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The Magic of Computer Science

The cs4fn Magic of Computer Science Logo

Pick a card, any card!

Behind great magic there often lies some interesting maths or computer science, buried in the secret of how the trick works. To be a good magician you need to know more than just the secret though. Great magicians also have a flair for cognitive psychology: they have a natural understanding of people. It turns out that computer scientists use the same psychology as the magicians in designing usable computer systems.

Intrigued? Read on.

You will learn how to do a bunch of tricks. It isn't just magic though. All the tricks have links to computer science - and not just because of high technology. In fact high technology hardly comes in to our magic shows at all, though yesterday's magic often becomes today's technology. It is then taken for granted as the magic seeps away.

Highlights

Download our free books on the Magic of Computer Science ...or read it all (and more) online below.

Introduction

A marked up head Conjuring, Cognition and Computing

Mentalism Magic

a female metalist Computing for reading minds

Hunting the high seas

A rabbit Hunting for treasure, following vectors

Cheap magic

A man with barcode on chest Error-detecting codes

Illusioneering Magic and Science

A rabbit Explore the world of Illusioneering

Hud Cyfrifiadureg

A marked up head Our magic book in Welsh / Mae ein llyfr hud yn y Gymraeg

The teleporting robot

Mathemagic The one where the robot disappears

Mass hypnosis

Mathemagic The one where you force everyone to think of the same card

La magia dell'informatica

Mathemagic Our magic book in Italian / Il nostro libro magico in italiano

The 21 card trick (online magic)

Mathemagic The one where the computer reads your mind

The glass challenge

Mathemagic The one where a glass is mysteriously tall

Duplicating Dynamo's domino demonstration

Dominos Magic with dominos and reskinning code

Joker in the pack

Mathemagic The one where the joker is pulled to the front

Pick a card (online magic)

Mathemagic The second one where the computer makes you pick a specific card

The Kruskal count (online magic)

Mathemagic The one where the computer reads your mind like a book

Magic in space

Mathemagic The one where an astronaut breaks the laws of physics

Pepper's ghost

Mathemagic The one where ghosts appear live on stage

The blended bodies experiment

Mathemagic The one where you can tell which hand a coin is in

Are you psychic?

Mathemagic The one where you test the psychic powers of a member of the audience

You said it!

Mathemagic The one where the tone of voice gives it all away

The mind boggling memory experiment

Mathemagic The one where you memorize the whole pack

iPhone magic

Mathemagic The ones where your iPhone does the work...

The leading ace

Mathemagic The one where all the aces follow their leader

The Numbers Game

Mathemagic The one where I know which number you will pick

Do look, don't see

Mathemagic Scientific experiments in how magic works

The power of prophecy

Mathemagic The one where you know how many cards were taken

Snaps from the Past

Mathemagic Photographing Magic

Some more mathematical magic

Mathemagic The ones based on mathematics...

Finale

Mathemagic The one where you become a magician...

Done with the magic? Why not move on to Illusions.