Murphy's Magic Supplies, Inc.
"Very interesting demonstrations. Fascinating work."
- Dan Harlan
"I loved that you introduced a brand-new plot there with the memorization of the square that doesn't have the Magic Square property."
- Tomas Blomberg
EFFECTS:
FAST MATH - (Face up) Here’s a classic with my twist using number cards. Your spectator picks a number between 34 and 99, and you slap down 16 cards in a 4x4 layout faster than they can blink. Voilà! Every row adds up to their chosen number. The center and corners align too, thanks to a nifty calculation method I use to pick my starting card. One version requires a smidge of memorization, but don't sweat it—there’s also a no-memory version for those who prefer to keep it simple.
FAST MATH - (Face down) This is the same trick as Fast Math (Face up), but here’s the twist inspired by Dan Harlan: you start with the cards face down. You reveal them one by one to show that each row equals the spectator's number. All the handling, setup, and system are courtesy of yours truly, Lars La Ville.
PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY DEMONSTRATION
This next pair of effects requires a bit more brainpower—definitely not for the faint of heart, but trust me, worth sharing. You hand the cards to the spectator to shuffle and split them into two piles. They freely choose one, and then you quickly lay down 16 cards while saying,
"Watch me memorize all the positions of these cards and calculate each row while blindfolded. Just give me 15 seconds to soak it all in." You don the blindfold and proceed to call out the sums of each row. This one requires some serious memory work, so be prepared.
BLINDFOLDED SQUARE:
With a blindfold on, your spectator names any number from 34 to 99. You’ve got a grid marked A, B, C, D horizontally and 1, 2, 3, 4 vertically. Instruct the spectator where to jot down numbers—like 10 in D4, 16 in C2, etc. After they’ve filled out the grid, you unveil your blindfold and reveal that all the rows add up to their chosen number. Fair warning: this version isn’t for beginners.
MAGIC SQUARE:
Here’s the classic magic square, reimagined on paper. It’s inspired by Harry Lorayne but utilizes my quick-calculation method to determine your starting point. I’ve also thrown in a peek technique to help you know which numbers to use. The spectator can name any number from 33 to 201, and the beauty of this square is that no four numbers are oversized compared to the others. It does involve some memorization, but there’s a no-memory option too.
IMPROMPTU MAGIC SQUARE:
All you need is a Sharpie and a stack of Post-it notes. The spectator names any number from 33 to 201, and you instruct them on which numbers to write on each note. You then swiftly stack them, and—surprise!—all the rows add up to the number they named.
Duration: 90 min.
(C) - La Ville Magic 2024
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