"Psychic" pinwheel experiment.
Will Tingle
http://forgetomori.com/2009/skepticism/psychic-powers-video-proof/
It shows a folded piece of paper, balanced on an upright toothpick,
under a glass bowl. The guy in the video shows how he can make the paper
spin with his "psychic powers."
Before he starts making it spin though, he first blows a hair dryer
around the bowl to show that the apparatus inside can't be affected by
moving air, and then he moves a powerful magnet all around the bowl to
show that there's no magnetism involved. The he sits down in a
meditative pose and makes the paper spin in one direction, and then
another.
While the original youtube video claims to be "Genuine", in the article
above, the hoaxer (really a sceptic proving a point) blows the gaf -
watch the video, try to figure it out, then see how you did.
If your feeling extra brave, post your guess here before you read the
explanation...
--
Will Tingle
--
Remove YOUR.PANTS to e-mail
--
"I take perverse delight in making people Homesless and taking every penny
off them."
-Dr. Jonathan Royle Hypnotist and Hypnosis Trainer
Ray Haddad
<Wi...@YOUR.PANTSwillsbedroom.co.uk> wrote:
>Came across this (via boing boing):
>
>http://forgetomori.com/2009/skepticism/psychic-powers-video-proof/
>
>It shows a folded piece of paper, balanced on an upright toothpick,
>under a glass bowl. The guy in the video shows how he can make the paper
>spin with his "psychic powers."
>
>Before he starts making it spin though, he first blows a hair dryer
>around the bowl to show that the apparatus inside can't be affected by
>moving air, and then he moves a powerful magnet all around the bowl to
>show that there's no magnetism involved. The he sits down in a
>meditative pose and makes the paper spin in one direction, and then
>another.
>
>While the original youtube video claims to be "Genuine", in the article
>above, the hoaxer (really a sceptic proving a point) blows the gaf -
>watch the video, try to figure it out, then see how you did.
>
>If your feeling extra brave, post your guess here before you read the
>explanation...
Will, FYI, that is a commercial effect from the late Ted Lesley. I
believe Paul Alberstat now distributes his products but I'm not
positive on that. Ted passed away a year or so ago. Very sad. We'd
been good friends for a long time.
--
Ray
Ray Haddad
<Wi...@YOUR.PANTSwillsbedroom.co.uk> wrote:
>If your feeling extra brave, post your guess here before you read the
>explanation...
Will,
We have a Crooke's Radiometer in our front window in the living room.
It's been there so long I forget about it most of the time. When I
hear it spinning as I walk past, it sounds like a mouse scurrying
around and for just a split second, I mentally go looking for the
broom. It has been working non stop for nearly 40 years. Ok, half that
since it only works in the day time. Sleeps at night.
As far as I know, Ted Lesley was the first person to apply this
principle to simple props and we corresponded for a long time on ways
to improve the effect. It resisted our every attempt. The best way is
sometimes the simplest way. I think Dai Vernon said that often.
--
Ray
Ray Haddad
wrote:
Oops! Meant to send this by e-mail. Blast!
--
Ray
Mitchell Leary
blown under the the 'slightly raised' rim of the jar. I've also seen it
done with a cigarette sealed under an inverted glass fish tank (cig can
be made to move in both directions). In the science book a toothpick
under the table cloth raised the rim of the jar, but not enough to be
noticed.
Ther's a book from the late '80s titled POWERS by Danny Korem that
debunks all of this. You should never try to prove genuine powers of
magic when there's a magician in the room. You'll have much better luck
at the Art Bell book signing in the new age bookstore across town,
they'll believe anything.
I prefer my own methods. I can accomplish miracles with my good old
fashioned joke shop plate-lifter(s). I also have crafted my own
industrial strength models for launching books off of shelves and
knocking over drinks across the table. I'm working on fitting one into
a chair so I can goose my female guests.
-Leary-
Will Tingle
<r...@perthmagic.com> writes
look at the method - I doubt very much that it's the commercial version
- it's definitely more a way to fake a video than a magic trick...
Will Tingle
<r...@perthmagic.com> writes
D'oh,
My first guess for the video was along those lines, I thought that the
hairdryer was there to heat the bowl rather than just to demonstrate
airflow - but alas no, you could honestly just use a fan (but then the
whole "simplest" principle isn't exactly employed here either).
Will Tingle
Leary <Mitchel...@webtv.net> writes
>I've seen a version this in a 3rd grade science book. Air is subtly
>blown under the the 'slightly raised' rim of the jar.
nope.
> I've also seen it
>done with a cigarette sealed under an inverted glass fish tank (cig can
>be made to move in both directions). In the science book a toothpick
>under the table cloth raised the rim of the jar, but not enough to be
>noticed.
>
>Ther's a book from the late '80s titled POWERS by Danny Korem that
>debunks all of this. You should never try to prove genuine powers of
>magic when there's a magician in the room. You'll have much better luck
>at the Art Bell book signing in the new age bookstore across town,
>they'll believe anything.
>
>I prefer my own methods. I can accomplish miracles with my good old
>fashioned joke shop plate-lifter(s). I also have crafted my own
>industrial strength models for launching books off of shelves and
>knocking over drinks across the table. I'm working on fitting one into
>a chair so I can goose my female guests.
>
>
>-Leary-
>
--
Mitchell Leary
stated no magnets were involved. I saw the Ted Lesley dvds years ago
and he had a big magnet strapped to each wrist. These looked more like
speaker magnets, not PKs. The folded paper or playing card was shimmed
and the magnets worked through the glass.
If I were going to pull this off the object I presented as a magnet
would be what I would gaff. I can think of several ways to make it act
like a magnet but be nothing of the sort.
Mitchell Leary
should have checked my Sam Sharp books before drawing a conclusion.
If you really want to be blown away get that Lubor Fiedler DVD and watch
his floating astray levitation. He floats a big heavy ashtray in
mid-air right in front of him. The killer is that he uses a method out
of that big old Dunninger Encyclopedia of Magic that nobody ever reads.
Until I saw Lubor's trick I passed that method off as a pipe dream with
no real practical applications. Wrong-O! Leave it to Lubor.
-Leary-