Randi reveals magic secret?

[Silicon]

In this week's Swift, Randi explains the magic trick secrets of Mystery Spots.

WHY?

Why is THAT fair game? Because it's an illusion that doesn't have to be performed by a magician?

It CERTAINLY was created by people who knew a thing or three about illusion, slight of hand, and fooling an audience.


Mystery spots are environmental magic tricks. A sort of "Magic trick as sculpture".

These folks aren't flim-flam artists. They're not taking people for their money as peddlers of a faith.

They're entertainers. Yes, they print silly science-babble in their brochure. That's no different than the way a magician surrounds himself with the trappings of the Mysterioso. Remember how Copperfield went into a trance and "slowed down his heart" to "walk through" the Great Wall of China? Is it open season on Copperfield?

Tell me, should we next debunk Invisible Irma the Ghost of the Magic Castle because it falsely claims an occult cause for what is merely a magic trick?


I remember as a child watching Randi debunk Uri Gellar's bending spoon trick. I didn't believe Randi. Why? Because he never told me HOW they were bending the spoons. He just said it was a trick that "all magicians knew."

Randi, why do you guard Gellar's secret, but you expose the secret of the magicians who create and sustain mystery spots, a truly historical American roadside entertainment and popular illusion?

[MoeFaux]

How is this a trick? It's just elementary science, you learned about this stuff in grade school. And it doesn't take anything away from the charm of those roadside spots. They're still wonderful places and lots of fun.

[Silicon]

There are a lot of magic tricks that are elementary science.

Should I point out the secret to Copperfield's "Magic Sand" trick? The "trick" whose secret was plain to any child who owned the product "magic sand", sand that has been treated to be hydrophobic.

http://students.uwsp.edu/aburm855/magic_sand.htm

Have I just violated the magician's oath here, by posting that elementary science fact?


(PS, he doesn't perform this trick anymore, as it IS obvious to any child. Nor does he perform any tricks using the comic-strip copying abilities of Silly-Putty.)



If Randi wanted to do a spot on forced perspective and optical illusions, that would be a lesson in elementary science.

Instead he chose to reveal the secrets of an "outsider magic" illusion. He showed the photo of the place, and he called them by name. He then proceeded to reveal the secret.

Note, that unlike Copperfield's illusion above, these Mystery Spots are currently in operation, and their illusions are currently being performed for audiences daily.

[Silicon]

Oh, and Copperfield laced his performance of Magic Sand with the pseudeo-science and pseudo-mysticism of stories of the mysticism of ancient Egypt.

RANDI! You must debunk this Copperfield charlatan!

:roll:

[Bob Klase]

Copperfield laced his performance of Magic Sand with the pseudeo-science and pseudo-mysticism of stories of the mysticism of ancient Egypt.

Actually that was Doug Henning. Copperfield never did that trick (at least not on TV).

[Silicon]

Wow,

In my memory I can see Copperfield clear as day! Goes to show you how you re-remember things. I'll take your word it was Henning.

I never cared for Henning, even as a child.

[Brian]

Silicon, I hadn't thought of it myself, but you're absolutely right.
Harmless fun. If this information was provided by a person who didn't zealously protect some magic principals and casually expose others I wouldn't think anything of it.
I don't have a problem with demonstrating "psychic surgery" for instance, because these people use magic tricks to steal from sick people, but goofy roadside attractions are another matter all together. Otherwise, we should expose the nuts and bolts of all deceptions, no matter what the intention behind it.

Randi goofed.

[Silicon]

Exactly,

I'm all for a non-magician having a web-page for kids about optical illusions, or whatever.

Or even Randi telling people it's a simple optical illusion called the ponzo effect, and leaving it at that.

But to deconstruct the actual trick, for what is in essence a magic performance, I don't think was necessary.


Magicians have a code of honor about these things, and Randi ordinarily is no exception.

So there are two posibilities at work here, as far as I can see.

1. Randi doesn't consider them magicians because they are espousing woo-woo pseudoscience.

2. Randi doesn't consider them magicians because they aren't accorded the same respect as those in traditional magician social circles.


I say it's 2, because the woo-woo is in my view just patter for the act. These folks are selling tickets for five bucks a head. These folks aren't swamis, they're entertainers.