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I thought the bowl on the table may be connected to an electronic scale. When the spec takes the buttons, obviously the weight will change and someone works out the number of buttons left in the bowl. This could then be told to Derren through several methods - ie a hidden earpiece or something!

...this is my theory - but I am sure it must be simpler than this!

I've seen something similiar performed with Smarties (ok - there are less Smarties in a tube) but still impressive.

The colours are, I suspect, there to make it more visually interesting and also to provide a possible explanation for how he does it.

I suspect that the Smarties effect was done in an entirely different way (I assume you are referring to the one DB taught the memory expert in the first series).

Yes, that's right! I agree they were done in different ways, but a similiar effect.

And another thing! Out of all the presentations he could have invented for this button trick, why decide upon being repeatedly slapped in the face? Hmmm....

The face slapping part... I just presumed that Derren was getting kinda kinky... (I mean, after a nail up the nose, why not? )

Does the bowl always start and finish on the table. In fact the bowl never actually moves does it? And I bet the table is always the same too. I think that gives a strong clue to how it's done (Thats my opinion anyway).

I had the pleasure of seeing Derren "up close" at a President's night dinner for the Bath Circle some years ago. I was certainly entertaining to see his "impromptu" performance but actually some of his methods are quite prozaic! He just delivers the magic better than many who simply perform the effect!

how long before the buttons on the tray are covered long enough for a stage hand to count them or computer attached to a tv camera

better yet each button has a store id tag in it.

My theory is to do with knowing how many handfuls they take, and how big their hands are (could tell via the slapping)

Yes, but one button here or there would ruin the effect, and it's easy to get one button wrong.

Edited by Mods - be careful, in the Public Area this is exposure!

Kati

Hi my name is adam and i have been doing magic for a few years. i am new on this board and this is my first post. wohoo

Right i have a theory on this.

I believe their is a mathmatical method where when the buttons are placed on the board all you have to do is count the number of buttons of 1 or 2 colours i.e. RED and then use an equasion to figure out the most probably amount of buttons there.

For example Red is a prominent colour and if you spread out for example a tube of smarties on a table and look at them all not particularaly concentrating on any particular smartie but on them as a whole, and count the red ones. then you have about 1 5th of the amount of smarties.

I havent figured out the maths of it but i believe this is how it is done. it doesnt matter how many buttons were placed on the tray, by looking at all the buttons as a genralisation and abstractly counting 1 colour or possibly 2 i believe you can "predict" the full amount with the chance of being out by possibly 1 or 2.

Practice makes perfect.

Adam

I suppose....

But what if they picked out two handfuls of red smarties? The amount of just one colour is not specific enough to identify the whole number if the selection of buttons is random.

Any other ideas?

My theory, if it's correct that the bowl doesn't leave the table and the table doesn't move, is that the the slaps on the face are simply a diversion until a set of lemons rebalance, and then by knowing the weight of a single button, an aardvark can calculate how many buttons have been removed.


Edit: Oops, just realised that if I were clse then this could be revealing. Please feel free to edit. Done in italics in case anyone was wondering![mods]

mods feel free to edit this, (we have!) but here is the extremely techy version of a prop that can be built to work this exact effect.

Please see earlier comment - we have it on good authority that this is close to exposure and we can't do that in the Public Area of the forum for legal reasons, sorry.

Wow...
This is what I love about Derren, he can get magicians in such a frenzy trying to work out his methods! Just count the amount of theories listed.... there can only be ONE right answer!

chrismyatt82 wrote:Wow...
This is what I love about Derren, he can get magicians in such a frenzy trying to work out his methods! Just count the amount of theories listed.... there can only be ONE right answer!

I think that whatever the method, this effect falls into the category where people think "no that can't be the answer, its just too much work", a bit like the work of say Simon Aronson or Juan Tamarriz (I hope you'll understand the reference) or the note in the peanut effect by Michael Amarr. (I'm being deliberately vague here to prevent exposure, hope I've done enough)

In the end its a good effect that certainly gets people talking!