Mind Reading?

[Mark]

OK, this is seriously weird. I have tried and tried to figure this out and I can't. Help! I am sure there is a rational explanation.

http://mr-31238.mr.valuehost.co.uk/assets/Flash/psychic.swf

[Brown]

This tired old trick has been discussed many times on the forum. Have a look at http://www.snopes.com/humor/iftrue/psychic.htm (http://www.snopes.com/humor/iftrue/psychic.htm ).

[garys_2k]

It didn't work for me. I first used 18 (their example) and the thing came up with the wrong symbol. Then I just looked at a symbol and it got a "hit," then another symbol and a "miss." Two misses and one hit, hardly amazing.

[Skeptical Greg]

Originally posted by Mark
OK, this is seriously weird. I have tried and tried to figure this out and I can't. Help! I am sure there is a rational explanation.

http://mr-31238.mr.valuehost.co.uk/assets/Flash/psychic.swf

Explanation = math..


Yep, science at work again..

[scotth]

Originally posted by garys_2k
It didn't work for me. I first used 18 (their example) and the thing came up with the wrong symbol. Then I just looked at a symbol and it got a "hit," then another symbol and a "miss." Two misses and one hit, hardly amazing.

I suspect you had a malfunction on that one.

[Houngan]

pay attention to the values you get, you'll soon notice a pattern . . .

[scotth]

Originally posted by Houngan
pay attention to the values you get, you'll soon notice a pattern . . .

That you'll always get a multiple of 9 and all multiples of 9 have the same symbol in the table?

[GreyWanderer]

The really genious part of it is that it changes the symbols every time.

[garys_2k]

Originally posted by scotth


That you'll always get a multiple of 9 and all multiples of 9 have the same symbol in the table?
Yep, and those symbols change each time you click the "retry" button (but again, all multiples of 9 have a new same symbol).

[jj]

When you sum digits base 10, you get the remainder dividing by 9, or 9 itself sometimes. In either case subtracting it will force you to a number that is divisible by 9, rather obviously.

If we used base 19, the magic number would be 18. And so on.

[GreyWanderer]

I've seen another mind reader thing that also suprised me for a few seconds before I realized what was going on.

It showed you a 5 cards and you had to remember one of them. And then it showed you the cards again, but the one you were thinking about was removed. Of course it just switched all the carsd. (:

And of course you have the triangle that can be put together two different ways. One of them leaves a little square not covered.

Anyone have any other things to fool people like these?

[Mark]

I missed the factor of 9 thing completely. Thanks.


edited to add:
The really genious part of it is that it changes the symbols every time.

I agree: this is the part that makes it so bloody effective. Whoever thought this up is very clever.

[boooeee]

And of course you have the triangle that can be put together two different ways. One of them leaves a little square not covered.


OK, I'll admit, this one stumped me. What's the trick? (preparing to feel incredibly dense)

[scotth]

Originally posted by boooeee


OK, I'll admit, this one stumped me. What's the trick? (preparing to feel incredibly dense)

The hypotenuse (sp?) is not straight.

It bows in slight when there is no gap in the figure and bows out slight when there is a gap.

[Iconoclast]

Originally posted by scotth
The hypotenuse (sp?) is not straight.

It bows in slight when there is no gap in the figure and bows out slight when there is a gap.
That's right. The second diagram is of a 4 sided figure that (almost) looks like a triangle.

[GreyWanderer]

Originally posted by Iconoclast

That's right. The second diagram is of a 4 sided figure that (almost) looks like a triangle.

Actually the first one is 4-sided too.

[edthedoc]

This triangle puzzle appeared in one of the issues of Swift and stumped many people, some of whom got a bit upset because it was seen as a bit of a "cheat"!

Found it!: http://www.randi.org/jr/03-09-2001.html has the answer and the issue before the original puzzle.

[Iconoclast]

Originally posted by GreyWanderer
Actually the first one is 4-sided too.
Damn, you are indeed correct.

[scotth]

Originally posted by Iconoclast

Damn, you are indeed correct.

I thought I covered this (bow in/bow out) in my first explanatory post on it.

[GreyWanderer]

Originally posted by scotth


I thought I covered this (bow in/bow out) in my first explanatory post on it.

You did, but appearantly he didn't catch it.

[Frostbite]

Oh ok I didn't realize they shuffled the numbers around on each round. The explanation is really pretentiously long for such a simple solution heh.

[Iconoclast]

Originally posted by scotth
I thought I covered this (bow in/bow out) in my first explanatory post on it.
Yeah, I'm a little slow. To me "bow" implies a curved line, I was merely pointing out that the "hypotenuse" was actually created by two straight lines, it is not curved.