Merged Derren Brown - predicting lottery numbers

One of the descriptions I read stated that he had six film crews and only filmed the final race.
 
From the description from Wikipedia I'd say it was more likely that for the last race they just placed a bet on all the possible winners and he handed her the winning one to ensure the final winning shot.
 
Darat said:
From the description from Wikipedia I'd say it was more likely that for the last race they just placed a bet on all the possible winners and he handed her the winning one to ensure the final winning shot.
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That would be in keeping with the rest of the trick.
 
I guess he could have done it like the coin toss and just kept picking high odds horses until he got three in a row.
 
Brian-M said:
The coin-tossing trick was pretty lame. Anyone who realizes that there is a one in 1024 chance of getting 10 in a row, and noticed it wasn't a live performance could guess how he did it. The fact that he claimed this as evidence of a special 'system' cost him all credibility with me for the rest of the show.
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But not everyone realize these things. You must be one of the lucky ones with a brain to figure stuff like that out for yourself. Good for you. However, based on all the stuff I've seen/read, my guess is Derren is mainly not aiming these shows for the likes of you.

I believe there are thousands of people out there watching his stuff who need exactly this kind of initial misdirection with the following explanation (linked to a grander view on things) to eventually get the 'ahaa' experience. Even with such simple ways as the coin toss. And that is the experience which just might push the 'big ball of self-examination' rolling...
 
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Tapio said:
But not everyone realize these things. You must be one of the lucky ones with a brain to figure stuff like that out for yourself. Good for you. However, based on all the stuff I've seen/read, my guess is Derren is mainly not aiming these shows for the likes of you.

I believe there are thousands of people out there watching his stuff who need exactly this kind of initial misdirection with the following explanation (linked to a grander view on things) to eventually get the 'ahaa' experience. Even with such simple ways as the coin toss. And that is the experience which just might push the 'big ball of self-examination' rolling...
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Is this not in some ways similar to what we complain about Uri Geller doing?
 
Humphreys said:
Is this not in some ways similar to what we complain about Uri Geller doing?
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I don't think so. Geller's intent is to deceive. Derren's is to entertain and he openly explains that he is using trickery.... while Geller maintains that he has super powers.
 
Stray Cat said:
I don't think so. Geller's intent is to deceive. Derren's is to entertain and he openly explains that he is using trickery.... while Geller maintains that he has super powers.
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The fact that Geller's deception hasn't been blown completely out of the murky waters that the general populace chooses to frequent to slake its collective thirst for apparent paranormality, and that he continues to profit from what he, clearly, remains convincing at, shows that he must have "super powers" of some rational sort that we should at least give him credit for!
 
Southwind17 said:
The fact that Geller's deception hasn't been blown completely out of the murky waters that the general populace chooses to frequent to slake its collective thirst for apparent paranormality, and that he continues to profit from what he, clearly, remains convincing at, shows that he must have "super powers" of some rational sort that we should at least give him credit for!
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Sorry Southwind, I don't give Geller credit for anything... he is an outright fraud. But just as much blame for his success rests with the TV/Radio shows that give him airtime and promote his brand of nonsense. And his deception has been blown completely out of the water... it's just that people will choose to ignore that because it's easier to ignore than to face up to in order to maintain a belief in the supernatural.
 
Southwind17 said:
The fact that Geller's deception hasn't been blown completely out of the murky waters that the general populace chooses to frequent to slake its collective thirst for apparent paranormality, and that he continues to profit from what he, clearly, remains convincing at, shows that he must have "super powers" of some rational sort that we should at least give him credit for!
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Nonsense! It's like the coin toss. Throw out enough psychics and one of them is bound to get lucky.
 
After the wrong horse wins her hand is in her coat pocket with the ticket. The camera cuts away to a head shot of her and Derren, back to the wider angle with her hand still in her pocket, back to the head shot. In the next wide angle she appears to be either putting her hand back into her pocket before withdrawing the ticket.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta-0kTUOygM&feature=related
around 3:40
 
Darat said:
Depends on how high the building is.
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Sooner or later there would be a large enough heap of dead psychics to cushion the fall of one of them who would take their survival as vindication of their powers.
 
shuttlt said:
Nonsense! It's like the coin toss. Throw out enough psychics and one of them is bound to get lucky.
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I think you miss my point. I'm saying he deserves credit for longevity. Could you sustain such a profitable 'career' on the back of a simple con - one that most intelligent people mock?!
 
Southwind17 said:
I think you miss my point. I'm saying he deserves credit for longevity. Could you sustain such a profitable 'career' on the back of a simple con - one that most intelligent people mock?!
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Once your profile is high enough it gets easier. He got lucky and caught big wave at a point when supposedly serious people claimed to give this stuff more than a nano seconds thought. Any number of psychics could have done the same. He's now famous as a freak and through being a friend of Michael Jackson. I doubt he's had to try very hard to maintain his profile for quite a few years now.

If you mean, you and I wouldn't have the stomach to act like such a freak and be mocked for it, you're probably right. I'm sure there are loads of psychics who could though. I don't see why I should admire his sticking power more than Sylvia Brown's - she has to put up with far more abuse and negativity than he does.
 
shuttlt said:
Once your profile is high enough it gets easier. He got lucky and caught big wave at a point when supposedly serious people claimed to give this stuff more than a nano seconds thought. Any number of psychics could have done the same. He's now famous as a freak and through being a friend of Michael Jackson. I doubt he's had to try very hard to maintain his profile for quite a few years now.

If you mean, you and I wouldn't have the stomach to act like such a freak and be mocked for it, you're probably right. I'm sure there are loads of psychics who could though. I don't see why I should admire his sticking power more than Sylvia Brown's - she has to put up with far more abuse and negativity than he does.
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MTC mate ... MTC!
 
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