Penn Jillette of Penn & Teller answers questions from Twitter about magic. He discusses the "stupid rule" of not revealing magic secrets, which he believes is more of a compositional rule to prevent spoiling the illusion. He also shares stories of times when he and Teller messed up on stage and had to improvise.
Penn answers questions about how magicians eat glass, levitation effects, and the use of technology in magic. He emphasizes that magic is an art form and not supernatural, and that honesty is important, even when dealing with children.
He also shares behind-the-scenes information about specific tricks, such as pulling a rabbit out of a hat and putting a phone inside a glass bottle. Penn notes that some tricks are still being used professionally and are not to be revealed.
Additionally, Penn talks about the importance of magicians entertaining each other with magic, just like musicians enjoy music. He thanks Twitter users for their questions and encourages them to keep asking.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Penn Jillette and Teller were thrown out of the Magic Circle and the Magic Castle for giving away magic secrets.
2. Magicians use a technique called "forcing" to make spectators think they have a free choice when, in reality, the magician is controlling the outcome.
3. Richard Turner, a blind magician, uses special decks of cards with slight bends and edges that he can feel to perform card tricks.
4. Magicians do not actually pull rabbits out of hats; instead, they use a technique called "loading" to secretly place the rabbit in the hat.
5. Some magicians use smoke to obscure the audience's view, but this is not a common technique used in real-life magic performances.
6. Penn Jillette and Teller have over 100 years of magic experience between them, but they can still be fooled by clever and well-rehearsed magicians.
7. Magicians use sleight of hand to perform tricks, such as making objects disappear or reappear.
8. Some magic tricks, like the "phone inside a glass bottle" trick, are still being used professionally and are not publicly disclosed.
9. Magicians use various techniques to make it seem like they are swallowing razor blades, but it is not possible to actually swallow razor blades without harming oneself.
10. Baby chicks do come out of eggs, but this is a natural process, not a magic trick.
11. Magicians enjoy watching and performing magic tricks, just like musicians enjoy music.
12. The TV show "Fool Us" features magicians performing tricks to try to fool Penn Jillette and Teller.