3/3/2018 The Magic Cafe Forums - A number divination

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The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Magical equations » » A number divination (0 Likes)

lboudreau Posted: Nov 25, 2004 05:36 pm 0

"Somehow, I always had a head for numbers. At a young age, I found that I could tell what
number someone had in mind by merely knowing whether it was odd or even. I've tried to
put that peculiar talent to work in picking lottery numbers."

Following those remarks, I produce a card on which the following numbers are printed in big,
Loyal user bold characters:
Alexandria,
Virginia
288 Posts 1593067, 5072401, 9463812, 6802501
9372845, 8593756, 4163389, 1502034

8072723, 7293690, 3802289, 7163690

5072478, 8502756, 2463190, 6372501

8593723, 1502067, 6372534, 2463167

1593034, 3802256, 8072756, 4163312

6802534, 7293623, 9463845, 8502723

9372812, 7163623

After showing everybody the numbers, I hand a person the card. I ask the person to select
any one of the numbers mentally. "Look at the center of your selected number," I instruct,
"the fourth digit to be precise, and tell me whether that digit is odd or even. '0' is an even
number, by the way." As soon as the person answers, I write a number on a sketch pad and
show it to the audience. This is repeated for the other digits, until I've written down the
entire number. The person then reads his number aloud for the first time and it matches
mine perfectly.

The method is a unique number-generating routine. Let's say the person selected the
number 6372501. I begin with the center digit because that digit has just two possibilities, 3
or 2. The person will tell me it's even, so the digit has to be a 2, which I will write on the
sketch pad. Working backwards from the center digit, I ask him whether the third digit is odd
or even. He will say it's odd. I will reproduce it by using one of the following rules:

(a) Add 6 to the last digit I wrote if that digit is odd and the next digit is odd.

(b) Add 3 if the last digit is odd and the next digit is even.

(c) Add 5 if the last digit is even and the next digit is odd.

(d) Add 8 if the last digit is even and the next digit is even.

Rule (c) applies because the last digit I wrote was a 2, which is even, and the next digit (the
third digit) is odd. So I add 5 to 2 and get 7. Next, I either write the 7 on a sketch pad at
once or ask the audience to call out odd digits at random and write it down when I hear it.
The result is 72. The second digit comes next. The person will report that the second digit is
odd, which means rule (a) comes into play and I must add 6 to 7, for a total of 13. I will
drop the 1 and write the 3 as the second digit, giving me the number 372. Applying the
appropriate rule to the first digit, then to the last digit of the number, I will get 6372xx1. To
get the two unknown digits (xx), I will ask the person to concentrate on them without stating
whether they're odd or even. I subtract 1 from the first digit, 6, to get the fifth digit and I
subtract 1 from the last digit, 1, to get the sixth digit -- yielding the complete number
6372501.
LEO
Posted: Feb 16, 2006 09:58 pm
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3/3/2018 The Magic Cafe Forums - A number divination

Slim King 0

Some Lottery magazines print the winning numbers for the last month on the back page of
their latest issue. This would dress up this effect nicely, since there are thirty numbers total.
( It would have to be some kind of lottery that only selects single digits) I do see another
way to do the odd even questions, but perhaps it's too basic. Couldn't you ask five
questions, odd or even, and know which number(Position) it was....then look and see it on
Eternal Order your reference sheet? You could just ask the questions and then write the number down
Orlando right then.
16830 Posts
Just a thought.
Great Idea!
Thanks
Dave
THE MAN THE SKEPTICS REFUSE TO TEST FOR ONE MILLION DOLLARS

Andy Moss Posted: May 24, 2009 04:05 pm 0

The below is just a variant to Leo's (Iboudreau) effect "Number divination".

This humble effect seems to hold hidden potential since it can be performed for one person
or more, on stage or even via the computer.The binary code is very well hidden.If you like
the take then please feel free to present it yourself in your own way.Here goes.
Special user
646 Posts
"NUMBER DIVINATION REVISITED".

"The 30 numbers" (The actual numbers have been slightly reformed to look more random
with respect to the last two digits)

1593947 5072381 9463792 6802481 9372725 8593636 4163269 1502914 8072603

7293570
3802169 7163570 5072358 8502636 2463070 6372481 8593603 1502947 6372414
2463047
1593914 3802136 8072636 4163292 6802414 7293503 9463725 8502603 9372792
7163503

"The Rules"(have remained the same as for the original)

Add 8 to the last digit written if that digit is even and the next digit is even.
Add 6 to the last digit written if that digit is odd and the next digit is odd.
Add 5 to the last digit written if that digit is even and the next digit is odd.
Add 3 to the last digit written if that digit is odd and the next digit is even.

"Method of calculation" (Changes for the calculation of the fifth and sixth digits)

Apply the above rules starting with the fourth digit (if odd=3 if even=2).
Ditto with third, second, first and finally seventh digits.
Then for the fifth digit take 2 away from the first digit.
For the sixth digit take 3 away from the seventh digit.

"A purer presentation" (This is where the real changes lie)

-Ask the spectator to tell you which of his digits (e.g. “1st, fourth and fifth” ) are odd.
-Instruct the spectator to form a number with these digits and to visualise this number in
her mind‘s eye.
-The performer claims he will try to tune in to the mind of the spectator.
-Then ask the spectator to do the same for her even digits (but this time you need not ask
her where they lie in digit order).That is to say you ask the spectator simply to form a
number with the digits and then to visualise the number.
-Again the performer affects concentration whilst ‘tuning in’ to the spectator’s mind.
-Naturally the performer by now has all the information he requires to formulate the whole
number all at once seemingly through his psychic ability to read the spectator‘s 'mind
images' of her actual numbers.
-There is no need to laboriously move from fourth to third then to second etc which is
suspicious since it is clearly more natural to start with the first digit in any such process of
divination.
-The two visualisations act as a red herring and add a further layer of disguise to the ‘fishing’
for the binary code.

The above is only a skeleton for a possible presentation for Leo's effect as inspired by him. I
do hope that it is food for thought.

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With best wishes Andy.

lboudreau Posted: May 24, 2009 07:08 pm 0

Andy, I love it. Why didn't I think of that? I posted the number divination in “Magical
Equations” because I saw it as something a math teacher might have fun with. In fact, a
math teacher did tell me once how he enjoyed performing it for his students. You've
transformed it into a wonderful psychic demonstration, way cooler than the original. Kudos!!
Thank you for taking time to write it up and sharing it with us.
Loyal user
Alexandria, LEO
Virginia
288 Posts

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