Genius. Read the rest
This hat trick saves your hair from static in the winter
Watch this amazing standing double backflip
Modern-day samurai fools Penn & Teller with "impossible" coin trick
According to his website, Ryan Hayashi is the "world's most famous samurai entertainer." He's also a helluva magician, as evidenced by this video. In it, he performs a mind-blowing coin trick act (at times one handed!) that leaves both Penn and Teller left wondering what they just watched. The best part of the video might be when Hayashi, a fan of the magic duo since he was a boy, is given the big F.U. award at the end. I don't think he can believe that his childhood heroes have just acknowledged his skill.
Tony Hawk at 50 performing 50 tricks from his youth
Spliced with footage of him skating in his youth, here's a video of skate legend Tony Hawk showing what he can still do at age 50. A lot, as it turns out.
I never imagined being able to skate into my adult life, or that anyone would still care if I did. To celebrate, I did 50 tricks that I've created (and/or pioneered on vert). Thanks to all of you that made this dream possible. It's been an unreal ride, but I'm not done yet.
Previously: Watch Tony Hawk's awesome 900 at age 48
Driver stuck at red light figures out clever trick to make them go green
I came for one weird trick; I stayed for the laughter. Read the rest
Watch a martial artist throw a needle through a pane of glass
The Slow Mo Guys invited three Shaolin monks on to throw a needle through a piece of glass in super slow mo, and it's quite interesting to watch at that speed. Read the rest
Watch an incredible demonstration of Slinky tricks
And yet I can barely get mine to walk down the stairs. (KumaFilms via Kottke)
And if you're not hip to the fantastic story of the Slinky's invention:
In 1943, Richard James, a naval mechanical engineer stationed at the William Cramp and Sons shipyards in Philadelphia, was developing springs that could support and stabilize sensitive instruments aboard ships in rough seas. James accidentally knocked one of the springs from a shelf, and watched as the spring "stepped" in a series of arcs to a stack of books, to a tabletop, and to the floor, where it re-coiled itself and stood upright. James's wife Betty later recalled, "He came home and said, 'I think if I got the right property of steel and the right tension; I could make it walk.'" James experimented with different types of steel wire over the next year, and finally found a spring that would walk. Betty was dubious at first, but changed her mind after the toy was fine-tuned and neighborhood children expressed an excited interest in it. She dubbed the toy Slinky (meaning "sleek and graceful"), after finding the word in a dictionary, and deciding that the word aptly described the sound of a metal spring expanding and collapsing.
Watch a new World Yo-Yo Champion in action
Shu Takada, 20, is the 2017 2A (Two Handed Looping style) World Yo-Yo Champion. He took the title last week at the global tournament in Reykjavic, Iceland.
Man displays speed and agility by trying to punch bear trap before it can close
Ah, that classic party trick! Can you punch a bear trap and withdraw your hand before it closes? Read the rest
E-commerce is clogging American cities with real delivery trucks
Convenience always carries costs. In the case of e-commerce, the surge in residential deliveries is causing in urban gridlock. Citylab goes out on delivery routes for their interesting report: Read the rest
Meet Elliott Terral, Director of Magic
Every now and then I meet people who seem to possess superhuman powers. Elliott Terral is one of those individuals and his official title is Director of Magic at a company called Art of Magic.
How cool is that?!
After speaking with Elliott for a few minutes, I asked if he was a performing magician to which he didn't answer. Instead, he began patting down his pockets for a deck of cards. I beat him to the punch and handed him my very own deck of Erdnase 1902 Green Acorn Playing Cards. One thing to know about this deck, is that you either own it because you're a genius with a deck of cards, or you're a poser.
And for the record, I am not a genius with a deck of cards.
Elliott took my fancy cards and did the impossible. He showed me a King of Hearts and slowly flexed it back and forth as the card changed from king to an ace and then back again. His movements were slow and it was real magic to everyone that was with me. If you'd like to see the effect performed by the guy who invented it you can watch it here.
And if you'd like to purchase the method, it's only $5.00 but you need to know it isn't a trick you can do just because you bought it. There's a reason an "EXPERT LEVEL" descriptor is attached. But the good news is that there are other effects and concepts on the website that are far more approachable and equally satisfying. Read the rest
World's Most Useless Machine, now with more uselessness
I could watch this all day. Read the rest
Crazy tricks by guy wearing inline skates on his hands
Mirko Hanßen puts inline skates on his hands and insanity ensues. (YouTube via Laughing Squid)
Watch this ice cream vendor in Turkey blow tourists' minds with magic
This sidewalk sweets vendor in Istanbul loves playing tricks on customers. Watch one of them turn the tables on him.
5 videos that prove helium makes opera singing more fun to listen to
No, really. Read the rest
Watch how some restaurants sneakily craft “steaks” from lesser parts using “meat glue”
Some lower-quality eateries are actually passing off 'formed steaks' melded from lower-quality scraps as the real deal. Here's how they do it.
WATCH: New episode of 10 Amazing Bets You Will Always Win
I love Richard Wiseman's "10 Amazing Bets You Will Always Win" videos. Here's #12 in the series! Read the rest
