For Rocket Scientist Only

[CHARLIE]

I can't figure out how it works, but somehow it really does.

Click on the link below and follow the short instructions. The computer  
"will  read your mind". Your computer must have Flash installed to run it, though.

http://mr-31238.mr.valuehost.co.uk/assets/Flash/psychic.swf
 
If anybody figures it out please clue me in.  I think it has to be mathematics.
 
Mathematics and I do not get along very well.  

[johnjbc]

Didn't work for me  : :

[Rick Schmalzried]

The key to this is that there are a very few posible answers to this problem that are multiples of 9.  If you start trying multiple problems you find that you ALWAYS end up with the same symbol (which in this case was a funny looking H.)

Some examples:
99:   99 - (9+9) = 81
95:   95 - (9+5) = 81
23:   23 - (2+3) = 18
36:   36 - (3+6) = 27

If you look at the chart that they give 9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72, 81 all have the same symbol.

A non-mathametical "proof" of how this works, is that you are taking the ones digit and subtracting it from the number which gives a multiple of 10.  Then you are subtracting 1 for each multiple of 10.  So the answer is (10 - 1)* (some multiple) or 9 time something.  It is sort of cool how this always works.

You can turn this into some sort of bar trick to "guess the answer".  Have the bloke choose a number between 20 and 29.  Perform the math and the answer is always 18. etc.

Hope this helps and doesn't bore too many people.

[Mark M]

Hi Rick

Thanks for splainen that! I knew the answer was rooted in mathematics but never took the time to figger it out. The first time I saw it (about 20 years ago) was on tv and you went over to the screen to put your finger on a square. I was completely amazed that the magician guessed which square I picked.

Mark

[woodmills1]

yes nines are great especially when you add digits

nine times table
 9
18  1+8=9
27  2+7=9
36  etc
45
54
63
72
81  8+1=9   81  is 18 written backwards etc


    52  5+2=7
  +84  8+4=12  1+2=3       7+3=10  1+0=1
_____
136                       1+3+6=10      1+0=1

       problem and answer give same final digit addition

used to come in real handy before calculators

[Ron Wenrich]

So explain this one:

http://cs.bluffton.edu/~scoffman/trick.html

[swampwhiteoak]

Ron,

This is a common card trick, I think that street magician guy likes to do it.  Anyway, these are the cards that popped up the first go round for me:
9-spades, 7-diamonds, 8-clubs, 7-spades, 8-diamonds, 9-hearts

This trick counts on you memorizing only one card and only paying cursory attention to the others.  When he gives you the next five cards, he is supposedly leaving yours out.  This is what came back:
7-clubs, 9-diamonds, 8-spades, 9-clubs, 7-hearts

So of course you card isn't there, it couldn't be cause there aren't any repeats.

[Tagerts_crossing]

wow that fish is slick. 8)