SCIENCE I: KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

There is no such thing as magic. At least, there is no such thing as real magic, from fantasy books. Magic, instead, is the feeling you get deep in your gut when you encounter something you can’t explain.

In 1760 there was a survey of the UK and from that survey 100% were affiliated with some religion, whether that was Anglican, Roman Catholic or something else, but not a single person surveyed identified as atheist. Just 40 years later the same survey was repeated, and 0.1% returned an answer of “no religion”.

That may seem like a small percentage, but that was 105,000 people that had believed in a God, who now no longer did.

The 2011 census shows there are now over 16 million people within the UK who answered “no religion” – a quarter of the total population!

But why am I talking about religion, when I started with magic? Because they’re the same. The reason that people in the 18th century all believed in a higher power is because they needed something to make them understand. They needed something to give purpose and reason to what they saw around them. They saw a colourful world, full of plants and animals and because science was still young, they had no other way to explain it all, so somebody who was omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient must have just made it. As science progressed, less people needed a crutch to hang their awe on, and religion became less pertinent.

And that is the same with magic. People gave it the name – MAGIC – because they can’t explain what they are seeing, so they invented a mystical property with its own word to give it that meaning.

But all magic amounts to is science and maths, kids. Magicians like Dante are a talented bunch, but all they do is misdirect and use sleight of hand or science in a sneaky way to confuse your brain.

I have a lit candle here. Next to it I have a jug containing a small amount of vinegar. Watch as I add this bicarbonate of soda. See it fizz? It’s settled now but I’ll pour the jug over this candle. The liquid in the bottom doesn’t leave the container, but the candle has extinguished. Magic!

Here’s the secret. The bicarb and the vinegar react to create carbon dioxide, and because carbon dioxide is heavier than air, it stays in the jug. When you tip the jug over the naked flame the heavy gas sinks and puts the flame out.

No magic, just science.

Just knowledge.

Dante Xavier is very charismatic, and he can work a crowd with the best of them, but his parlour tricks only work if you don’t know the science behind it all. I see the science, because I have the knowledge, so nothing he does can surprise me.

Knowledge is power class, so let us see if you are powerful too. Your assignment is simple: I would like you to deconstruct one of Mr Xavier’s tricks, and tell me the science behind it.

Break him down, cut off his power.