Hi everyone,

I'm getting better and better at 'A day for any.....

Can someone please tell me, though, how to respond to a spectator who says
in front of everyone: 'Are you using a calculation?'

granterg

No

Kam

I think it is all down to speed - if you can do it quickly enough, the spectator is unlikely to suspect calculation. If you look like you are calculating in your head, or you take more than about 6 seconds, then people are likely to suspect that you are using a formula.

Mike

Logical and best answer so far!
What do you want to say except NO?

If they asks such question, there could be two possible reasons.

1. They have absolutely NO idea and asking a silly question.
2. They really think you are using a calculation.

If it's the number two case, that probably means your presentation lead them to think that it is just a math trick.
just my 2 cents.

WJ

Ability to perform it quickly and proper presentation will take care of this.
If you use something like Richard Osterlinds presentation, this will never come up.

Tony

Use it as a reflective moment on mystery and the human mind hating not knowing how something works then smile

Agreed with Tony, Osterlinds presentation is superb for this.

I will be following Tony's advice to watch very closely Osterlind's presentation of the test.

I ordered the dvd set and look forward to watching it when I complete reading 13.

Thanks everyone, so far, for your thoughts.

granterg

:):-)

Good news for those who use any version of the "classic method" - 2012 is a zero year. This means that the day for any date in 2012 should be able to be determined in under two seconds. Watch out though - it is also a leap year.

Mike

Paul Brook, in his book Chrysalis of a Polymath, describes 3 presentations that not only bring a reason to perform this, but also help justify any time needed to do the calculations.

He also has a couple of nice touches that keep the spectator thinking about you long after it's over! Chrysalis of a Polymath is a pretty good resource for the date routine all over. Paul even shows good uses for it as a small part of larger routines.

If it takes you a few seconds and someone asks are you calculating, a simple answer might be that you are running through calendars in your head, and it takes a few seconds to find the right page. After all, it is supposedly a memory feat, so that would work.

That depends on the system you're using. In the version I teach on my site, it's a "1" year (yes, always watch out for leap years!). For those who use the Doomsday system, it's simply a "Wednesday" year.

Ah yes - that's because your century codes are different by one from those which I think are more commonly used. I prefer a code of 0 for the 1900s (rather than 1) because most people have birthdays in that century and it simplifies these popular calculations.

Mike

Here's one idea: Learn a 4 by 4 magic square routine in which the spectator supplies you with 4 starting numbers (In many such routines, these numbers are usually placed either in a diagonal or along one row, such as the top row). One such routine available for free is Dr. Arthur Benjamin's Double Birthday Magic Square (PDF of an August 2006 M-U-M article, made available by the author).

Now, when someone asks you if you're using a calculation, you say, "It's more like a flash of inspiration. I really shouldn't show you this, but here's what's going on in my head when that happens..." (The "I shouldn't show you this, but..." helps draw them in, as if they're seeing something few others ever do). At this point, you bring out your grid, and use their birthday again, as if in explanation (alternatively, you could ask for a new day, but then they'll want to know the day of the week for that new date, too). Explain that this is how the numbers come into your mind, like in those "flash of inspiration" scenes from the movie A Beautiful Mind or the TV show Numb3rs. You then explain that when you see the individual numbers "fall together", the way they seem to fall together gives you the day in a way even you can't really explain!

If you do this with a grid on the back of your business card, you can let them keep it as a souvenir!

When you get any questions from the audience regularly, first ask yourself what kind of thinking that repeated question suggests. If it suggests a flaw in your routine, find a way to fix that flaw! If it suggests a desire to know more, maybe it's a good idea to develop another routine to answer that question! Getting that latter type of regular question from the audience means you've captured their curiosity, so take advantage of that!