Magic, Science, and Mystery - Eric Mead

Magician Eric Mead draws on images from science to illustrate two simple magic tricks. Mead says, "Magic isn't about solving puzzles, it's about not knowing...and having a little bit of mystery."
EG is the celebration of the American entertainment industry. Since 1984, Richard Saul Wurman has created extraordinary gatherings about learning and understanding. EG is a rich extension of these ideas - a conference that explores the attitude of understanding in music, film, television, radio, technology, advertising, gaming, interactivity and the web - The Entertainment Gathering
For more than two decades Eric Mead has been bringing his unique vision of mystery entertainment to audiences all over the world. With spontaneous wit and a natural sense of humor, Mead guides you to a realm where reality and illusion collide, and the impossible is made real.
Each performance Mead gives is unique - reflecting his unique point of view and eclectic background. He blends refined sleight of hand with sophisticated psychological techniques to deliver an unforgettable experience of wonder and astonishment. "Certainly there are ideas and laughs in the show, but really I am trying to transmit a very specific feeling to the people in the audience. To experience a deep sense of wonder for a moment, that's a very special thing."
In addition to his performing schedule, Mead is an accomplished writer and creator of custom presentations. He has written or contributed to 18 industrial and instructional films. When the Denver Museum of Nature and Science wanted to do a live action exhibit called, Life on Mars, they turned to Eric to create and develop the special effects required.
Mead's contributions have recently appeared in Penn and Teller's book, How to Play in Traffic, and Mac King's book, Tricks With Your Head. Mead co-authored The Art of Astonishment, a three-volume set of books teaching advanced conjuring technique. They have become international bestsellers in the field, and portions have been translated into seven languages. A new book is due out from Hermetic Press in 2006.

[@MichaelKrasMagic]

Anybody else her just love listening to his voice? He's got the coolest voice ever... very articulate with a slight nasal undertone, it's a pleasure to listen to.

[@Liam1H]

I don't think I'd want to see any other magician before Eric Mead. His calm confidence while doing the impossible is so much fun to watch. Just so damn good!

[@troy.u3297]

Always fascinating to watch Eric Mead, he’s real deal.

[@erolgulbahce385]

Magic , Science & Mystery, Eric surely entertains with admiration. Superb and fantastic.

[@RemAtmos]

Here's to mystery and keeping it alive!

[@garyouellet323]

Contrary to what you may think, the very intelligent people are the most easily to entertain with magic. That said, it does not diminish the quality and professionalism of Eric Mead in his presentation and execution of the routines. Congratulation Eric !!! I would love to see more magic of you.

[@allenwoolard4549]

Awesome!!!!!

[@wade5941]

I really enjoy watching his presentations.

[@spcarlson]

Superb presentation! Magicians can learn a lot from Erics presentation and stage presence.

[@fstarsinic]

Excellent Eric!!! Excellent. Excellent. Excellent!

[@allenwoolard4549]

You're so awesome! Thank you for your videos.

[@davidschram9093]

Great to see your still in the business. Hope your doing well.

[@DiamondCutMagic]

BEST 3 Fly Ever! The only one I've seen that interested me and made me care!

[@MichaelKrasMagic]

Eric lectured on his ThreeFly last august.... BRILLIANT is all I can say. You are all off-track.

[@garyouellet323]

I think you forget that this was a science conference using magic to illustrate science facts and not a magic show.

[@nayrskater]

Wow. Just great. Loved it.

[@BillM1960]

Great stuff.

[@TheBradTobin]

ahh i love how he mixed invisable deck with triumph.

[@blackiron60]

Wow, now that is solid!

[@magicaljoel]

Absolutely perfect timing, patter, and effects! Thinking of using the Martini effect! (b^.^d) time to continue my work and get crackin'! So to speak.

[@jlitchford]

Eric Absolutely brilliant.. Your courage to hold on to your belief that magic is art inspires my to hold on to my ideals, just wanted to say thanks. So can I steal your routine? LOL

[@user-zs7fn5wu8w]

great man, great performance. reminds me of bill hicks.

[@OliveroG]

Hooly fuck, that was one of the greatest magic performances i've seen so far.

[@merdufer]

he also said at the end that the whole lecture aspect is just to make it more entertaining to that particular crowd. if you want to take a performing magician's word seriously that's fine, but don't judge others with your own commitment.

[@spontini3331]

thanks

[@johnmeye]

Eric hit the ball out of the park

[@MLP88]

@ 7:30 the two coins in his left hand make the sound of two coins coming together. But, so what. He's brilliant.

[@CountJakamo]

In believing that there is no magic and searching for the 'truth' you have overlooked the entire point of Eric's performance. Eric clearly announces his underlying theme at the beginning and end of the video.

[@merdufer]

good thinking.

[@motorcycleonmoon]

I agree with you.

[@DD1982]

"I think I would have used a rough/smooth deck." Nope, All I am going to say is notice how he goes through the cards when showing them. That is all you really need to know. The drink was simply there to add conviction and make it look more impossible. The coin effect can pretty much be done with or without sleeves and is extremely expensive.

[@Yamster3]

@smiddy319 If you think about it, he only ever had two coins in each hand. When he 'slowed' it down, he transferred one coin in order to show the transfer of three total. He only needed four coins.

[@bergali]

WOZ!!!

[@isac9448]

i like how he speaks

[@SanjHD]

Where do you buy it? Is it even possible to purchase?

[@TheJeffCorn]

He did that because there were no extra coins in his hands. Looks better from two or three feet, but still looks really nice here.

[@jvilla21]

I still want to know how to do that card trick.

[@johnnyboy4ever]

I think that everyone who commented on this video entirely missed the whole point of it. I swore this was a TED conference video at first.

[@TheBradTobin]

@cranzberry yes the first effect is 3 fly by chris kenner and the second is... well i dont want to name it because his presentation of it will even fool most magicians.

[@merdufer]

That would be one way to do it. In that case, I wonder what he did to make it look like there were only three coins around 7:19 and 7:40. Gotta love the fake left hand motion at 7:59 and 8:13 though.

[@KingstonCzajkowski]

Shell coins

[@yoislam]

does he pull out a 4th coin when he pulls up his left sleave ? and then while saying ''Audiance at the front watch closely and not at the screen he switches a coin to the other hand .... (i think) can anyone confirm that ? the other moves i cant spot the trick .....yet

[@Vanur2]

It's so very funny to read comments from people saying how easy things like this are... then providing a 'method' that if given a moments thought after watching the video, are so obviously wrong!

[@TheJeffCorn]

That's great. Keep it up, then.

[@danielloowk]

ooh wow I didn't expect joshua bell to be there!

[@hollowsmart]

Keeping the mystery alive by not reading the comments.

[@bulboflight]

wooooooooooooow

[@hishamwahid3482]

The card trick uses the "Invisible Deck"

[@kingrobert1st]

And a Faro shuffle to put them back to back! Brilliant! Unless he switched packs inside the cocktail mixer which would have been how I would have done it! lol

[@purplecowideal]

@@kingrobert1st oh, where is your youtube video please?

[@kingrobert1st]

I thought he was going to perform Oil & Water and failing that Dai Vernon's Triumph either that or Out of this World.

[@sharrynuk]

I think I would have used a rough/smooth deck.

[@eviltwin777]

I don't know how he did the coin and the card. Was it scripted? For the card?

[@ChasedByPenguins]

he stacks them one on the other and pretends theres one in his hand ;), great hand moving skills

[@dondixon4206]

This Guy Sounds Like Carl Sagan... am I right or Not?

[@JasonDiegmueller]

Cannot unhear this, now. Good ear.

[@TheJeffCorn]

I wish I could be that wrong and not know it. How does it feel?

[@mrjutsumaster]

lol don't fuck with me XD

[@CountJakamo]

If you are searching for the truth, the method, behind Eric's performance, you clearly did not understand his concept of mystery which was the point of the entire video.

[@griftorifto2]

Lol I'm usually crap at spotting magic but he got the first coin pulling back his sleeve the second time

[@wayman72]

Nope.

[@miamimagicians]

Its basicaly the Bob Kholer 3 fly!

[@swaggomite]

on 7:20 watch his hands

[@igunzOsick]

steve wosniack!?

[@ukgreaterlondon]

magic used in world religions vs modern magic?

[@Rouricht]

I just know one kind of magic... MAGIC THE GATHERING FTW !!! :D

[@TheJeffCorn]

Did you even pay attention to he video? The whole thing about magic not being about solving problems?

[@drunkenirish420]

he kinda looks like Seth McFarlen

[@michaels3860]

Holy shit JOSHUA BELL! wtf!

[@garrettbriggs5928]

he sounds like and looks like the matrix guy that tries to kill anderson

[@M6ks77]

actually he has 4 coins :D not 6 ;)

[@sjkane711]

He has 4 silver dollars. The card trick I have no idea.

[@rafde]

joji

[@laurensbosma7800]

look close at 6:55 and 6:56 , he just grabs it..

[@Vasidius37]

He has 3 silver dollars and gimmicked coin. the gimmicked coin is big enough to hold a coin inside it so it looks like there is only 3. some sleight of hand and that's how its done.

[@CountJakamo]

it was not scripted

[@garyouellet323]

It's not the deck or the coins or whatever else, that does the magic, it's all in the presentation. If someone would only show the routines without any statement or presentation, the whole thing would be awesome boring and not very entertaining.

[@eventhorizon8205]

That almost-heckler was annoying^^

[@seenvision]

killer

[@sodia1]

emn i didnt what was hes point and.... what was he tryng to say lol

[@SaithMasu12]

What the actual hell? Ive seen another performer (magican) ask the crowd one by one what colour they like: They said red. The net one said Hearts, the next one said 10. All claimed to not know one another as here and yet they all persisted on the 10 of hearts. Thats absolutly strange.

[@nareshraghuwanshi7682]

I think the bottle is gimmick, see how thoughtful the performance he was shaking the bottle, I think the shaking of bottle actually has a purpose(spring mechanism or something) to reach to required card, that is the only possible way I can think of

[@joshuademoraes]

???????????????????????????????

[@lFlash4]

@elphenom9 LMAO

[@daniel-josephgriffin125]

Nothing poor about a gimmicked deck. His handling is very smooth. Also the Ideck was voted the best card trick of 2008 and remains one of the hardest hitting card tricks and an excellent backup if something ever goes wrong in a routine. Sleight of hand only gets you so far. I'm guessing you don't like using any duplicate cards, or gimmicked cards. Their never noticed if your skilled at palming and audience management. Only poor thing here is your disrespect to the mystery of magic.

[@freakOFtheNature]

that was easy, the cards are ordered before he puts them in the tin can...then, when the final card is picked that is when he switches the card around...which is when the trick actually takes place.

[@merdufer]

i hope it's not the confederate trick... all too common in religious "miracle" shows. how else would you propose he could have done it?

[@ManuelGg22]

Kieith barry is beast than he

[@gkdeguia]

FreakoftheNature, Smiddy, and ctagzfsx. you all fail. not even close.

[@superfisto]

Satanism.

[@nasimbahal]

:| not really impressed

[@marsCubed]

Very disappointing and rather depressing to have the door slammed shut at the end. It doesn't seem a mystery so much as it does a scam. If the point of the 'lecture' was to give us a sense of mystery then a juggler can do that, even though we can see how it is done we are caught in the spectacle and experience the magic of the performance, that's a mystery. However this video defined the mystery as a private object and thus kills it.. there is no glamour without some hint of promise.