George Sands' "An Oddity"

Instead of mentally projecting your mentalism thoughts, type them here.
Bob Farmer
Posts: 3308
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Short card above selection.

George Sands' "An Oddity"

Postby Bob Farmer » March 5th, 2022, 12:18 pm

In The New Jinx, #312, for July, 1954, at pages 51-52, George Sands describes an effect using four pieces of paper. Each piece has a set of numbers. Piece A, has a 1 on one side and a 2 on the other. Piece B has 3 /4, and the remaining pieces have 4 / 5 and 5 / 6.

The spectator arranges the pieces any way he wants with any numbers he wants showing. By simply knowing the number of odd numbers, the magician can instantly reveal the total the displayed numbers create.

This principle has been used by Steve Beam in 2015. See Semi-Automatic Card Tricks — Volume 9, p.214.

Tenyo has used it twice in "Bird Watcher"(counting birds) and "Crowd Generator (counting people). See Tenyoism, pp.739-743.

David Britland used it in "Stargazer."

Questions:

1. What is the principle called?

2. Are there earlier references than the Sands reference?

3. Are there other effects that use the principle not listed above?

Philippe Billot
Posts: 1820
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: PARIS - FRANCE

Re: George Sands' "An Oddity"

Postby Philippe Billot » March 5th, 2022, 12:37 pm

It's in The New PHOENIX, not New JINX.

I have no other references, sorry

Bob Farmer
Posts: 3308
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Short card above selection.

Re: George Sands' "An Oddity"

Postby Bob Farmer » March 5th, 2022, 2:18 pm

Whoops! Yes, The New Phoenix. My head said Phoenix, my fingers said Jinx.

Philippe Billot
Posts: 1820
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: PARIS - FRANCE

Re: George Sands' "An Oddity"

Postby Philippe Billot » March 5th, 2022, 3:33 pm

NIX/INX l'erreur est humaine !

Errare humanum est (perseverare diabolicum)

Joe Mckay
Posts: 2026
Joined: April 13th, 2008, 6:56 am
Favorite Magician: Lubor Fiedler
Location: Durham, England

Re: George Sands' "An Oddity"

Postby Joe Mckay » March 5th, 2022, 4:24 pm

Gaetan Bloom uses this principle.

I remember a trick of his from the Full Bloom books that Todd Karr put out over at The Miracle Factory.

Check out the trick called Papa's Theatre on pg 359 (Vol. 1).

Bob Farmer
Posts: 3308
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Short card above selection.

Re: George Sands' "An Oddity"

Postby Bob Farmer » March 5th, 2022, 5:49 pm

Thank you Joe. I have compiled quite a list and I will publish it here when done.

In Self-Working Number Magic by Karl Fulves he published Shigeo Futagawa's "Stunumber" in 1983. However, earlier, in 1979, “Numeral-Oh-Gee” by The Amazing Randi appeared in Apocalypse, Vol. 2, No. 6, June, 1979, pp.205-207. In the description, it says the principle was created by Shigeo Futagawa.

So, Fulves must be relying on an earlier publication of the Futagawa trick as was Rn]andi, but I cannot find where that earlier publication might have been.

Edward Pungot
Posts: 923
Joined: May 18th, 2011, 1:55 am

Re: George Sands' "An Oddity"

Postby Edward Pungot » March 5th, 2022, 8:40 pm

I've seen iterations of this principle put to use by the Real Secrets duo over the years that credit Futagawa as well for the inspiration. One utilizing a spinning coin and a clock-work configuration of the pieces of paper. The other more recent variation from the boxed set using individual day calander sheets.

I think Max Maven gives you the history of this in Juan Tamariz's book Verbal Magic on page 79.
There he gives credit to Bob Hummer and Robert Stull (1941). But then again mentions Shigeo Futagawa as being the first to adapt the principal to a number force in the 1970s in a marketed trick put out in Japan. Max goes on to say that the Futagawa trick would later be written up in Scientific American by Martin Gardner.

Philippe Billot
Posts: 1820
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: PARIS - FRANCE

Re: George Sands' "An Oddity"

Postby Philippe Billot » March 6th, 2022, 3:57 am

Do that means the principle is in relation with Forcing Watch?

See here: https://www.conjuringcredits.com/doku.p ... ng_watch&s[]=stull

Dave Le Fevre
Posts: 365
Joined: December 24th, 2015, 10:29 am
Favorite Magician: Paul Megram

Re: George Sands' "An Oddity"

Postby Dave Le Fevre » March 6th, 2022, 4:39 am

I'm confused. I must be misunderstanding the problem.

If the pieces are displayed with the first number uppermost as 2/1, 4/3, 4/5, 5/6, the the performer is told that there's one odd number, and he immediately deduces that the total is 15.

And if the pieces are displayed with the first number uppermost as 2/1, 4/3, 5/4, 6/5, the the performer is again told that there's one odd number, and he immediately deduces that the total is 17.

I'm assuming that it should be something like 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8. Then the total with all the even numbers showing is 20, and each odd number showing reduces it by 1.

Bob Farmer
Posts: 3308
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Short card above selection.

Re: George Sands' "An Oddity"

Postby Bob Farmer » March 6th, 2022, 7:26 am

You are correct.

Edward, thank you for that excellent reference! More later.

Dave Le Fevre
Posts: 365
Joined: December 24th, 2015, 10:29 am
Favorite Magician: Paul Megram

Re: George Sands' "An Oddity"

Postby Dave Le Fevre » March 6th, 2022, 10:20 am

Bob Farmer wrote:You are correct
Thanks. I'd genuinely thought that I was failing to understand something that was far more clever and subtle.

Edward Pungot
Posts: 923
Joined: May 18th, 2011, 1:55 am

Re: George Sands' "An Oddity"

Postby Edward Pungot » March 6th, 2022, 10:50 am

I feel like a pawn in all of this.
Check mate.

Bob Farmer
Posts: 3308
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Short card above selection.

Re: George Sands' "An Oddity"

Postby Bob Farmer » March 6th, 2022, 10:57 am

I am looking for copies of a couple of things. The first is a copy of the instructions for Robert Stull's 1941 trick, "Mento Test." The second is page 223 of Martin Gardner's out-of-print book, Fractal Music, Hypercards and More, specifically his description of a Shigeo Futagawa trick, under the heading "Psychic Wonders and Probability."

Michael Close
Posts: 491
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: The Great White North
Contact:

Re: George Sands' "An Oddity"

Postby Michael Close » March 6th, 2022, 12:12 pm

Bob: I sent you an email.

Bob Farmer
Posts: 3308
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Short card above selection.

Re: George Sands' "An Oddity"

Postby Bob Farmer » March 6th, 2022, 1:05 pm

Got it--thank you Mike!

Bill Mullins
Posts: 5913
Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Huntsville, AL
Contact:

Re: George Sands' "An Oddity"

Postby Bill Mullins » March 6th, 2022, 3:32 pm

Bob -- Just sent you the Futagawa/Gardner material.


Return to “Mentalism & Mental Magic”