# How does this work?!? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 7, 2003, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-work/159746 "2003-03-07T16:54:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-work/159746/1 "2003-03-07T16:54:52Z")
This has been driving me nuts all morning. Everytime it comes out exactly right. [http://mr-31238.mr.valuehost.co.uk/assets/Flash/psychic.swf](http://mr-31238.mr.valuehost.co.uk/assets/Flash/psychic.swf) Anyone have any thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-work/159746/2 "2003-03-07T16:59:28Z")
Where’s Penn Gillette when you need him? ---
**Author:** ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-work/159746/3 "2003-03-07T17:02:44Z")
This has actually already been answered in another thread somewhere (if you do a search) can’t remember the specifics but basically i think its to do with multiples of nine, and that although the symbols are generated randomly, the ones allocated to the multiples of nine are always the same as each other. ---
**Author:** ![NoGoodNamesLeft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8797f3/32.png) [@NoGoodNamesLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoGoodNamesLeft)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-work/159746/4 "2003-03-07T17:03:39Z")
it came up wrong 3 different times for me…are you using your mouse to find the number on the chart? Perhaps it makes reference on some sort of image map where your mouse has been?? ---
**Author:** ![NoGoodNamesLeft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8797f3/32.png) [@NoGoodNamesLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoGoodNamesLeft)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-work/159746/5 "2003-03-07T17:05:12Z")
Just confirm I’m not doing this wrong please… my number= 55. 5+5=10. 55-10=44. Hence I should get the snowflake…I have yet to get the snowflake. ---
**Author:** ![arachnidlove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@arachnidlove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/arachnidlove)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-work/159746/6 "2003-03-07T17:10:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NoGoodNamesLeft \* > \*\*Just confirm I’m not doing this wrong please… my number= 55. 5+5=10. 55-10=44. Hence I should get the snowflake…I have yet to get the snowflake. \*\* I thought 55-10 =45 hmmm:( ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-work/159746/7 "2003-03-07T17:13:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NoGoodNamesLeft \* > \*\*Just confirm I’m not doing this wrong please… my number= 55. 5+5=10. 55-10=44. Hence I should get the snowflake…I have yet to get the snowflake. \*\* I always thought that 55-10=45. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![NoGoodNamesLeft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8797f3/32.png) [@NoGoodNamesLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoGoodNamesLeft)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-work/159746/8 "2003-03-07T17:21:48Z")
Can’t talk now, I’m late for my short bus! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![that\_darn\_cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/59ef9b/32.png) [@that\_darn\_cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/that_darn_cat)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-work/159746/9 "2003-03-07T17:23:07Z")
If you do the math right, you should end up with a multiple of 9. If you check the chart, all of the multiples of 9 will have the same symbol, exept for 99 and 90, which are impossible to get as an answer. To keep you guessing, it changes the symbols each time you reload. I loe google. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-work/159746/10 "2003-03-07T17:26:40Z")
OK - flash back to third grade and your multiplication tables. At least this is the way I was taught. Take a piece of paper and write down the numbers 0 through 9 Then next to those numbers write the numbers 9 through 0 i.e. 09 18 27 36 … That’s your multiplication table for 9. Now, no matter what two digit number you pick, if you follow the instructions, you will come out with 9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72, or 81. And the symbol for those numbers are exactly the same every time. They change each time, but the 9 times tables are always the same symbol. Am I making sense? I think I lost myself somewhere in that explanation… ---
**Author:** ![auntie\_em](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@auntie\_em](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auntie_em)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-work/159746/11 "2003-03-07T20:53:26Z")
So _that_ explains why when I actually _do the exercise_, it comes out right, whereas if I just pick a number at random, it doesn’t. What fun! ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-work/159746/12 "2003-03-07T21:25:25Z")
This should go in a FAQ somewhere. 🙂 [Psychic .swf… how does it work?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=166356) [Explain this web trick before I go insane!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=165603) [How does this work?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=165617) [this is beyond the internet](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=164766) [How the hell does this work?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=162715)