Bob Cassidy - Laboratory Conditions

Bob Cassidy’s

Laboratory Conditions The Ultimate Close-Up Design Duplication Copyright©2003 by Robert E Cassidy

History – “Laboratory Conditions” - my first commercial effect - was originally released in 1976 by Frank Pazel. Supplied with the effect were two pieces of plexiglas, rubber bands, some aluminum foil and a specially gimmicked pen. Except for the foil, none of the other items were necessary to accomplish the effect, but Frank felt that the effect wouldn’t sell unless it came with props. The late Ed Mishell gave the effect a very favorable review in “Genii” magazine – but, then again, Ed gave favorable reviews to just about everything. That, together with the fact that nobody in the magic world at the time had any idea who Bob Cassidy was, resulted in somewhat less than spectacular sales. A few years later, a modified version of the effect was released to the newly formed Psychic Entertainers Association – this time supplied with a special clear plastic envelope in place of the plexiglas. Again, the prop wasn’t necessary, but the mindset at the time was that you couldn’t charge a decent price for an effect unless some kind of prop was included. Here, for the first time, is the effect as I originally conceived it. And, like I said, no special props – unless you call cheap aluminum foil a prop – are required. The effect is virtually self-working and is straightforward and completely inexplicable. The conditions under which it is performed seem to completely rule out any form of trickery – hence the title “Laboratory Conditions”.

EFFECT: The mentalist draws several designs on business cards – these can be standard ESP symbols or designs suggested by the spectators. Any number of designs can be used, as will be seen. The design cards are handed to a volunteer and are not touched again by the mentalist. While the performer’s back is turned, one of the designs is selected by the volunteer and placed on the center of a piece of aluminum foil as shown in the photograph. The spectator then wraps the card in the foil, hides the rest of the cards, and tells the performer when he is finished. The performer turns around and, without any false moves whatsoever, picks up the foil package and places it into an envelope which is handed to the volunteer to be sealed. After emphasizing the impossibility of what he is attempting to do, the mentalist draws a design on the face of the envelope. The envelope is torn open and the card is removed from the foil and shown to the audience. It is the same design drawn by the performer. The envelope, foil and card can be left with the audience and examined to their hearts delight – no preparation or gimmickry can be found because there isn’t any. Alternatively, it is possible to allow the spectator to draw a simple design or picture of his choice on a blank business card, which he or she then wraps in the foil. METHOD: The only “move” takes place when the performer picks up the foil packet from the table and places it into the envelope. At this point, he is literally able to see through the foil and determine the design! This is because the drawing is embossed, or raised up, on the back of the card thus creating a bas-relief image on the back of the foil packet. The embossing is accomplished as follows. Note that there is a folded newspaper on the table beneath the packet. (Alternatively, a close up pad or any other soft surface with “give” can be used. The designed are drawn on the cards with a ballpoint pen. Just press firmly as you draw and the soft surface below the card will allow the design to be “raised” on the back of the card. The following illustrations should make the basic handling clear to you.

While showing the spectator what he is to do, the mentalist takes a blank card and wraps it in a piece of foil, thus properly pre-folding the foil. He opens out the packet and removes the card, thus leaving the foil as shown on the left.

He next takes any one of the design cards and places it face up on the center of the foil stating, “When I turn my back I want you to select any one of the design cards and place it face up on the foil just like this. Okay?”

(If you were to press down on the card at this point, you would create a raised image of the design on the back of the foil packet – so DON’T PRESS DOWN yet, you are just giving the spectator a demonstration of what he is to do.) Remove the card and toss it into the tabled stack with the others. Turn your back and tell the volunteer to pick up any one of the design cards and place it face up on the center of the foil. Then tell him to fold the left side of the foil over onto the card, then the right and then the top and bottom.

Have the spectator tell you when he is finished. Turn back towards him and place and slide the packet toward yourself with your right hand, surreptitiously pressing it down against the newspaper as you do so. At the same time, pick up the envelope with your left hand.

Turn the foil pack away from you and the flap side of the envelope toward you. You will, thus, be looking at the reverse side of the packet as you slide it into the envelope. A perfect bas-relief impression of the design will be facing you, as shown in the following photograph.

Note that the flash from my camera slightly obscures the impression, but it is very visible nonetheless.

Slide the packet into the envelope as you glimpse the impression and tilt the envelope away from you as soon as the part of the foil bearing the impression is fully within the envelope.

The next photograph shows the spectator’s view just before you give it to him to seal. This part of the routine is done very slowly and deliberately so as to raise no suspicion of a switch or other trickery.

The rest of the handling should be obvious to you from the description given under “Effect.”

IMPORTANT HANDLING POINTS Look at the foil box shown in the picture to the left. It is NOT a brand name such as “Reynold’s Wrap,” nor is it heavyduty foil. It is the cheapest store brand foil you can obtain. Not only is this good for your wallet, but it assures a clear impression. The more expensive foils can be used, but the impression will be much fainter unless an inordinate amount of pressure is applied while sliding the packet towards you.

The expensive or heavy duty foils, moreover, will not work reliably in the variant presentation of the effect in which the spectator is allowed to draw a design of his choice on a blank business card. The latter effect is accomplished by placing a blank card on the foil and handing the spectator a ballpoint pen. He draws his design while the card is on the foil and unwittingly embosses the back of the packet at the same time!

It should be obvious to you that you should use business cards that are either blank on both sides or cards which DO NOT HAVE RAISED PRINTING. Raised printing, as is commonly used on print shop business cards, will likewise be embossed on the back of the packet and will very likely obscure the impression, depending on the relative locations of the design and the preprinted information. How, you may well ask, is it possible for the spectators to examine everything at the conclusion of the routine without detecting the impression on the back of the foil? This is one of the most beautiful parts of the method. After you open the envelope and unwrap the card – being careful not to flash the impression side of the packet as you do so – toss the card on the table and at the same time casually crumple up the foil before you toss that, too, onto the table. You needn’t crumple it into a tight ball. Simply squeezing the foil into a loose ball is sufficient to remove all traces of the impression as well as all clues as to the method. PRESENTATIONAL NOTES I usually present this effect following a brief monologue about the word “impossible” and the restrictions unnecessarily imposed by preconceived ideas and beliefs. Feel free to use them as you will. "Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible." (Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895) "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." (Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943) "There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in their home." (Ken Olsen, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977) "The telephone has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." (Western Union internal memo, 1876) "Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value." (Marshal Ferdinand Foch, French commander of Allied forces during the closing months of World War I, 1918) "The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?" (David Sarnoff's associates, in response to his urgings for investment in radio in the 1920's)

"Professor Goddard does not know the relation between action and reaction and the need to have something better than a vacuum against which to react. He seems to lack the basic knowledge ladled out daily in high schools." (New York Times editorial about Robert Goddard's revolutionary rocket work, 1921) "Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?" (Harry M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927) "Everything that can be invented has been invented." (Charles H. Duell, commissioner, US Office of Patents, 1899)

After revealing the design, a nice closing line for the effect is: “Always remember, it is not what is in front of you that blocks your way, it is what’s inside of you that holds you back.”

There are very few mentalists, and virtually no magicians, who know the secret of laboratory conditions. As long as we keep it that way, it will remain a powerful tool in our repertoires.

Good thoughts to all of you.

Bob Cassidy August 2003