Fearful that I may run out of chocolate during the shelter-in-place mandate, I revisited Mariano Tomatis's demonstration of how to magically create chocolate out of nothing.
Here is his explanation of this wonderful phenomenon, known as a missing square or vanishing area puzzle. (Thanks, Ferdinando Buscema!) Read the rest
On Vsauce2, Kevin Lieber explains the mathematical magic that enables mentalists to confound audiences by correctly guessing the number they've picked. Even though I know how it's done, it still confounds me.
This time, on Other Side, Zabrecky and Mark Mothersbaugh go in search of Oscar Kiss Maerth, author of The Beginning Was The End. Read the rest
This holiday we are entertained!
The master magician who spends his spare time communicating with the dead, Rob Zabrecky, has decided to host a Thanksgiving Marathon of his amazing seance series 'Other Side with Zabrecky.'
A cavalcade of colorful characters join Zabrecky to contact spirits of their choice. Guests include Will Forte, Kate Flannery, Jack Black, Jeff Grossman, Neil Hamburger, Jason Sudeikis, and David Arquette. Also featured are two commercials, a mail bag episode, and lots of music by the band Monitor.
I understand Zabrecky hides secret messages in every video.
David Arquette is my new fashion hero.
After you watch every episode of Other Side with Zabrecky, you will want to read his book. Read the rest
This is a great clip. If you're into jugglers doing funny things or 500-volt stun guns, you're in for a treat. Read the rest
The brilliant optical illusions of stop motion animator Kevin Parry. Read the rest
Nathan Davis writes, "When you shuffle a deck, it rearranges the order of the cards and I got wondering what that looked like. Read the rest
Wild About Houdini shares the details of Houdini's suspended straight jacket escape in Los Angeles.
Read the restFor years I've been trying to uncover details of Houdini's first suspended straitjacket escape in Los Angeles. While his 1923 escape is well represented in photos and newspaper clippings, his 1915 escape has proven strangely elusive. This would have been a major event with a massive crowd and snarled traffic, yet there's no mention of it in either the Los Angeles Times or the Herald. How could that be? If fact, the only clue that it ever happened at all is this short undated film clip:
This has been especially vexing as L.A. is my home and I've tasked myself with uncovering all the Houdini connections I can. I've actually been entertaining the idea that the above film is misidentified and there never was a 1915 Los Angeles escape. Maybe this is Oakland? We know Houdini did an escape there before coming to L.A.
But on a recent visit to the Magic Castle, librarian Joe Fox finally helped me crack the case. He showed me a flyer from the 1987 televised séance The Search For Houdini. Joe wondered if I had ever seen it. I told him had. In fact, I own one myself. But I haven't looked at it in years, so I popped it open anyway. There, much to my astonishment, was a paragraph about Houdini in Los Angeles with key details about the 1915 escape. As if to mock me, it referred to it as one of Houdini's "best documented" escapes.
Traffic disappears into a higher dimension, on this bridge. Witchcraft. https://t.co/9jXxSFjXv6 pic.twitter.com/yO9MaGokHy
— Cliff Pickover (@pickover) August 5, 2019
Where they're going, they don't need roads. Read the rest
"But remember, I lie."
In this video, legendary magician Penn Jillette watches clips from TV and movies that feature magic tricks of one kind or another, and then gives his honest opinion about what's actually going on. ("Instant Stooging" is totally going to be my next band's name.)
Why is he doing this? Well, Penn & Teller are teaching the art of magic in a new MasterClass (which looks terrific!).
Here's the full clip of him and Teller doing that magic trick upside down on Saturday Night Live that he talks about at the end of the video:
In the latest episode of Scam Nation, magician Nate Staniforth went to Anamosa State Penitentiary in Iowa to perform magic for the inmates.
Image: YouTube Read the rest
I used to be on the program committee for the O'Reilly Emerging Technology conferences; one year we decided to make the theme "magic" -- all the ways that new technologies were doing things that baffled us and blew us away. Read the rest
If that cat ever figures out how this is done, it's gonna gut that guy in his sleep. Read the rest
I keep this ball and vase trick around because kids like it.
Sure, you are brilliant. We get that know how it works. You can also read this post. While little kids often find card and coins tricks to be a yawn, they love even a lamely presented magic ball and vase!
After you fool them with the trick a few times, sneak the ball insert out and let the kids play with the empty vase.
It is as much fun as fooling your cat with a laser pointer.
Magic Ball and Vase via Amazon Read the rest
"That's incredible, I mean, I've felt these bricks, these are real bri—", says TV host Steve Uyehara as the brick turns to dust at his lightest touch. [via Reddit] "Oh! Whoa! Whaaaaaa! Check it out, baby! Guns!"
P.S. Glass is an irresponsible material for the board breaking trick! Read the rest
