New Scientist Breaking News - NASA develops 'mind-reading' system

New Scientist Breaking News - NASA develops 'mind-reading' system

Derren Brown may have been replaced. Remember Garry Kasparov? A Machine was never going to beat a human at chess, right Big Blue? Well, just take a look at what the NASA brainicacs have come up with. We may all soon be out of a job, as it precisely mirrors just the way DB says he picks up words. But then, he probably already knew that...

WHAT IS THE SECRET?

Hot off the press, just had an email tipoff about a unique web-based film event. Can't vouch for the movie contents because I haven't seen it yet! (After all, I'm too busy bringing this Breaking News to you good people As It Happens.) The promo blurb is reproduced below. But clearly it's one of those cosmic, meaning-of-life type things. Possibly comparable with 'What The Bleep Do We Know?' And possibly, like that, fascinating but not necessarily to be swallowed whole without chewing hard first and even spitting some bits out.

What's cool though is:

1. Its called "What is the Secret?" Now, as I'm a Magician, you will probably not need to be a Mind Reader to work out which phrase I tend to hear rather frequently. Yup, you got it, Uri. Be interesting to hear their answer for a change.

2. I don't even care too much about the content, because the access technology is just awesome. It's truly like watching DVD quality, but live over the internet. The trailer looks very impressive and loads pretty much instantly. Again, more details appear below. If you don't want to see the movie, just watch the trailer over and over and marvel at some REAL magic! How do they do that one? Now that's a secret I would truly love to have.

Here's the Big Sell:

"...This new film is called The Secret and it reveals The Secret known and used by every great man or woman in history. This Secret is behind all financial fortunes, all great inventions, all great organizations, all happiness, all inner peace--all great endeavors of any kind. We are extremely pleased and excited to announce that The Secret is to made its eagerly awaited international debut in a revolutionary world movie launch today, Thursday, March 23rd.The trailers as well as the full-length movie can be viewed on your computer. This is courtesy of VIVIDAS video technology which delivers the power of full screen, broadcast quality pictures and sound direct to your computer. For broadband users it will be just like switching on the TV - you just click and it plays - no downloading required. This technology is unique in the world and is being utilized by Disney, Dreamworks and Universal Studios for their movie trailers. Due to 3rd party contractual restrictions, users in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea will not be able to watch the movie or purchase DVDs at this time. These countries can look forward to a movie release in a different medium."

MAGICIANS & ACTORS WHO PLAYED MAGICIANS IN MOVIES

About.com: http://www.magictricks.com/library/reel.htm

OK this is getting slightly nerdy now, but the estimable About.com have compiled a list, if you really want to know. Not many classics there, I'm bound to say, but maybe the odd goodie. The definitive Magician Movie has yet to be made. So, good news for Kev then...

KK MANIA! MAGIC ACT FOR A MAGIC ACTOR

Kevin Kline In 'The Great Buck Howard' Talks



Delighted to see the very wonderful Kev has been chosen for this role. There are many film stars out there who would, to use the vernacular, 'suck' as credible movie magicians. (I think we all know who we mean, don't we?) Whereas the splendid Mr Kline has shown his verve and versatility for many years now, in a range of parts ranging from the absurd Fish Called Wanda & Fierce Creatures to deeply realistic The Big Chill or Grand Canyon; and he gives more than 100% value every time.

Playing a magician seems like the next logical step, since whatever the character, KK always seems to bring to it both believability and a kind of impish, 'knowing-more-than-he's-telling' quality. What could be more perfect, for the part of a prestidigitator?

Less thrilled to see the movie also contains Colin Hanks, son of (yawn) Tom Hanks - who clearly also got the job purely on merit. Right?

This is a stretch, but hey - it's my blog. A final word on 'KK' then: it's also the initials of Wonder Wizard Kenton Knepper, who invented one of THE all time great tricks: koincidentally kalled 'Kolossal Killer'. But if you want to know what that's all about, you'll just have to book me.

ONLINE POKER CHEATING ALERT!

KLASTV.com - I-Team Exclusive: Dirty Poker


There's a famous comment about my chosen profession, to the effect that a Magician is the most honest man in the world. He says, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am now going to deceive you. And then proceeds to do just that. Which probably helps explain the special contempt we have for cheats, who often abuse secret magic techniques for dishonest gain...

FREE TRICK! 'One Hundred to One'

Can you be an Instant Magician? Well, no. But heck, you're going to try anyway, so at least I might as well help a bit. This won't give Derren Brown too much to worry about, but it's kind of cool. And the real secret, like with DB, is all about Presentation. Otherwise it'll be seen straight away for what it truly is: a cute, quirky puzzle. So make sure you give 'em plenty of buildup about Free Will vs. Predestination, your Precognitive abilities, or your deep intuitive grasp of what numbers are 'right' for a person. (Ladies, please forgive me, but you LOVE this stuff. Go ahead, Tell me I'm wrong...).

So let's get to it: after the appropriate preamble, you announce boldly that you will be able to predict the outcome of an impossibly random event. The room turns suddenly cold, as a dozen awestruck onlookers suck in their breath. You dramatically place an envelope - if you want, a large one, emblazoned with a bold Question Mark, depends how OTT you want to be - on the table. Your audience experience genuine awe; perhaps for the first time in their lives. So it's true then: telepathy; time travel; all that stuff David Icke went on about. And you can prove it.

Selecting a willing victim, you challenge them to think of ANY number from 1 to 100 and write it down as a word, without revealing it. Emphasize the positively bewildering freedom of choice involved. They are then to count the number of letters in their chosen number, and write THAT, new, number down below the first, again as letters. Taking the new word, they repeat the process - counting the letters, writing the new total as a word. And again, and again until soon, they are unable to continue; because they are cycling around one number, over and over again. Mention the probability-defying odds of anyone knowing this final number in advance. You stand back as they stampede for the envelope, tearing from its mysterious heart just one sheet of effulgent foolscap. There, printed boldly in the centre, is THAT SAME NUMBER. Look around: see that look on their faces? That's what a Paradigm Shift looks like.

Sadly we must now plummet earthwards again and address the banal, because I sense a question similarly cycling round your synapses: how did you, how could you possibly, know the number?

Well, because it's always 4. Just try it, and you'll find it's one of those delightful Things that come close to being 'real magic'. Have fun, and please let me know how you get on...

MagicWeek - Magic News in the UK - Magic Shop Tricks

MagicWeek - Magic News in the UK - Magic Shop Tricks

MAGIC MASTERCLASS

So just where does a Magician go, to learn Magic?

I'm off tomorrow, to Amsterdam. Leave on Passover, come back after Easter Monday: significant? I rather think so, because once again I know I'll return with my passion for the Art of the Impossible 'Resurrected'.

Yes, there are Magic Conventions - but then there is Masterclass. It's just - A whole new dimension. The place where the 'real' Secrets get passed on. Students there all share this passion for getting good, then getting better. The same passion STILL demonstrated, by our -resident mentors Jeff McBride (imagine a grown-up Puck) and Eugene Burger (Scary Santa), although they've both been in the field of wonder-working forever, so have far better excuses than us to feel jaded.

So what happens? You do your Act (you bet it's scary!), you get instant - and incredibly insightful - feedback from the Great Ones, watch others do the same. And you improve by leaps and bounds, over the course of a long weekend. Anyone who goes home without a notebook full of profoundly workable wisdom, well; they're just not writing fast enough.

THE MORAL OF THE STORY: These guys know what real Magic is about. And - surprise - turns out it's so NOT about 'the tricks'. Actually, it's about YOU. And I don't care how Disney that sounds, it's true: you are the magic: what people go to see, buy into, want more of. And what could be more fun, or more important, than learning to be YOU?..