I am looking for ideas for a new show I am putting together. I need some suggestions on routines/tricks that will play well with a math themed show.

Thanks

Dallas

Research.

Harry Lorayne's Memory Magic Square (Reputation Makers)

In my new book,The Book of Destiny, the following effects involve math in one form or another:

Ch.13 Fibonacci Flush (cards)
Ch.32 A Curious Type of Arithmetic (Dr. Seuss' New math), ball and hat routine, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3LLSP4Km7c
Ch.43 Buried Treasure of Triangle Island (involves some geometry and cards)


Also check Tarbell. They have chapters on math magic.

Larry

This is a Stand-Up Show right?

Magic Square would work.

I'm wondering if you want the effect to be Math based or the patter to be about Math.

Do you plan to teach the method or tip that math is used but not explain how?

What is the basic purpose for the Math theme, to excite the kids to Math?

-Mary Mowder

Idea from David Ginn: Get a big sheet of paper out of a big envelope - while you get the paper out the kids have to add the numbers they see as fast as they can and shout it out - in every line there is one number: 1000 40 1000 30 1000 20 1000 10 - at the end they will all shout "5000" - but the real result and the next number you pull out of the envelope is 5000. It works, it is fun and everybody is involved.

On the Penny section recently there was a thread on a brilliant mathematical presentation. Go to youtube and look for Arthur Benjamin. He's brilliant, and might provide some ideas.

Math is Magic?

The way I balance my checkbook, it is.


David Ginn put out a small book some time ago with a bunch of math-related magic in. I used to have it but have no idea where it got off to now. It might be worth trying to find at one of those selling places.

Check out hocus-pocus.com they have a DVD called Mr. X Presents Math Magic.

The Clown Act Omnibus has a cute skit where it is proven three different ways that 13x7=28. It uses addition, multiplication, and division. Whoever came up with that skit idea was a genius.

If you look on YouTube, I am sure you can find some examples of this premise, as it is a classic humor bit. Not really magical, but very fun.

Also, you can do a prediction for adding four numbers together. I've seen it with you predicting the final number (Banachek on an L&L DVD) and a local guy showed me a method for having your four number add up to any 5-digit number generated by the audience.

-Patrick

What age are you targeting? I think that is important because that dictates whether you have counting effects or effects using addition, subtraction, multiplication, division or advanced calculus.

Scarne on Card Tricks and Encyclopedia of Card Tricks have tons of counting and math effects that could be done with Jumbo Cards. Steinmeyer's impuzzabilities series has some effects like The One O'Clock Mystery which involve counting and / or spelling.

Bannon's Of Cups and Fuzzballs is a great cups & balls routine that counts up to a final eight ball (the black pool ball kind) reveal.

Spongeballs or sponge bunnies could be used to for addition or multiplication or even division (dividing a 2 inch ball into two 1 inch balls). The And Then There Was Four effect would be a good one for younger children.

There is a effect called perdict perfect.
I forget who it is by.i use it in my kids and adult
shows.and it goes over very well with both.
very easy to do.and its a math miracle.