Magic in the Doctor's Office

[Brown]

I thought I would post a story about a little experience I had today.

I had to visit my local doctor's office for some tests. I had some blood drawn and had my blood pressure checked. There was a lot of waiting involved. While waiting, I had a conversation with one of the nurses. Somehow, the topic of conversation turned to artwork, and I mentioned my t-shirt designs for the Amazing Meeting III. The nurse asked what kind of meeting that was, and I said it was a "magicians and skeptics meeting." (I use this term because a surprising number of people are unfamiliar with James Randi, Michael Shermer, even Penn and Teller.)

"Oh, are you a magician?" she exclaimed. I said that I knew a few tricks. She said her son wanted to be a magician, and was working on a rubber band trick. She described the trick to me.

This trick is pretty well known. The performer puts a rubber band over his index and middle fingers, snaps the band a couple of times, and the band suddenly jumps to the ring finger and pinkie. I showed the nurse how to do the trick (the secret) and how to perform the trick (how to hide the secret when showing the trick to someone).

I then showed the nurse a couple of other impromptu rubber band tricks, simple ones. She was amazed. Then I showed her a trick with a pen. Suddenly, I had a bunch of nurses standing around, watching the tricks, and (what's even more interesting) trying to duplicate them. Apparently I made the feats seem so easy that they felt there was nothing to them ... until they tried to perform the feats themselves.

 

[T'ai Chi]

When I mention I work with statistics things don't go too well. I'll have to learn some more tricks.

 

[Tunny]

Ironically, when I do magic tricks things usually don't go well. I was thinking of trying statistics instead...

Go figure.

Tunny

 

[rustypouch]

I think you left out the most important part of the story.

Were any of them hot? Did you get their numbers?

 

[Brown]

I think you left out the most important part of the story.

Were any of them hot? Did you get their numbers?

Actually, the nurse who was the most interested was a lovely woman... but she expressed an interest in magic because her son was interested in it and was learning some tricks. So no, I didn't get her number.

I am considering bringing "Scotch and Soda" the next time I visit the clinic. (For those of you not familiar with the trick, I give the spectator a real US Kennedy half dollar and ask her to examine it. I then take back the half dollar and give her a real Mexican 10 centavo coin, and ask her to examine that, saying "You might not have seen one of these before." After I take back the Mexican coin, I pull up the sleeve on my right arm [to show there's nothing up my sleeve], then I hold out my right hand, showing the US coin and the Mexican coin pinched between my thumb and middle finger, the US coin on top of the Mexican coin. The Mexican coin is gold-colored, so it is very easy to see, even if partially hidden by the US coin. Then I tell the spectator, "Watch closely, this happens fast. Ready?" And in an instant, the Mexican coin disappears right under the specatator's nose. I roll the US coin over my fingers to show that there is nothing in my hand except for the US coin.)

 

[kittynh]

wow! married or not I'd go out with a man that could do that!

 

[Garrette]

Originally posted by kittynh:

wow! married or not I'd go out with a man that could do that!

Ahem....

I normally do a simple, unexpected transposition of the two coins, but I can do this, too.

Not that I'm hinting or anything...

 

[Brown]

wow! married or not I'd go out with a man that could do that!

If I remember to bring my coins, I'll show you the trick at TAM4. Then we'll go have dinner.

In case you're wondering, I do not drop any of the coins. There is no hidden elastic band that pulls the coin away. As I mentioned, I usually roll up my sleeve so that nothing could go up my sleeve. I don't even move the coins very fast... just a gentle shake and one of the coins is gone. I usually roll the remaining coin over the back of my hand to show that it is the only coin in my hand, when just a moment ago, there were clearly two coins.

Like many good magic tricks, to someone who doesn't know the secret, the trick is a "wow." But if the secret were to be explained, many would say, "You mean that's all there is to it?"