h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

nice entry, I'm going to try this with the Gruesome Twosome.

One thing confuses me though: the extra (fourth) pompom goes in the middle cup. so, on top of the first cup, then the middle cup, with the third cup on top of that?

I suppose I really need the cups/pompoms and try it out.

oh and
A8793219

I clarified about the cups.

I must admit this entry does seem a bit hard to follow without actually doing the trick. I jsut don't know how to make it more readable. Any suggestions?

Suggest in the entry that to understand it the reader will really have to try it out.

I actually read it after the change, but I think you're right, Gnomon. a note that it would probably be better to have the cups in front of you as you try, would be good.

I still can't wait to try it

Ok, added what Gnomon suggested into the first paragraph.

If you want it to be a bit clearer, you could try to break it down a little further.

1. With the one pompom in the middle cup, and the other three in the cup with the exposed opening, smoothly pour out the three pompoms onto the table.

2. Separate them about seven or eight centimetres away from each other.

3. In a fluid motion, take each cup and invert it on top of one of the pompoms - quickly, but not hurriedly - so that the hidden pompom will not fall out of the middle cup prematurely. The idea is that the middle cup will cover two pompoms in the middle location; but the audience will be aware of only one.
(If you do one quick and the others slowly it could look suspicious, so its best to do it all at the same speed.)

4. Pick up the cup from the left hand side, place the pompom from underneath this cup on top of the middle cup that now contains two concealed pompoms.

5. Stack the cup from the left on top of this.

6. Wave your hand or say some magic words if you like, and pick up both cups together. Underneath the cups there should be two pompoms. Your audience will believe you have just made the pompom from the left side through the first cup and onto the table. In reality, this ball is now still hidden between cups.

6. Now, with the same motion you used to place the cups at the beginning, put the empty cup on the left where there is no longer a pompom and put the cup that contains the hidden pompom on top of the other two pompoms. This cup now hides three pompoms, of which the audience is aware of only two, with the third (they think) sandwiched between the two cups.

7. Repeat step two, this time using the right hand pompom and cup. When the two cups are removed together, there will be three pompoms, and it will look like another pompom has gone through the cup.



Feel free to use any part fo this or none.

On further reflection, I believe that step #2 (2. Separate them about seven or eight centimetres away from each other.) should probably relate the distance to the size of the opening of the cups. Some will use smallish cups, and some may substitute wide-mouthed vessels.

Perhaps:
2. Separate them two to three cup-widths apart.

Nice Entry Orange

Are you still working on making the steps easier to follow?

Emmily

I have been very, very busy recently but I will fix uo those instructions, maybe even change it to those suggested ones?

I will do it sometime in the next few days.

Done it yet Orange?

How's this coming along, Orange?

Are you still working on this? It's a good entry.

I don't know where Orange has gone Not posted on hootoo since May 12, so I'm afraid to perhaps nominate this Entry for the Flea Market.

Seconded and added to Database (both)

I'm confused...

This entry seems, to me, ripe for picking

Has it been FM'd simply because the author has elvised?

Hi six7s
Unfortunately the Scouts only get 2-3 picks a month and there's so many good articles in PR that we can't take them all

No doubt this would have got through if it had been picked by a Scout, but it didn't, so it ended up here: F74125?thread=3310641

There's nothing stopping you rescuing it if you're so inclined, or joining the Scout scheme to select picks yourself

GB
Scout

Hmmm... yeah... I s'pose, after 4 years, I oughta volunteer for summat

Are they recruiting?

Not sure, you need to email h2g2.editorialATbbcDOTcoDOTuk and offer your services. They'll tell you whether you can be badged up or go on a waiting list

Then again, you could just post here: A395796

*hits self on head with frying pan*