin_gardner/ Center for Inquiry — Remembering Martin Gardner]
* [https://www.lindahall.org/about/news/scientist-of-the-day/martin-gardner/ Linda Hall Library — Martin Gardner]

[[Category:Researchers]]

Martin Gardner - Revision history

GaryJJSpate at 01:02, 4 August 2026

GaryJJSpate at 01:02, 4 August 2026

GaryJJSpate at 18:00, 29 July 2026

GaryJJSpate: /* External links */