A NOTE TO PARENTS AND TEACHERS


This book attempts to help children become interested in the study of the sciences while teaching them rudimentary principles. It does this by stripping away some of the mysteries associated with science and technology.

Scientific and mathematical principles are presented as magic or puzzles have an allure that appeals to many children, even those with marginal scientific interests. This book was written to show children that science and math can be fun, exciting, as well as useful. It will:



· make the pursuit of science a game that children will want to play

·be a useful tool to children, allowing them to learn to express themselves in public through the performance of magic tricks

·help them develop a knowledge of the psychology of working with people

· by the very nature of the performance, help them learn to think on their feet





PREFACE



When my editor called to tell me that there was in­terest in a sequel to Magic Tricks, Science Facts, I was as happy as a kid in a toy store with a $2,000 gift certificate. I was being asked to continue a most enjoyable project, the combined study of science and magic.
Science had become a regular pastime with me.

Wherever I turned, I kept on seeing articles on sci­ence and technology. A motorcycle magazine had an article on the physics of motorcycling. It dis­cussed not only how the motorcycle went, but ways to make it go safer and faster. Newspapers and magazines had articles on the environment. They often described why the ecosystem should be maintained and improved. One magazine had an article on different adhesives and how they worked. I found this useful in assembling new magic tricks.

Not only did I find these articles interesting, I found them easier to understand with my ever­
increasing knowledge of science.

I hope that your study of magic and science does not end with the reading of this book. Learn­ing secrets of any sort is fun. I do hope that you enjoy the ones that you're about to read.



—Bob Friedhoffer, aka The Madman of Magic







INTRODUCTION


The performance of magic works because of "se­crets." Magic is traditionally shrouded in mystery. If there were no secrets, magic would consist of someone standing on stage doing a bunch of "dumb things" that everyone knows. There would be no mysteries.

Keeping the secrets of magic to yourself is im­portant if you wish to fool your audience. If the spectators are kept in the dark, they'll be im­pressed. If you tell them the secrets behind the tricks, you will be that someone standing on stage doing a bunch of "dumb things."

* * *

This book was written as a magic book. Please help keep the secrets.

Before you perform any magic tricks success­fully, you have to make a few decisions. You have to decide:

·that you want to do the trick

·that you're willing to spend some time learning the trick

·that you're ready to practice the trick until you can perform it well

Practicing the trick is the hardest part, but it is also the most rewarding. Diligent practice will allow you to fool your audience and keep you from worrying, "What do I do next?" while performing the trick.

* * *

"As soon as the technical side of the trick is mas­tered, the student must turn to the dramatic, which is the most important as far as the effect is con­cerned."

—H. J. Burlingame, 1897

* * *

To perform any of the tricks in this book, you should know if the trick you're about to do is based on science or math. If it's based on science, you must know which area of science—physics, chemistry, or physiology.

You must also consider the venue, or the area or place, where the performance is to take place. It can be either on stage or close to the spectators.

The tricks in this book are divided into four groups: physics, math, chemistry, and physiology. Each trick is broken into sections that give infor­mation on the effect produced by the trick, the props used, and the routine and method of performing the trick. There is also a follow-up note that further explains the science behind the magic.
These sections are described below.



EFFECT

When we watch a movie or TV show, we get so involved with the action that we forget that we are watching actors. We forget that we are just watch­ing a story. For a while we actually believe that what's happening is real. That's what should hap­ pen to your audience, whether it's one person or fifty, when you perform a trick....