How Magic Evolves: Jonathan Steigman on Fool Us S10E09

[@supitschillbro]

really great, smart presentation of magic! it wasn’t overly flashy, but i don’t like that in magic. i like this guys philosophy and approach, that he’s doing something kind of understated, but impressive! (it also helps to have an act that talks about odds in las vegas)

[@MagicPeaceLove]

Thanks! Much appreciated.

[@goldeneddie]

Hi. what's interesting for me. since I took the path of learning to understand and perform magic, is that the stages of your trick match the stages of my understanding! It's not just the history of magic itself that you've captured, but also the 'evolution of understanding' that all budding magicians go through. Brilliant!

[@MagicPeaceLove]

Thank you! My goal was to introduce an evolutionary lens into magic. I am happy that read for you.

[@danquaylesitsspeltpotatoe8307]

@@MagicPeaceLove That is by using a really old magic trick?

[@jonhanson8925]

What a lovely performance, just really fantastic. Felt very Penn and Teller, exposing magic strategically to make the final turn feel even more magical, and with a great combination of humor and intellect. Thank you for sharing!

[@MagicPeaceLove]

Thank you, that's very nice to hear!

[@gervaisbrown7819]

Hey Jonathan that was an awesome performance. You've fooled me many times Bro. Keep on doing what you do.

[@theelysium1597]

Lovely performance. I really dig that you make the audience feel competent. You always have a few people who really like figuring out magic tricks while not wanting to invest the time needed to actually perform magic. Your first three reveals totally roll for such while the last one still keeps the sense of wonder. Being able to take a simple idea like a coin flip and envelopes and bringing that idea to such a high level is truly a skill on its own!

[@MagicPeaceLove]

Thank you, much appreciated!

[@keithnaylor1981]

Two things here really impressed me, and it wasn’t the trick, though it was ok. First is Jonathan’s pitch - superb! Such a lot here is spoken, at speed, clearly and with every single word and syllable clearly defined. Secondly, I love the way Teller always pays attention to Penn when he delivers his monologue. Penn’s summing up, with or without code words, is always a joy to listen to, and I feel sure Teller is as riveted by them as everyone else.

[@MagicPeaceLove]

Thank you!

[@nicusavva4076]

Great performance ! Keep the chances up

[@dismalthoughts]

Sometimes Penn's code is just elegant and sublime. Sometimes he just says _bruh, you were using 2 envelopes so you had an out whichever way she went._ 😂

[@magic_whizz_]

I’m. A Nigerian. Magician ❤and I’m in love with your. Work. Already 😃😃😃💯😍

[@MagicPeaceLove]

Awesome! How's the magic scene in Nigeria these days? When I lived there 50+ years ago I saw one Professor Peller do a stage magic show complete with gruesome sawing in half.

[@komicfamily1]

​@@MagicPeaceLoveUnfortunately he(Peller) was murdered 😢

[@MagicPeaceLove]

@@komicfamily1 Oh, what a sad fate. So sorry to hear about that.

[@IronFistGamingCSGO]

Brook really didnt get the heat death part LMAOO 😂😂😂😂😂

[@tantzer6113]

I’d guess she didn’t get the “simulate the improbable” part, which is his way of saying “doing something that ‘looks’ like a huge coincidence but isn’t,” in other words, magic.

[@IronFistGamingCSGO]

@@tantzer6113 somehow makes her less attractive

[@phillipleblanc7823]

I am certain Penn and Teller had that trick figured out before he pulled out the first envelope.

[@TheloniousCube]

And I love the way Penn lets him know they know while putting in a word for Tiny Doctor Tim and P&T's San Francisco roots

[@mybrainlikesthings]

So if I wanted to do the impossible, I just have to calculate how improbable it is and then - poof! -- the impossible magic will be mine, right? No, not really, but you reminded me of a gag in "Hitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy" by Douglas Adams. Like yourself, he made it fun to be curious.

[@A38]

Ah what a fantastic performance! And I can't even begin to guess how you did it, I was caught off guard by the reveal. Cheers from Atlanta :)

[@TheDreadedZero]

No matter how cool they are, mentalist tricks will never fool Penn and Teller.

[@sailaab]

It was just as amazing, enchanting👌🏼 Jonathan bhai👍🏼 Loved it🤍💙 O🙂 bhai just means 'brother' in Hindi Urdu and such south Asian languages.

[@MagicPeaceLove]

Thank you!

[@danielj.8876]

How does this only have one comment? Anyway, nice performance and I really like your way of story telling. Still the trick pretty easy with multiple outs and a fake bottom, and I think the way you present it, though it makes for a great performance, actually helps people try to guess how it's done. A different setup for the initial three choices might need a different narrative but it would make the final coin toss much more powerful. This way I think it's less of an attempt to fool but more of a great instructive performance to show young and upcoming magicians how even the most elaborate tricks start out with a very simple idea and might inspire some of them to work and improve their own tricks. All in all I think you did a great performance and I've half a mind to try out parts of your trick on my friends and relatives to see how easily they are fooled.

[@MagicPeaceLove]

Thanks for the comment. The goal of the performance was to introduce an evolutionary lens into magic. Credit for the basic scaffolding goes to Andy over at The Jerx, who published it in one of his books. The original premise involved just literally taking a shot and having a 50/50 chance of fooling them, only going to the multiple prediction if they guessed the opposite of what was in the envelope. But the producers thought that wouldn't be strong enough for television, even if if fooled P&T.

[@estern001]

Great show JS. This is Eric from Subaru. Sam sent this to me.

[@MagicPeaceLove]

Hey there, Eric! Glad you liked it. Hope you're well.

[@bretth4988]

Brooke is my High School Sweet heart

[@garymeyer2148]

Wonderfully entertaining but wasn't in 2024?

[@MagicPeaceLove]

Why yes, yes it was...(fixed)

[@bretth4988]

Brooke is my mother to!!!

[@AlanWeissman-b7e]

Brooke Benton❤❤🎉

[@MagicPeaceLove]

Brooke Burke, and yes...

[@robbyfiveboy4862]

Shes now 50% of why I watch

[@user-zg1ep1ex2b]

*There Was A Magic Trick Also In This Video* 🤗

[@dobromil199305]

Here was a similar trick with left and right. Same final. Sorry boring.

[@user-zg1ep1ex2b]

*So Is Your Comment* 😴

[@user-zg1ep1ex2b]

*Loved The Presentation* 🤗 *Win Or Lose, You Got Their Respect* 😉

[@ForbiddenMagician]

I love your package! It's epic, psychedelic, and very very evolutionary! What a brilliant act perfectly executed.. Although I thought I told you that ducks can be potty trained. Your ending comments highlight your true intellect; who but you would quote a physicist?