is this "magic", or digital fakery?

[negativ]

I can think of a few ways one might pull this off, but none of them really stand up to prolonged scrutiny.

Note, you might want to kill the sound, as both of these clips feature what is arguably the most obnoxious music available.

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[Reno]

The spinning card is an inexpensive gimmick you can pick up at any magic store. V likes, as I do, magician's thread.

[Garrette]

The spinning card is an inexpensive gimmick you can pick up at any magic store. V likes, as I do, magician's thread.Reno beat me to it, but it's a simple gimmick.

[NobbyNobbs]

Actually, I'm just as interested in where to get a Guy Fawkes mask.

[JonWhite]

I believe the trick's name is "The Hummer Card" or such-like.

[Mercutio]

I gotta think about getting that... it would actually work nicely into one of my dull, boring lectures on science...

[rebecca]

I thought that trick was called "UFO."

[wahrheit]

Hey, including reverse spoon bending! (Second video, at 1:55 remaining time.)

[Garrette]

I thought that trick was called "UFO."I got it long ago and had forgotten the name until JonWhite mentioned it (I've never actually performed it). There may be other versions, but there definitely is a Hummer Card (http://www.penguinmagic.com/specialorderproduct.php?ID=3906)trick.

[rebecca]

Here's what I was thinking of:
http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=2246&cat=0&page=1

[Mercutio]

Ok, so in class, when we talk about Free Will vs. Determinism, I make the point that if an object could choose not to fall, we could never have a science of physics. I drop something a few times, and talk about Newton for a bit, and would love to be able to then open my hand to drop the object and have it just hover there, to make my point. Would this be the trick for this?

Could I, for instance, take out a pack of cards, throw a few to show that they fly and fall predictably, showing us the laws of gravity and aerodynamics...and then have one at random "choose" not to fall?

[rebecca]

Maaaaaybe. A lot of it depends upon your classroom set-up, particularly lighting.

[rebecca]

I should clarify that I've always been biased against these types of tricks, only because they are sold to amateurs as very easy, do-anywhere miracles. It's true that they can be totally mind blowing under the right circumstances and with a lot of practice, but it's not a fun gimmick to be caught with red handed.

[Mercutio]

Maaaaaybe. A lot of it depends upon your classroom set-up, particularly lighting.

Highly variable. Sometimes a dim stage with black curtains behind me, sometimes a small classroom with entirely too many fluorescent lights everywhere.

Bummer, sounds like.

[rebecca]

Highly variable. Sometimes a dim stage with black curtains behind me, sometimes a small classroom with entirely too many fluorescent lights everywhere.

Bummer, sounds like.

Yeah, I'm thinking it would be really tough in a classroom setting with those flourescent lights, though someone else here might have experience and advice on making it work. But, there are plenty of other options for a magic trick based on the idea of an object "choosing" not to follow some rule of physics. I'll try to think of a good one that would fit you...

[Bob Klase]

The original trick was Hummer's Whirling Card. UFO is a slightly different version of Hummer's trick.

[Garrette]

I'm with Rebecca. It's mechanically simple, but proper presentation will need practice. There is also some (very minor but nonetheless it must be considered) set up, and lighting definitely matters.

And while multiple cards may be doable in theory, I think anything more than just one would require more practice than you want to put in to it and carry a high risk of failure.

[Mercutio]

To be clear, only one card would choose to disobey physics. The others would fall normally. But I am admittedly ignorant about whether even that would make the whole thing more difficult than just one card.

The other illusion I want (I told you about this one in Boston, Rebecca) is of two spoons, both blackened with tarnish. One gets polished and shines all silvery and gleaming and pretty, the other gets polished and completely dissappears (the effect being that it was all tarnish, no spoon. I am certain that any number of you magicians could figure out a few ways to do this convincingly, but again I am an absolute ignoramus about magic.

[Brown]

Let me chime in with a few observations.

First, there are are a variety of "hookups." One of the fun things about watching a performance like this is trying to deduce what hookup the performer is using.

Second, the camera misses a lot and is very easy to fool. The human eye is not quite as easy to fool. If you want to put your demonstration on video, you can get away with murder and still honestly claim that there were no camera tricks. But if you try to do it live, you have to exercise a bit more care.

Third, Michael Ammar has been "caught" with the gimmick several times, sometimes by spectators, sometimes by folks who inadvertently interfered with his performances. His stories about these adventures are hilarious, but also instructive.

[Brown]

The other illusion I want (I told you about this one in Boston, Rebecca) is of two spoons, both blackened with tarnish. One gets polished and shines all silvery and gleaming and pretty, the other gets polished and completely dissappears (the effect being that it was all tarnish, no spoon. I am certain that any number of you magicians could figure out a few ways to do this convincingly, but again I am an absolute ignoramus about magic.I can suggest one possibility for you. Without going into details, use a "pull." Wipe one spoon with the cloth and place it on the table. When you show the other spoon, secretly attach the pull to it. While wiping the spoon (which will soil the cloth), use the pull to undetectably remove the spoon from the cloth. You can then show the cloth with the gunk on it, but the spoon is gone.

[Garrette]

To be clear, only one card would choose to disobey physics. The others would fall normally. But I am admittedly ignorant about whether even that would make the whole thing more difficult than just one card.This should be doable. Just bear in mind the other limitations mentioned.

The investment (http://www.penguinmagic.com/product.php?ID=747) is minimal, so it might be worth you ordering it to see if you want to try. And you're close enough to Rebecca and others that you might be able to arrange trying it on them for pointers.

[JonWhite]

I can suggest one possibility for you. Without going into details, use a "pull."

That'd be the easiest way I'd go too.

If you're not into cobbling one together yourself, then this http://www.penguinmagic.com/product.php?ID=86 is avilable in almost every good magic place - it was a bit of a magic craze after David Blaine used it in a show a while back. As long as the spoon has a certain "attraction" and isn't too big it should do the job almost straight out the box (with a little practice of course).

[Grimoire]

Could I, for instance, take out a pack of cards, throw a few to show that they fly and fall predictably, showing us the laws of gravity and aerodynamics...and then have one at random "choose" not to fall?While not a magic trick, you could do a physics demonstration I once saw. Take a 4 foot (or so) copper pipe, and a small piece of metal. Drop the metal through the pipe. Ask people to try and estimate how long it took.

Do it again, but this time, tell them you are going to use your force of will to counteract gravity, and make it fall slower through the pipe. Drop the piece of metal through the pipe, but this time, it seems to take 3 to 4 times longer!

Allow them to come up, and even watch as you drop it down the pipe. They can look into the pipe and see that it is not obstructed, that it really does fall slowly.

The "trick"? You substitute a rare earth neodymium magnet after the first demonstration. Even if people realize that it is a magnet, they will still not understand why it falls slower, given the magnets don't "stick" to copper.

[Mercutio]

very cool. Very, very cool. I must take a look at this...

[Azrael 5]

While not a magic trick, you could do a physics demonstration I once saw. Take a 4 foot (or so) copper pipe, and a small piece of metal. Drop the metal through the pipe. Ask people to try and estimate how long it took.

Do it again, but this time, tell them you are going to use your force of will to counteract gravity, and make it fall slower through the pipe. Drop the piece of metal through the pipe, but this time, it seems to take 3 to 4 times longer!

Allow them to come up, and even watch as you drop it down the pipe. They can look into the pipe and see that it is not obstructed, that it really does fall slowly.

The "trick"? You substitute a rare earth neodymium magnet after the first demonstration. Even if people realize that it is a magnet, they will still not understand why it falls slower, given the magnets don't "stick" to copper.

That is actually marketed with magic tricks these days.Something to do with electricity apparently.:confused:

here you are
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Newtons-Nightmare-Gravity-Magic-Trick-Royal-Magic_W0QQitemZ230106829027QQcategoryZ14014QQcmdZV iewItem

[Grimoire]

That is actually marketed with magic tricks these days.Something to do with electricity apparently.:confused:

here you are
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Newtons-Nightmare-Gravity-Magic-Trick-Royal-Magic_W0QQitemZ230106829027QQcategoryZ14014QQcmdZV iewItem
Looks like the same thing alright!

Ok, while we aren't supposed to reveal the trick, this is more of a science demonstration than a magic trick. This trick uses Lenz's Law. A simplistic description can be found on this magnet experiments page (http://www.coolmagnetman.com/magpipes.htm). Very cool stuff to see in person.

Nice video showing it:
wt3It6d1o_Y

[Brown]

Ok, while we aren't supposed to reveal the trick, this is more of a science demonstration than a magic trick. This trick uses Lenz's Law. When describing the science involved, I also refer to Faraday's law of induction.

My goodness, could this have any scientific relevance, or does it have any practical benefit? Hmm. One might also ask how a maglev (magnetic levitation) vehicle can float over aluminum rails, since a magent will not attract or repel aluminum (just as a magnet will not attract or repel copper). One might well ask how a metal detector can use Faraday's Law and Lenz's Law to find buried metal coins.