Over Xmas, I saw a great pub trick on the telly. It was undoubtedly real (ie no special fx) and I’m wondering if anyone here can explain the secret.
Here’s what I saw :
Take a pint of beer and a beer-mat.
Soak the beer-mat in some water and cover the top of the pint glass with it.
Turn the glass upside-down.
The fact the wet mat stayed where it was, seemingly defying gravity, is unremarkable. However the magician then removed the mat, and of course the beer stayed where it was. Now that was impressive!
Unfortunately the surface tension or whatever that was holding it there broke after a few seconds, resulting in a lot of beer on the floor.
So - can anyone explain how this might have worked? I have searched the web a lot for this one, and can find no mention of it.
Assuming that beer mat=coaster (I’m American), then maybe this is the explaination:
If the coaster was paper/cardboard, maybe the beer soaked into it a bit when turned upside down. This might allow a thin layer to be peeled off when the coaster is removed (probably removed very carefully!). This thin layer might keep air from entering the beer glass of a few seconds… thus keeping the beer in place for a short time.
Did you see the coaster after the trick was performed? This might help…
You need a clear piece of thin plastic, cut to the size of the top of the glass. It’s a bit tricky to get the beer mat to stick to it (it has to start out wet) and to slide the mat away without dislodging the plastic, but it’s do-able.
Hi Reuben. I believe you’re referring to one of the two “Paul Zenon” magic shows shown on TV (here in the UK) over xmas. Sorry if I’m being a spoilsport, but I won’t reveal the trick’s method here (Matt is close, but not quite right). You can always try alt.magic.secrets if you want to get into that kind of thing.
I know it’s not my place to make policy for the SDMB, and free speech is free speech, but I think it’s a bit tough on the magic trade to be discussing magic secrets here in a public forum. I know some magi can be annoying, but Zenon, for example, is a good, skilled talented guy who is working hard to bring some funky entertainment into your living room. Why not just sit back and enjoy what he does?
For US readers, Paul Zenon is essentially a UK version of David Blaine. Both are into street magic, and have their strengths. IMHO Zenon, who has a lot more experience, has the more varied repertoire and also has a nice sense of humour, whereas DB seems to take himself very seriously. Each to their own.
Final note for any US-based readers into magic - wait until one of your networks shows “Derren Brown: Mind Control”, a 1 hour special which aired over here in December. It will knock you sideways!
I had thought the trick was exploiting laws of physics, not cheating with clear bits of plastic. It certainly looked real! :rolleyes:
And yes, ianzin, it was Paul Zenon’s xmas show… the pub setting, and the informality of the whole setup made me think it was more ‘real’ than the Paul Daniels’ stagey -type magic.
And as for the poor magic ‘trade’, well, in the first place I didn’t think it was magic. Also I would counter that not knowing how a magic trick is performed is just another kind of ignorance, which I thought this board was supposed to be fighting…
