A Magician Explains Quantum Mechanics

Ever since I first watched Richard Feynman's Messenger lecture where he gave an introduction to the famous "double-slit" experiment, I've been fascinated by quantum physics. (Actually, my earliest exposure was in the Michael Crichton novel Timeline, but his explanation was misleading, invented in order to service the plot and allow time travel to medieval France.) It is a topic which seems to actively resist being understood, where many of the experiments designed to tease out what was actually going on, produced surprising counter-intuitive results. And yet, despite all its mystery, if you just knuckle down and do that math by brute force, the theory works. The magic of the universe, I suppose...

Anyway, a handsome young magician from Vancouver, and a handsome female assistant hiding behind a screen attempt to explain quantum mechanics... sort of. As modern TV teaches us, the essential ingredient in teaching anything on the internet is getting a woman to take her clothes off. And, as Bill Nye teaches us, the essential ingredients necessary for explaining science are suspenders and a bow tie!

Note, for those who think it's exploitative and sexist for him to make a woman get undressed for magic, here's a clip of him in a speedo for magic. 

Win a Date with Mahdi Gilbert

Or so the contest says. 

A few weeks ago, I sat down with Toronto magician Mahdi Gilbert just to chat. We were at the Madison Avenue Pub, outdoors on a beautiful day, a place which has a richer magic history than many people will ever know.

Flattering still clearly chosen by Mahdi

You may have come across video of Mahdi online as he has been the feature of several articles and was also featured on Penn & Teller Fool Us on the CW Network two years ago. What makes Mahdi special — and possibly unique — is that he performs sleight of hand, despite not having any hands. (And if you could have seen a guy with no hands set up the tripod and camera to record this discussion, you would have been mightily impressed as well!)

Of course the most exciting part is Mahdi is offering to take one lucky viewer to see my show — Magic & Martini — in Toronto. He's calling it a date, but I'm not sure what your obligations would be. You'll have to watch the video to find out how to win. 

The Mathematics of Juggling

Because even a subject as dynamic and physical as juggling can be made more fun by making it nerdy (and British!) Thanks to the gang at Numberphile in the UK for sharing. 

It's the end of the world...

There is no cause for alarm, but as I'm sure you've all heard, the world is expected to end at some point today, Saturday, September 23, 2017. Because... you now... rogue planets and mysterious prophecies, planetary alignment and the number 33. It's a bit technical.

I don't have time to look into it in too much detail, but since as far as I know, every time someone predicts the apocalypse, it happens. So instead of rioting and looting, the most responsible course of action would be to quickly and calmly sell all of your worldly possessions and join us in celebrating life as we have known us at Magic & Martini. 

Today only, to welcome the end times, we are offering a special promotion on tickets to the show. Use the code ENDOFTHEWORLD for a discount on tickets purchased online.

Tonight's show in Toronto only has a tiny handful of tickets remaining, but feel free to book for a future date. If you believe in an afterlife and have been well-behaved enough to get into it, our show will be live-streamed for you there.

(Needless to say, if the world fails to end as planned, there will be no refunds.)

The Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster

One of my favourite books of all time is Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Adams created an inclusive and hilarious sci-fi universe which contained, among other things, a drink, the effects of which were:

“like having your brains smashed in by a slice of lemon wrapped around a large gold brick.”

It also provided the mixing instructions:

• Take the juice from one bottle of Ol' Janx Spirit.
• Pour into it one measure of water from the seas of Santraginus V — Oh, that Santraginean seawater! Oh, those Santraginean fish!
• Allow three cubes of Arcturan Mega-gin to melt into the mixture (it must be properly iced or the benzene is lost).
• Allow four litres of Fallian marsh gas to bubble through it, in memory of all those happy hikers who have died of pleasure in the Marshes of Fallia.
• Over the back of a silver spoon float a measure of Qualactin Hypermint extract, redolent of all the heady odours of the dark Qualactin Zones, subtle, sweet and mystic.
• Drop in the tooth of an Algolian Suntiger. Watch it dissolve, spreading the fires of the Algolian Suns deep into the heart of the drink.
• Sprinkle Zamphuor.
• Add an olive.
• Drink... but... very carefully...

Which is, of course, quite impossible on earth. So someone came up with an alternative:

Benedict Cumberbatch does a magic trick

World's greatest detective... Practitioner of the mystic arts... Inventor of the computer... Genetically engineered super solder... Is there anything he can't do?