# A "Mind Reading" Web Page **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 12, 2003, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-reading-web-page/160716 "2003-03-12T02:21:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-reading-web-page/160716/1 "2003-03-12T02:21:13Z")
I just recieved a link to [this page](http://mr-31238.mr.valuehost.co.uk/assets/Flash/psychic.swf) that says it can read my mind. I know it stupid. I want to know how it works. It only uses a few symbols, so there is a good chance it will pick the right number, though it should eventually be wrong and it never is. I don’t like web pages that claim to read my mind. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-reading-web-page/160716/2 "2003-03-12T02:24:41Z")
This has been discussed in several recent threads. The math trick forces an answer that’s a multiple of nine, and all those numbers (9, 18, 27, . . . 72, 81, 90) have the same symbol. The symbol changes with each iteration of the game. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-reading-web-page/160716/3 "2003-03-12T02:32:23Z")
Got a great one for you, Zamboni! I can’t figure out how the thing works. Go to [http://www.beechbrook.com/pte/](http://www.beechbrook.com/pte/) and download Card Trick. It’s never guessed wrong yet for me. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-reading-web-page/160716/4 "2003-03-12T02:55:21Z")
**Monty,** try writing down the values of all the cards shown _before_ you make your pick, and compare that list to the cards that “remain” after “your” card has been “removed.” Does that help? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-reading-web-page/160716/5 "2003-03-12T03:05:47Z")
I can’t download it, Monty. Describe it. I understand the psychic page now. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-reading-web-page/160716/6 "2003-03-12T03:09:30Z")
**Zamboni,** [here’s](http://www.frankopinion.com/tricks/index.html) an online version of **Monty** ’s trick. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-reading-web-page/160716/7 "2003-03-12T03:19:30Z")
Scarlett67, if Monty is talking about what I think he is talking about, then he might be making fun of me for an earlier thread I posted.:rolleyes: I couldn’t find that thread in a search because I don’t remember the name. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-reading-web-page/160716/8 "2003-03-12T03:20:04Z")
Same trick, different cards, Scarlett67. I really want to know how it does that! Writing the values of the cards didn’t help. Drat. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-reading-web-page/160716/9 "2003-03-12T03:31:53Z")
**Monty,** did ANY of the cards from the beginning of the trick show up at the end? Therein lies your answer. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-reading-web-page/160716/10 "2003-03-12T03:44:00Z")
Scarlett: Yes, all of the cards except for the one I chose. Zamboni: I’m not making fun of you (anyway, I’ve no idea why I would–nothing comes to mind, thread or otherwise). I just thought you’d be interested in that trick. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-reading-web-page/160716/11 "2003-03-12T04:14:45Z")
**Monty** , I think you’d better try it again: Write down all the cards at the beginning – 7 of hearts, 8 of clubs, whatever – and compare with the cards at the end. I think you will find that none of the ending cards are the same as the ones at the beginning. What’s more, your download version uses the same cards every time, which makes it even more obvious! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2003, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-reading-web-page/160716/12 "2003-03-13T01:19:53Z")
Sorry Monty.:o I’m just a little paranoid. I started another thread asking about a card trick similar to the one you tried to get me to see (which I couldn’t download and I’m not going to worry to much about it either). It’s played exactly like the game Scarlett67 set up the link to, except it was introduced by David Copperfield. If I could find the thread I would post it here so you could see what I mean. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2003, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-reading-web-page/160716/13 "2003-03-13T02:00:19Z")
Aha! Thanks, Scarlett. I was just looking at the numbers. :Doh!: ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2003, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-mind-reading-web-page/160716/14 "2003-03-13T02:12:28Z")
That’s what got me too, but that was the intention. It’s kind of dumb when you figure it out.