Boost Your Inovations

The Magic of Science KJ Walsh Los Angeles Systemic Initiative scholmagic@aol.com Burn Dollar Bill Take two dollar bills. “Do as I do”. Place your dollar bill in a watered down solution of isopropyl alcohol, have your participant soak his in ethyl alcohol. Light both. Yours will ignite then go out, his will burn up completely! Secret: There are two types of alcohol. Isopropyl for you and ethyl for the participant. Scientific Principle: The water in the isopropyl solution dampens the bill enough so that the combustion point is never reached, while the ethyl alcohol burns hot enough to light the bill. Burn Dollar on Glass Tape a dollar bill to a glass tumbler tightly along the two ends of the bill. Give a participant a lighter and challenge her to light the bill on fire. No matter how long the flame is held directly on the bill, it will not ignite. Scientific Principle: Exposing the bill to as little oxygen as possible is only one of the underlying concepts, the main principle is the glass tumbler disperses the heat of the flame such that the temperature never rises over the combustion point of the bill. Invisible Thread I Using an index card with the center cut and folded down, an “invisible thread” is used to pull down the sides of the index card. Secret: The card is actually moved by pressure with the thumb on the folded down center tab of the card. Scientific Principle: Illusion only, but used to illustrate any non-contact force such as magnetism or static charge. Invisible Thread 2 Invisible thread is used to manipulate a straw in plain sight of the palm of the magicians hand. Secret: Using Avery “Spot o Glue”, place a spot below crease of palm. By changing tension of skin on palm, you can manipulate a straw as if being pulled by an invisible thread. Scientific Principle: Illusion only, but used to illustrate any non-contact force such as magnetism or static charge. Sewer Slugs Slugs created by an “inventor” are used to convert human liquid waste products into a drinkable solution. Slugs are seen to be swimming up and down in the graduated cylinder. Secret: Waste product is actually Mountain Dew, and Slugs are actually raisens. Scientific Principle: As the raisins collect the bubbles of carbon dioxide released by the Mountain Dew, they rise to the top of the cylinder, release the gas, and sink to the bottom to repeat the process. Solution may be tasted after the slugs have “cleaned” the waste. Indubitably, Magic is one of the subtlest and most difficult of the sciences and arts. There is more opportunity for errors of comprehension, judgment and practice than in any other branch of physics. ~ Aleister Crowley ~ Against a diseased imagination demonstration goes for nothing. ~ Mark Twain ~ Water of India A seemingly endless amount of water is poured from a bottle created by an “inventor”. Secret: Bottle actually has a tube inserted into the neck, which while inverted, allows only the water trapped in the tube to exit the bottle. Scientific Principle: Used to introduce any concept involving water. Invisible Glue I A piece of newspaper (column of the classified section) is cut repeatedly, and mended with “invisible glue”. Secret: Paper is treated on the back side with repeated applications of rubber cement and talcum powder. Pressure of the scissors causes the rubber cement to adhere and seems to mend the cut paper. Scientific Principle: Illusion only, but used to illustrate any non-contact force such as magnetism or static charge. Imagination is more important than intelligence. ~Albert Einstein ~ Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone you may still exist, but you have ceased to live. ~ Mark Twain ~ Science does not know its debt to imagination. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~ Invisible Glue II “Invisible glue” is applied to a string, which is then inserted into a flask, and the flask is then swung from the string. Secret: Actually there is a cork ball in the flask which when inverted, traps the string between the ball and the flask. Scientific Principle: Illusion only, but used to illustrate any non-contact force such as magnetism or static charge. Eggbert Three eggs are immersed in three different clear solutions. “Eggbert” swims in the bottom of one, on the top of the second, and in the middle of the third. Secret: Three diferent solutions are used. The first, in which Eggbert sinks is water. The second is a concentrated solution of Kosher salt and water. (Table salt won’t result in a clear solution). The third is tricky to prepare. Pour the concentrated salt solution into the bottom of the beaker. Next, holding the jar slightly tipped, gently pour water on the top of the salt solution, making sure not to mix the two by too much movement. Scientific Principle: Density, buyoncy. The profession of magician, is one of the most perilous and arduous specializations of the imagination. ~ William Bolitho ~ Imagination rules the world. ~ Napoleon Bonaparte ~ Crystal of Knowledge Production box is used to produce a crystal. (production box maybe purchased at a Magic shop, or directions on how to build one are given in Magic and Showmanship for Teachers) Crystal then is used to determine a card drawn by an observer. Secret: Corner of card is torn off while card is behind back, and held in the same hand as the crystal while crystal is held to the head. Scientific Principle: Illusion only. Used to introduce crystals. Rising Balloon A deflated balloon is caused to inflate by mental power alone. Secret: Baking Soda is in the balloon, vinegar in the bottle. Scientific Principle: When the balloon is raised to show the audience, the two combine and gas caused by the reaction fills the balloon. D’lite Pluck a bright light out of thin air and have some fun with it! Comercial trick. Quarter Through Rubber A quarter and a penny are placed on top of a sheet of rubber stretched over a glass. When pushed by an observer, the quarter goes through the rubber into the glass without leaving a hole, while the penny will not pass through. Secret: A piece of rubber dam (available at magic shops and dentist offices) is stretched over a quarter so that the rubber becomes transparent. Lay the rubber over a glass, and secure with a rubber band. It appears as if the coin is on top of the rubber dam, when in fact it is underneath. Lay a penny on top of the dam next to the quarter. Pushing on the quarter will cause it to fall into the cup, while the penny stays on top. Scientific Principle: Illusion, used to illustrate how some substances pass through a cell membrane. Pencil Through a Baggie Several sharpened pencils are put through a baggie full of water, without causing any of the water to spill. Used to illustrate substances passing through cell membranes. Secret: No secret, really! Scientific Principle: I have been told that the heat caused by the friction of the wood passing through the plastic is enough to cause the plastic to re-seal around the pencil when it cools. If you come up with a better explanation, let me know! Rising Willie A piece of paper is set fire, and is caused to rise to the ceiling by mental power. Secret: I don’t really have mental powers! The paper used is the “carbon” sheets found between Spirit Ditto Masters. Scientific Principle: Convection currents caused by the burning paper cause the ash to rise. What is now proved was only once imagined. ~ William Blake ~ He who has imagination without learning has wings and no feet. ~ Joseph Joubert ~ Needle Through a Balloon An oldie but a goodie. A knitting needle is passed through an inflated balloon without popping it. Secret: The rubber of the balloon is thickest at the end near the tie (where the needle should be inserted) and the opposite end (look for the dark patch). It helps to lubricate the needle. Scientific Principle: Used to illustrate how substances pass through a cell membrane. Needle Through the Arm A needle is placed through a human arm, and though there is blood, there is no apparent pain. Secret: This is a commercial trick performed by Harry Anderson, available at a Magic shop for about $30.00. Sorry, you have to spend the money to find out how I did it! We magicians have to keep some secrets you know! Scientific Principle: Used to introduce concepts such as blood, HIV, needles, and antiseptics. The imagination is man's power over nature. ~ Wallace Stevens ~ Bibliography McCormack Magic and Showmanship for Teachers Idea Factory, Inc. Riverview, Florida 33569 Churchill, E. Richard How to Make Optical Illusion Tricks & Toys Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. New York 10016 White, Laurence B., Science Toys and Tricks Harper Trophy New York, N.Y. 10022 Barr, George Science Tricks and Magic for Young People Generaal Publishing Company L.T.D Don Mills, Toronto, Ontario Cobb, Vicki Magic... Naturally! Harper Trophy New York, N.Y. 10022 VanCleave, Janice 201 Awesome, Magical, Bizarre & Incredible Experiments John Wiley and Sons, Inc. New York, N.Y. 10158 Walpole, Brenda 175 Science Experiments to Amuse and Amaze Your Friends Random House, New York, N.Y. Walpole, Brenda 175 More Science Experiments to Amuse and Amaze Your Friends Random House, New York, N.Y. Brown, Robert J. 333 More Science Tricks and Experiments McGraw-Hill, Blue Ridge Summit, PA 17294 Towsend, Charles Barry Worlds Greatest Magic Tricks Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. New York, N.Y.10016