How to read minds

30/08/03

This page describes methods of mind reading, with the aid of some simple mathematical tricks.

Binary Cards

The first method I will describe is 'Binary Cards'. This is quite a common trick, which you have probably seen before. This is when you have a series of cards with numbers on, and you ask your 'victim' to pick out the cards which don't have their number on. Then, you magically tell them what their number was.

The cards must have these numbers on:

CARD 1 (1)

2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30

CARD 2 (2)

1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16, 17, 20, 21, 24, 25, 28, 29

CARD 3 (4)

1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, 27

CARD 4 (8)

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23

CARD 5 (16)

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15

What to do

Ask your 'victim' to choose a number between 1 and 31.
Give them the number cards.
Ask them to give back the cards that have don't their number on make sure they don't include the number in brackets on each card.
Now, add up the numbers in brackets on the cards you have and you should have their number!

How it works

This method works because you can make any number by adding together the powers of 2 (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, etc.) and you only have to use each number once. The cards have on them the power of 2 in brackets and then a list of all the numbers which you can make without using that number (in combination with others).

Mystical Symbols

This method is more convincing than the previous one. It involves the use of a table of symbols and getting your 'victim' to do a quick sum.

Fist, you need to copy or print this table: (printable version is available here)

0	J
1	a	34	E	67	J
2	b	35	F	68	K
3	c	36	J	69	L
4	d	37	G	70	M
5	e	38	H	71	N
6	f	39	K	72	J
7	g	40	L	73	O
8	h	41	M	74	P
9	J	42	N	75	Q
10	i	43	O	76	R
11	j	44	P	77	S
12	k	45	J	78	T
13	l	46	Q	79	U
14	m	47	R	80	V
15	n	48	S	81	J
16	o	49	T	82	W
17	p	50	U	83	X
18	J	51	V	84	Y
19	q	52	W	85	Z
20	r	53	X	86	a
21	s	54	J	87	n
22	t	55	Y	88	c
23	u	56	Z	89	d
24	v	57	A	90	e
25	w	58	B	91	f
26	x	59	C	92	g
27	J	60	D	93	h
28	y	61	E	94	i
29	z	62	F	95	j
30	A	63	J	96	k
31	B	64	G	97	l
32	C	65	H	98	m
33	D	66	I	99	n

You can use other symbols if you like, but make sure that 0, 9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72 and 81 all have the same symbol.

You must also have a card which has the symbol from 0, 9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72 and 81 symbol on it. You could create a series of these cards with different symbols on to enhance the effect. The symbol I have used is a smiley face, which is a capital j in the wingdings font.

What to do

Ask your 'victim' to pick a two digit number
Ask them to add the two digits of the number together and subtract this answer from the original number.
Ask them to look up this number on the table and remember the symbol next to it.
Show them the card with the symbol from 0, 9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72 and 81 on it.

How it works

This technique works because when you add together two digits of a number and subtract this from the original number you can only end up with a number from the 9 times table. All the numbers from the 9 times table (up to 81) all have the same symbol, which is the one you show them.

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This site was last updated 11/07/03