6 ms·

Except that logically if there is ample evidence of a person meeting people for the first time and telling them verifiably true information about their birthdat

Except that logically if there is ample evidence of a person meeting people for the first time and telling them verifiably true information about their birthdates, it is very unlikely that he just happened to luckily review that exact info the night before. So either it's a massive conspiracy with multiple independent media entities in on it, or he actually does have an excellent memory. I know which seems more likely to me.

YeGoblynQueenne 10y ago
... or, the people that person met were working for him and they asked him about facts they knew the person had memorised. It's not that hard to imagine and it's actually the done thing in mentalist shows, even to the point that, as I say in another comment, there is a name for people planted in audiences to do that sort of thing: "shill". So maybe that "ample evidence" was fabricated. There's all sorts of other possibilities between "it's a conspiracy" and "it's a miracle" (both of which are equally unlikely btw). For instance, my favourite trick requires nothing but a dozen or so pieces of paper. You write the word "boy" on half and the word "girl" on the other half, seal each in an envelope and hand them to a dozen pregnant women, telling them to open it only after they've given birth (it makes no difference that they'll open it before anyway). Once they start giving birth, it's very likely that you'll have hit the right gender a couple of times or so. After that, those couple of "hits" will probably become ardent supporters of yours, and the best advertisement for your medium business. "How did she know?!" Well, you didn't- but it doesn't matter. It only matters that you appear as if you did. And anyone looking on can go around saying things like "either it's a massive conspiracy or that lady really has extraordinary abilities!".

6 ms·

Except that logically if there is ample evidence of a person meeting people for the first time and telling them verifiably true information about their birthdat

by tempestn 10y ago

YeGoblynQueenne 10y ago
... or, the people that person met were working for him and they asked him about facts they knew the person had memorised. It's not that hard to imagine and it's actually the done thing in mentalist shows, even to the point that, as I say in another comment, there is a name for people planted in audiences to do that sort of thing: "shill". So maybe that "ample evidence" was fabricated. There's all sorts of other possibilities between "it's a conspiracy" and "it's a miracle" (both of which are equally unlikely btw). For instance, my favourite trick requires nothing but a dozen or so pieces of paper. You write the word "boy" on half and the word "girl" on the other half, seal each in an envelope and hand them to a dozen pregnant women, telling them to open it only after they've given birth (it makes no difference that they'll open it before anyway). Once they start giving birth, it's very likely that you'll have hit the right gender a couple of times or so. After that, those couple of "hits" will probably become ardent supporters of yours, and the best advertisement for your medium business. "How did she know?!" Well, you didn't- but it doesn't matter. It only matters that you appear as if you did. And anyone looking on can go around saying things like "either it's a massive conspiracy or that lady really has extraordinary abilities!".