"The Wisdom of Crowds"

coylo · Post by **coylo** » Sat Sep 12, 2009 12:59 pm

Did anyone see Derren Brown predict the UK national lottery this week?
He claimed he achieved this by 'the wisdom of crowds' theory.

intro ad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXz4RKqVMhI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uonIfDaAPrk

live feed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnwIYsM5 ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmxua_V1AcM (split screen version)

explanation part 1, 2 & 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IlwDlDvItM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VB3NUqHzKBQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm6m_4V3Kmo

Stewart · Post by **Stewart** » Sat Sep 12, 2009 10:57 pm

Yes, I saw it. He ended the program by saying it was a trick - I don't think the group of people had anything to do with it. I used to find Derren Brown quite interesting, but these days and especially after that program I'm finding him quite irritating! If it was a genuine prediction and not a trick then he could/would have shown the numbers before they were drawn.

Stewart

DrWhat · Post by **DrWhat** » Sat Sep 12, 2009 11:14 pm

Coylo, thanks for the links. I think Derren is a brilliant showman.

It is of course a trick and the number writing class was also tricked to believe they predicted the correct numbers.

A magician designs the ENTIRE process of a trick from the pre to the post.

He even admits at the end that it is a trick.

But very entertaining regardless.

Problem is, I now can't get up from my seat!

John Collins · Post by **John Collins** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 5:34 am

I think the solution lies in the fact that although he claimed to have predicted the correct numbers no one saw them 'til he had copied them down live from the TV and then turned around the tube allegedly holding the predicted numbers to show that they matched his written numbers.

In any other scenario he could have shown the predicted numbers before they were flashed live on the TV screen, so logically since he didn't do that, he obviously did not know what they were. So the mechanics of the trick were in making the tube containing the numbers show the correct ones and since we couldn't see it at the same time as he was writing the numbers down, someone could have been entering the right ones while he was doing that.

JC

DrWhat · Post by **DrWhat** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 9:13 am

John,

correct me if I am wrong but the white balls remain in view the whole time.

Unless he had an advanced split screen effect, there was no obvious chance for someone to write the numbers on the balls.

But of course there must be a secret to the trick.

DrWhat · Post by **DrWhat** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 9:38 am

I have just reviewed the footage and can confirm (in my mind anyhow) that a split screen was used.

The leftmost ball ends up a little higher just after the numbers are announced.

If you allow the video to load fully, then if you flick before and after 2:05 you'll see the ball end up slightly higher.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMIzR6GN ... =iv#t=2h2m

The perspex holder of the balls is very snug so as to avoid any errors when the correct numbers are placed in the rack at the last minute, but the helper makes a tiny error by leaving that ball a fraction higher.

have a look at this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqAt2akPHJ8

DrWhat · Post by **DrWhat** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 3:54 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AewhMHhC ... -fresh+div

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws54lryl ... -fresh+div

and there are many more! Clever tricks.

rlortie · Post by **rlortie** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 4:23 am

Here is a number play thing for you. Let me know if you figure out how it works. Obviously has something to do with subtracting the same numbers making up a two digit number.

I have played this a number of times and it is never wrong providing you play by the rules.

http://www.regiftable.com/regiftingrobinpopup.html

Ralph

justsomeone · Post by **justsomeone** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 4:48 am

Cool trick. Yes Ralph I figured it out. If followed correctly every number will be a multiple of 9. Every time you try a new number, every multiple of 9 will be the same item. Thanks for posting it.

John Collins · Post by **John Collins** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 6:13 am

Another one using the same principle we did as kids in 'guess the number I'm thinking of'. I think it went like this this:

Pick any three digit number, reverse it and subtract the smaller from the larger.

For instance 452 - 254 = 198, add then together and they always add up to 18, then you can add them again to get 9.

JC

rlortie · Post by **rlortie** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 6:37 am

1 x 8 + 1 = 9
12 x 8 + 2 = 98
123 x 8 + 3 = 987
1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876
12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765
123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654
1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543
12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432
123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321

1 x 9 + 2 = 11
12 x 9 + 3 = 111
123 x 9 + 4 = 1111
1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111
12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111
123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111
1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111
12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111
123456789 x 9 +10= 1111111111

9 x 9 + 7 = 88
98 x 9 + 6 = 888
987 x 9 + 5 = 8888
9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888
98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888
987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888
9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888
98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888

Brilliant, isn't it?

And look at this symmetry:

1 x 1 = 1
11 x 11 = 121
111 x 111 = 12321
1111 x 1111 = 1234321
11111 x 11111 = 123454321
111111 x 111111 = 12345654321
1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321
11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321
111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321

Now, take a look at this...

101%

From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:

What Equals 100%?

What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?

Ever wonder about those people who say they
are giving more than 100%?

We have all been in situations where someone wants you to
GIVE OVER 100%...

How about ACHIEVING 101%?

What equals 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help
answer these questions:

If: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Is represented as: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

Then: H-A-R-D-W-O- R- K 8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

And: K-N-O-W-L-E- D-G-E 11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+ 5 = 96%

But: A-T-T-I-T-U- D-E 1+20+20+9+20+ 21+4+5 = 100%

I am sure that someone can or will relate this to Bessler's code or clues! :-)

greendoor · Post by **greendoor** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 5:34 am

Nice one rlortie. But do you realise that, using that cipher system, B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T trumps them all, weighing in at 103%.

bluedanube · Post by **bluedanube** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 4:41 pm

Probably it's not like this, but making the balls out of e-paper material (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_paper) and adding some reomote receiver in each, let anyone show them whatever they like at the same second.

With todays technology you can't trust what you see.

bluedanube

BesslerWheel.com

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