Comments on: Jerry Andrus has died

By: Daniel Sylvester

Daniel Sylvester — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:49:20 +0000

I just recently came upon this blog and even though it has been quite some time since the last entry, not to mention Jerrys death. I could not pass up the chance to say something about this great friend of mine. I met Jerry andrus back in the late 80s and we became instant friends. I had never met someone who was so much like me in many ways. For the next 20 years or so we debated on subjects great and small and shared our magic inventions and theories about the nature of the universe and the limitations of human perception. I am so touched now, to see that Jerry’s work/play, ideas and creations have found there way into the hearts and minds of so many others.

Thank you all and thank you Jerry!

With warmest affection,
Daniel Sylvester “the Jester”

By: Lola

Lola — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:11:25 +0000

Check out the wonderful documentary done about Jerry Andrus: http://www.myspace.com/athingofwonder

By: henster » Blog Archive » 3D Her Zaman GÃ¶rÃ¼ndÃ¼ÄŸÃ¼ Gibimidir

henster » Blog Archive » 3D Her Zaman GÃ¶rÃ¼ndÃ¼ÄŸÃ¼ Gibimidir — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 22:01:33 +0000

[...] geÃ§tiÄŸimiz gÃ¼nlerde hayatÄ±nÄ± kaybetmiÅŸ.Ã‡ok zeki ve iyi bir illuzyonist olduÄŸu sÃ¶yleniyor. Åžurada gÃ¶rdÃ¼ÄŸÃ¼m haberde.Ä°nsanlarÄ± inandÄ±rabilmek iÃ§in persfektifi en uygun ÅŸekillerde kullanan [...]

By: Zirconman

Zirconman — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 17:40:16 +0000

At the last Skeptic society meeting at Caltech, my son, girlfriend and I met Jerry and Mike Gilmore at the hotel on the first day, and carpooled over to the campus to attend the lectures and such. We got to help set up his illusions, and wound up acting as impromptu assistants for the event, and helped demonstrate some of his amazing little machinery.
After the evening concluded on both nights, we went to the hotel bar for refreshments ( Jerry only had O.J. ) and he regaled us with his poetry, song lyrics, and pictures of his inventions. He was a wonderful man who was a part of the dying breed of people who can do almost everything technical, mechanical, electrical, etc., one of those people who can see what the finished product will look like before he starts building it.
I have been fascinated by his illusions for many years, and the few hours we spent with him are times I will recall and treasure for the rest of my days.

Thank you, Jerry…

By: voxy

voxy — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 19:15:12 +0000

Hello and thanks for this bit of revelation on Mr. Andrus who I feel sure I have seen in dozens of places and took for granted. Darn, you always think there is time.
I think he was a walking miracle and your description is very appropriate.
Thanks for the words.

By: KaiYeves

KaiYeves — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 18:10:20 +0000

I’m a bit younger than you, BA, and didn’t experience a lot of the ‘Classic’ TV teachers of science, as they were gone before I was old enough to care, so my science heroes are somewhat different. I didn’t have Jacques Cousteau or the like. My ‘ocean guy’ has always been the awsome Robert Ballard. My ‘animal guy’ was the late, great Steve Irwin. My ‘general science guy’ was Bill Nye. I never had a ‘space guy’ before, but this year, I’ve read two Sagan books and liked them very much.But before that, I visited this website. YOU are my ‘space guy’, BA. Keep up the good work.

By: James

James — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 15:52:20 +0000

I first heard of him at the very first TAM down in Florida.

Always thought he’d be a permanent staple of TAM no matter how long they went on for.

By: MO Man

MO Man — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 15:16:37 +0000

I may have spent a total of an hour in his presence on several occasions over the last ten years, but each time I came away with the feeling that I had met a True Teacher and a man who was genuinely at peace, as I would want to be, if I didn’t want to kill so many of the idiots who are screwing up this world. Grit teeth. Smile.
RIP, Jerry Andrus.

By: Harold

Harold — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 03:11:13 +0000

I first became aware of Jerry Andrus from an article in OMNI Magazine back in the early 1980′s. Many years later when I became acquainted with the series of tubes known as the Internet, I was able to see what he’d been up to in the previous 15 or so years. It’s sad to know that he is gone, but his wonders will live on.

By: The Bad Astronomer

The Bad Astronomer — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 03:06:58 +0000

KaiYeves, thanks. I disagree that I am up there with some of my own heroes, but I appreciate it.

Never forget: we not only still have lots of good people out there, but we also have people sharing it with others. We can take the candle when others fall before us, but we must ensure that more are ready to hold it for us when our time comes.

By: Ksturgess

Ksturgess — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 23:13:37 +0000

A great person, a kind person and a massive loss to us all. I enjoyed our brief meetings at TAM3 and 5 – it will not be the same without him. I note that there’s a blog feature on his website to leave messages of condolence to his friends and family.

By: Cameron

Cameron — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 20:54:58 +0000

It wasn’t until I lokked at the videos that I realized that he was on Bill Nye the Science Guy years ago.

By: KaiYeves

KaiYeves — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 20:12:48 +0000

“We’ve lost yet another great mind.”
We still have you, BA.

By: FrankM

FrankM — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 19:05:38 +0000

All future TAMs will seem a bit poorer now.

I too enjoyed his illusions at the TAMs I’ve attended (3, 4 and 5 so far) and enjoyed the way he interacted with all those who stopped by his displays.

Sad news indeed.

By: PsyberDave

PsyberDave — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 18:28:58 +0000

James Randi has been updating us locals on Jerry’s health for the past few months. Though we knew Jerry wasn’t long for the world, the news doesn’t seem any easier to take.

One thing I would like to add to his description as a skeptic and illusionist is that I think he was just, plainly put, a good guy. He was nice, friendly, appraochable, easy to smile, eager to share and humble. Such simple qualities are easy to take for granted. But I appreciated them.

By: drbuzz0

drbuzz0 — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 17:53:49 +0000

Oh NO!

That’s terribly sad. I met him and spoke with him quite a bit at TAM 5. He was an amazing guy to talk to and I was hoping very much to have the opportunity to do so again at a coming TAM, but I had heard he had been ill.

I feel lucky, however, to have had the chance to meet him. It was a wonderful opportunity that many will now not be able to share.

By: Carey

Carey — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 17:35:33 +0000

Met him at TAM 5, and I could tell he was something to treasure.

By: kingnor

kingnor — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 16:40:53 +0000

http://www.theskepticsguide.org/

Perry died this weekend too. I’m pretty sure the BA has been on Skeptics Guide before. Very sad weekend

By: Ken B

Ken B — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 16:01:22 +0000

I never heard of him before now. I wonder… is he the one that the Andrus Planetarium, which I have visited numerous times, is named for?

http://www.hrm.org/planetarium.html

(Nothing on the site mentions where the name came from, nor have they mentioned Jerry Andrus’ death.)

By: Dan

Dan — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 15:51:21 +0000

You’ve written a perfect description of a genuine treasure to humanity, Phil. I actually got to see him give a talk once, and it really did a lot to demonstrate to me that the world around us should never be taken for granted. And, he did so at a time in my life where I believed I had things pretty well figured out. And, I’ll always be grateful for the doubt he planted in my head.

It’s a tragic loss, and I don’t know if we’ll ever see another human being quite like him.