Darren Brown Again.

[Mr Pig]

Getting boring. Who still thinks this guy can figure out which number on a roulette wheel the ball will land on? I mean honestly.

Personally I don't even think it was a real casino.

 

[magnatom]

After the first farcical episode on the lottery I decided to steer well clear of the rest of the series.

I take it I haven't missed much?

 

[Mr Pig]

I take it I haven't missed much?

Nothing at all.

 

[willhub]

Did he tell you how he did it?

 

[swee'pea99]

I do.

And to answer willhub, yes, he did. And his explanation - unlike, say, that for the lottery - was entirely plausible. He even did a 'rehearsal' in a squash court which worked, unlike the real thing. (Tho' admittedly he could have filmed 120 such rehearsals, each with a different volunteer, till he got one that worked out.)

But yes, calculating speed of ball, speed of wheel, and point at which ball first hit wheel. (He was one out, by the way: put the cash on 8, ball fell in 30, right next door.)

 

[gaz]

he got it wrong, but only just!

 

[Mr Pig]

[quote name='swee'pea99']His explanation was entirely plausible.[/QUOTE]

You on the wind up? You honestly think that it would be even remotely possible to work out exactly where a roulette ball was going to land by watching it spin around the edge for one second? Even assuming you 'could' work out where and when it would fall, which I don't believe, there are pegs in the way which can throw the ball all over the place.

Professional squash players spend their working lives in a squash court developing the ability to predict where the ball is going to go. Do you think they could pin it down to a square like that? No way.

He didn't 'loose' any money at all. It was a fake casino and the result was exactly as planned. Had he got the right number he would've had to give the guy a couple of hundred thousand pounds! As it was he just gives the guy his money back, as he didn't actually loose it, and gains credibility from the imperfect, but good, result.

I used to really like Darren brown. I thought he actually did use highly developed skills to perform his tricks, I still think he is obviously a talented guy, but he's just he same as all the other stage magicians throughout history. Feigning superior knowledge to hide conjuring tricks. In fact I think he's worse as I believe he uses video effects, editing and audience/participant plants to produce his results. Which quite frankly anyone could do. I don't listen to a word he says any more.

 

[User482]

I like Derren Brown. And if you don't, there's always the "off" button.

 

[Mr Pig]

I like Derren Brown. And if you don't, there's always the "off" button.

So do you think he correctly worked out which slot the ball would fall in?

 

[User482]

So do you think he correctly worked out which slot the ball would fall in?

No idea. That's what makes it fun.

 

[Mr Pig]

No idea. That's what makes it fun.

Well you've got two choices. One, in a one second glance he (almost) correctly worked out which slot the ball would fall in. Two, it was recorded earlier and edited together so that it looked like he did. You have no idea which is more likely to be the truth?

 

[Lisa21]

Jeez, he always cannot stress enought that it is showmanship. misdirection.mind-control. No tricks, no set ups, he just purely and simply makes you think what he wants. The guy is God. End of.

Did you see the one where he was mirroring people in a cafe and when he found one suggestable enough made him steal a telly!! Ace!!!

 

[Mr Pig]

Did you see the one where he was mirroring people in a cafe and when he found one suggestable enough made him steal a telly!! Ace!!!

I used to believe all of these things but I'm no longer sure what's skill and what's just a fake. Which takes the edge off everything hedoes.

 

[User482]

Well you've got two choices. One, in a one second glance he (almost) correctly worked out which slot the ball would fall in. Two, it was recorded earlier and edited together so that it looked like he did. You have no idea which is more likely to be the truth?

I know which is more likely to be true. I have no idea which is actually true.

 

[Mr Pig]

I know which is more likely to be true. I have no idea which is actually true.

Ok. I confess to swinging slightly more towards the later explanation myself.