Accupuncturist Creates Electricity in His Crotch

screensnot

Scholar
S
Joined
Feb 3, 2006
Messages
118
Is this a bit of camera trickery, along with a few shills? The guy claims to produce electricity, like an electric eel, from his crotch.

youtube.com/watch?v=kmGGvBZGAhY

(Sorry, you'll have to copy/paste - not enough posts yet for me to post a clickable link)
 
The firelighting trick...where was the cigarette he was smoking just prior? Seemed to be missing from his hand when he did it...coincidence? And the pile of paper lit from underneath, not near his hand. And burned with dense black smoke initially, not clear like paper usually does.

Also, what do you know about static electricity?
 
Zep said:
The firelighting trick...where was the cigarette he was smoking just prior? Seemed to be missing from his hand when he did it...coincidence?
Click to expand...
Well, I don't think that the film was unedited, so I'm guessing that there was enough missing time for him to finish and extinguish his cigarette before the paper trick. But I wasn't there, so I wouldn't know. Presumably, the reporters that he was demonstrating for would be smart enough to figure out that if he was holding a cigarette just moments before the fire, that was how he did it.

Zep said:
And the pile of paper lit from underneath, not near his hand. And burned with dense black smoke initially, not clear like paper usually does.
Click to expand...
The smoke didn't look too odd to me. I assume that by "clear smoke" you mean white smoke, but it didn't look jet black like maybe from oil or whatever.

Zep said:
Also, what do you know about static electricity?
Click to expand...
Probably a little more than the average guy.

---

I am not saying this guy isn't a trickster. I am just asking for some reasonable explanations as to how he was pulling off the tricks.

I noticed that while he was doing the accupuncture, his assistant had a good hold on the patients foot. Maybe that was necessary for completing an electrical circuit?
 
screensnot said:
Well, I don't think that the film was unedited, so I'm guessing that there was enough missing time for him to finish and extinguish his cigarette before the paper trick. But I wasn't there, so I wouldn't know. Presumably, the reporters that he was demonstrating for would be smart enough to figure out that if he was holding a cigarette just moments before the fire, that was how he did it.
Click to expand...

But that's just how magicians work: By misdirection.

screensnot said:
I noticed that while he was doing the accupuncture, his assistant had a good hold on the patients foot. Maybe that was necessary for completing an electrical circuit?
Click to expand...

Good point.

I noticed something about the camera woman. She is holding a very expensive camera, while expecting to get an electrical shock?
 
screensnot said:
Well, I don't think that the film was unedited, so I'm guessing that there was enough missing time for him to finish and extinguish his cigarette before the paper trick. But I wasn't there, so I wouldn't know. Presumably, the reporters that he was demonstrating for would be smart enough to figure out that if he was holding a cigarette just moments before the fire, that was how he did it.
Click to expand...
Look more closely. He has it in his hand BEFORE the trick, and then he screws up the ball of paper. How hard do you think it would be to add the cigarette in his hand to the paper ball while doing that? Like Claus said, a bit of misdirection, and...

Incidentally, the camera crew were busy trying to film him doing his act because they think he can do it, not because they are looking for trickery.

screensnot said:
The smoke didn't look too odd to me. I assume that by "clear smoke" you mean white smoke, but it didn't look jet black like maybe from oil or whatever.
Click to expand...
It looked VERY odd to me. Paper does not burn black like oil or rubber tyres. Check it out yourself. However clear rubber glue on the paper might...and it's quite flammable too. All you need is a source of ignition...did I mention the guy's cigarette at all? ;)

screensnot said:
[static electricity...] Probably a little more than the average guy.
Click to expand...
Then a critical think will reveal MANY methods he could have achieved the effect using static alone.

screensnot said:
I am not saying this guy isn't a trickster. I am just asking for some reasonable explanations as to how he was pulling off the tricks.

I noticed that while he was doing the accupuncture, his assistant had a good hold on the patients foot. Maybe that was necessary for completing an electrical circuit?
Click to expand...
NOW you're getting the idea! ;)
 
Post deleted due to accidental double-post and my incompetence at being able to delete it :)
 
Last edited:
Interesting video!

I'm a hobbyist magician, and here's my thoughts..

There's a commercially available electric shock device available on the market, designed for magicians to be able to "let the spectator feel the magic", etc. I've only saw the description/advert for this device, but I can't see it being much different in effect from what this Accupuncturist is doing. I can't post links yet, but googling for "mesika magic", it's the second result returned.

As for the paper burning, that's an old trick. The paper is coated in Potassium Permanganate - and by adding glycerine, will burst into flames. The colour of the smoke is indicitive of this method, although there's a ton of ways this can be done.

Looks like some old sideshow tricks given a Qi type presentation.

Ringo

(sorry for the multiple posts - I messed up, and can't find how to delete the original)
 
There you go, screensnot! Another (and probably much more likely) set of methods!
 
The first thing I noticed about the fire is that it starts at the bottom of the pile of paper (suspiciously as if there were something under it that was the source).

If the energy was coming from his hand, it would burn the top layers of the paper first, and work its way down.
 
Before I knew better, I went to an acupuncturist for my back problem. She stuck needles in my leg and I felt a strong electric shock sensation. I work with vacuum tube amplifiers and I've been shocked before, so I know what it feels like. She was sticking the needles into my sciatic nerve, so there's no wonder I felt an electric shock. Anyone who had hit their 'funnybone' also knows the feeling.

I'm sure this acupuncturist is using the same tricks, but is making the claim that he is the one that is generating electricity. He is simply sticking needles into nerves that are known to exist. My acupuncturist could do this but at least she never made claims like that. I would like to see this guy hold on to a volt meter and generate some kind of steady AC or DC voltage. Unsurprisingly, no real electrical test equipment is used to investigate the someone who claims to be able to generate electric current.

For you magicians, one way to duplicate the fire-lighting trick would be to use a small supercapacitor to supply current to a model rocket engine ignitor. Supercapacitors can be charged very quickly so they are used in some toys to supply a minute or so worth of power to an electric motor. A small high-voltage capacitor can be charged with a few hundred volts and retain the charge for many hours. If you touch the capacitor leads, you'll get a strong but non-lethal shock. This is something else I've learned (by accident) from working on vacuum tube amplifiers and it would be one way to have someone 'feel the magic'.
 
I should add that paper is an electrical insulator. You can expose paper to very high voltages and it won't burst into flames. In fact, paper is very commonly used as an electrical insulator in high-voltage transformers and other electrical equipment. Even if this guy could generate electricity, he wouldn't be able to make paper catch on fire.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom