On Mon, Jul 28, 2008 at 9:15 PM, Jim Davis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Vivec [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: Saturday, July 26, 2008 6:38 PM > > To: CF-Community > > Subject: Keith Barry does Brainmagic. > > > > So....those geniuses on CF-Community... > > Can you explain any of these? :) > > > > http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/keith_barry_does_brain_magic.html > > I've not watched it yet... but I will start by stating the obvious: > > Not knowing how something is done does not make it magic. ;^) > > Also I would bet that everything I'm about to see is old hat. Common > carnie > tricks in use by other magicians. Very little is really "new" - at best > much of it using the same old gimmicks in new ways. > > Now, I'm watching the thing, if I know the tricks... here be spoilers! > > > 1) The trick with the hands is just that: a trick. Trying watching the > trick with the volume off - it's easier to see without the vocal > distraction. This one needs a bit of practice (my fat old arms don't turn > as smoothly as his) but it's clear when you actually watch his hands (they > actually change position during a camera change which makes this a quasi > "camera trick" but I doubt he needed it). > > It's similar to the old dare where you present something awful (a glass of > urine, a plate of feces or something similar) and claim that you'll taste > it > on a bet. The trick is to quickly dip a finger (usually your ring finger) > into the substance but then lick your index finger (you can wipe of both > fingers as if you're wiping off your saliva). If done fast enough, with > confidence (maintaining eye contact helps immensely) most people will > assume > that you've actually tasted the substance. > > They see a movement (sticking a finger into the glass, putting your hands > together) and assume either habit or symmetry. All the performer has to do > is alter that while allowing you to keep your assumptions. > > 2) The blindfolded drive one is just an old carnie trick. Note that he > maintains complete control over the blindfold. In most cases this is with > a > two-sided blindfold and hood: put them on one way and it's opaque, put on > another way (usually reversed, backwards) and it's not. > > So it's easy enough to "prove" the power by placing the blindfold on > somebody and asking "can you see through"? You then just place the gear on > the "right" way and you can see and do anything you like. > > In the carnie trick the performer (often a one-eyed man who can "see with > his spirit eye") will ask for something personal to read, like a wallet, > and > amaze the audience by offering up information only available via sight when > it's clear he "couldn't be seeing". > > The very fact that the performer in this case maintained complete control > over all the gear in use argues perfectly for this old trick. Note that it > also features a common deceptive element: over guarding of non-important > elements. Cameras covered the car, care was taken to show that the person > didn't know him, etc. > > This is similar to the magician's habit of having people pull, knock, smack > and otherwise test the chains, the box and the bag before the classic > escape > trick... when all he really needs is the key that his assistant hands him > as > she helps him into the box. > > > 3) I'm not sure but my guess is simply shills. Magicians will tell you > that > they never met these people... but guess what? Magician's lie. In this > case they may not be shills (but they still could be). > > Note that during the "invisible touch" gag his hand disappears behind her > back quite a while before he makes a show of "not touching her". He could > have tapped her then. When he "doesn't touch" her arm he gets quite close > and is moving rapidly: more than enough for air to "tickle" the hair on her > arm (note that she really doesn't answer him - he provides the description > and she just confirms it). > > Next notice that the table cloth of the table is draped all the way to the > floor and that the performer sits next to him - it would be easy for the > performer to cue the subject with a foot tap (and in fact we see movement). > Even if the subject isn't a shill note the phrases used: if the performer > were just pressing on the subject foot with his (hidden foot) the trick > would work the same way. > > The subject would move when "pressure" was applied - all they need to do is > follow instructions, perhaps thinking that this was a prelude to the "real > trick" - before they know it, they're being ushered off stage: job well > done! > > With the bottle, as with the blindfold: the performer completely controls > everything making the trick incredibly suspect. A bottle may be treated to > break in a lot of ways (especially if the subject is in on the trick). > > Some people have suggested that the bottle was prestressed in a such a way > that it maintained its strength from the outside, but was fragile from the > inside (even a small crack would extend and shatter the bottom). Others > have suggested that the "shard of glass" was actually something else. > > In any case it's impossible to consider this as proof of actual "mind over > matter" when some many variables are left open. > > 4) The simplest explanation to me for the spike trick is marked equipment. > > Again we see a blindfold "tested" by the subject (we know that's suspect to > begin with). A small mark, easy enough to spot when you know what you're > looking for would suffice to let him know where the spike is. It doesn't > even have to be a specific mark: these are wooden discs: a distinct grain > pattern is all that's needed. > > Magic is great... but it's not "magic". It's not mental powers or ESP or > anything other than people with a tremendously vested interest in fooling > other people. > > Penn Jillette once said something to the effect that most magic works > because normal people will never believe that anybody is so obsessive or > dull as to waste their lives perfecting such silly tricks. ;^) >
so.... not photoshop? :) -- A byte walks into a bar and orders a pint. Bartender asks him "What's wrong?" Byte says "Parity error." Bartender nods and says "Yeah, I thought you looked a bit off." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;203748912;27390454;j Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:264841 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
