Community Magazine February 2003

Magic M I N D R E A D E R M A N I A ! EFFECT: Using your mindreading powers you are able to guess a name chosen by an audience member. REQUIREMENTS: An audience, several strips of paper, a pen and a bowl. DIRECTIONS:. 1. Ask members of your audience to give you names of boys and girls. Write down on a strip of paper the first name that is called out, fold it up and place in the bowl. 2. As other members of the audience call out different names, pretend to write each name on separate strips of paper, while actually writing down each time the same first name that was called out, and place each folded paper in your bowl. 3. Ask someone from your audience to choose a paper from your hat. Pretend to concentrate deeply and say the name that you wrote down. 4. Watch how everyone gasps in amazement that you were able to use your mindreading powers you guess the name, unknowing that you had really written the same name over and over! 36 C OMMUNITY M AGAZINE S c i e n ce I nv i s i ble Ink EFFECT: Invisible ink is revealed after coming in contact with heat. REQUIREMENTS: Milk or lemon juice as "ink," white paper and something to write with, such as a small brush, an old but clean fountain pen, or even just a Q-Tip. DI RECTI ONS: 1. Dip a Q-tip, or any of the above writing utensils you choose (be sure that your writing tool is very clean and doesn't leave traces of some old ink or paint) into your “ink” (milk or lemon juice) and write a secret message on your paper. Be sparing in your use, though. Too much "ink" will cause the paper to buckle up a bit and the writing will show. 2. Have an adult take the paper and care- fully heat it up over an electric stove or hot-plate. Exercise caution not to let the paper catch fire. 3. Soon the message will turn up as brown writing. HOW IT WORKS: There are chemical compounds in the milk and lemon juice that have a low burning point. These are carbon compounds such as those that make caramel. When you hold the paper over heat, these compounds scorch and turn brown before the paper does, so they leave their mark and reveal the writing. VARIATIONS: At least 5 different kinds of the invisible ink can be made, using white wine, vinegar, lemon juice, apple juice, milk, iced tea, and orange juice. And if you have time, see if other types of acidic fruit juices also work. Have fun!! W ARNING : PARENTAL INTERVENTION REQUIRED