Comments on: Mad About Science Magic – Should Magicians Be Responsible for Teaching Science?

By: Steve Spangler

Steve Spangler — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:57:02 +0000

Steve – You’re truly the exception, not the rule. As the article points out, there are lots of magicians who have no background teaching science who simply use the words “science” or “experiment” in their patter to pass off the show as being an educational program. If you’re doing birthday parties, that’s one thing. But we’re hearing feedback from educators and parents who are booking a real “science program” into their schools only to discover (too late) that they purchased a magic show with lots of “wonder” and “imagination” sprinkled into the show.

Thanks for all you’re doing to make the combination of magic and science work so well.

By: Steve Lechner

Steve Lechner — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:08:01 +0000

As a Science Teacher, Science Educator (for children and teachers), and Magician, I have been presenting Magic Shows for over 25 years, and Science-Magic Shows for over 20 years. I think very carefully about what science experiments to put into my show, and keep a clear line between the two types of shows. There are SO many different science experiments that can be used and presented in “magical” ways that it is really a cop out, I feel, to take a classical magic trick and expose it’s secret. In my science show I present the “trick”, then ask, “How do you think that happened?” My goal is for the audience to figure out how the experiment worked from watching the effect, and if they do not, I will lead them through how it worked. This is very different from my “magic” show, where I do not reveal my secrets. It is fine to turn science experiments into “magic” tricks for any kind of a show, but the reverse, I feel, is not the same.

By: Dr. Dennis Regling

Dr. Dennis Regling — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 18:57:26 +0000

I have been doing my “Magic of Science” show in schools the past 10 years. I show how magicians use science to fool us while introducing and reinforcing key concepts in Math, Chemistry and Physics.
Although all my experiments are presented as a “magic trick” in the show, I then explain the science that makes the trick work.
I’m not doing stage magic tricks, I am doing real science with a magical presentation.
Although I am exposing some of the concepts magicians use, I am not exposing tricks that stage magicians use.
Not too many magicians are mixing vinegar and baking soda to make a whoosh or using a Tesla Coil to make popcorn.
The problem is when magicians don’t know science, and use exposure to sell a show to schools as a science presentation.

By: MagicShops

MagicShops — Fri, 08 May 2009 13:46:38 +0000

I think that magic tricks should not be exposed to everyone, because magic will become something usual, that you can see in everyday life. Magicians should keep their tricks for themselves and entertain people as they have done for centuries!

By: Magicians Meet in Fort Collins to Share Secrets

Magicians Meet in Fort Collins to Share Secrets — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 17:51:54 +0000

[...] conference was a huge success by all accounts… and I had a blast. I’ve written about my involvement with magic in the past and even did the proud Dad thing by showing video of my kids performing their first [...]

By: Joe N

Joe N — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 13:47:18 +0000

Greets… enjoyed the article in MUM. As someone who’s been fiddling with magic and science for over 30 years (and coming from a family of scientists- 3 chemists!), I have myself had the opportunity to observe many shows over the years claiming to be “educational” in a particular subject. I must agree with Mr. Tripp’s comments that for most of what I have seen, these shows have been magic shows in drag.
A couple of years ago I decided to put together Jewish religious educational shows, due to 2 facts: 1, there aren’t many performers doing a show that claims to be a Jewish educational show, and 2) what little I’ve seen in that arena is abysmally bad, and often teaches nothing! I have video of a show that isn’t even a good magic show! It seems like little planning went into the show at all! So I wanted to correct this by coming up with a script for teaching something specific, and then using magic, puppetry, multi-media (video projections and large posters) etc. to help enforce the points made. It seems to have worked, as people who see the show talk about the “Chanuka” show rather than “some magic show”.

I’ve thought about doing a real science show just because I love science as well as teaching and doing shows, now I know another marketing angle for a show if I put one together- “NOT A MAGIC SHOW! My show teaches real science in a way that kids LOVE!” or something like that!

By: Steve

Steve — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 21:54:41 +0000

Mark — I think you hit the nail on the head. Judging from the emails I’m getting, I’d say that many magicians ARE getting it. I’m just trying to get them to post their comments on the blog. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Would you give everyone the address for your website?

By: Mark Tripp

Mark Tripp — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 21:28:00 +0000

My career in schools began when working for Don Herbert and his “Mr. Wizards world of energy” show. For me, I found teaching science much more rewarding than being a buffoon for inebriates, so quit comedy clubs for science.

As I plan on putting in what I am writing, I think your concept is valid but needs a larger context. It really isn’t “mad about science magic.” It really needs to be “mad about magic shows in drag.”

All you have to do is read the postings on places like “The magic cafe” to see the real issue; Magicians are looking for an “excuse” to do their favorite trick, no matter the reason for the gathering. An example is doing the Zig Zag in a “mathematical magic show” saying it teaches fractions.

More to the point, none of this would be an issue were it not for a Wall Street Journal story, that ranked “science shows” as the #1 birthday party. Magicians, for the most part, being the lemmings that they are, jumped on with the same effort they put into most of their product. This is to say, not much. I know, because I have seen their flyers, and sadly, some of their programs. I did the first “Magic of Science” show in 1972. I cannot tell you how many magicians do a “Magic of Science” show today, most of which are shows like you describe. While I have never seen the exposure of the dove pan you spoke of, nothing surprises me.

However, when a national magic dealer sells an effect for $1000, that is a classic science experiment, where is the exposure? You can find the exact same reaction in many science catalogs. Slush powder? Every science website that deals with kids deals with it, including yours.

Because the written word lacks facial expression and tones, and you really don’t know me, the following is humor…..

….I have always wondered where the “science” is in the Magic coloring book and Vanishing crayons you sell in your catalog….

…tongue is leaving my cheek.

As I said, I think you have hit on something, but I think there is more to it magicians need to learn from.

By: Mark Tripp

Mark Tripp — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 20:19:01 +0000

The real issue here is the “magic show in drag”. Now, let me define that. People want something “other” than a “magic show”. So, performer says they have a “anti bully” or “science” or “historical” show. Whatever. In truth, it is a magic show, with some small part of the script dealing with the core issue. In other words, using juggling as not to offend, it looks like this:

Juggle, juggle, juggle

Be nice to your pets

Juggle, juggle, juggle

Stay in school

Juggle, Juggle, Juggle

Don’t Do Drugs! Goodnight everybody!

By definition a magic show in drag is NOT addressing the reason for the gathering. Doing Zig Zag (a magic trick where the illusion is created of a girl being cut into three parts) in a “mathmatical magic show” is not going to help kids learn fractions.

In other words, it is not non-magicians exposing those things, it is people who call themselves magicians doing so willingly. How would a “non-magician” know what a dove pan is?

Do I understand it? No. I was a magician LONG before I became a “science magician”. I have NEVER thought about doing a legitimate “magic trick” then exposing it as “science”. It never crossed my mind.
Mainly because I knew there were far better demonstrations that were real science. Look at the nation wide excitement over the mentos/diet coke reaction!

I think the problem we have is the people reading this are not the people doing it. Magic as a whole is not well known for taking an objective look at itself. The real “duffers” are not going to admit to same. You will see both projection and justification from those who do not want to change what they are doing. Of course they do not, CHANGE TO WHAT? They are doing a magic show in drag, FAKING the science part…..

…the only question is, who is fooling whom?

By: Steve

Steve — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 19:01:49 +0000

Mark – Thanks for your comments. Here are a few thoughts that might help the discussion along…

I appreciate your point and understand your comments about products like the Magic Coloring Book. Our product development team at Steve Spangler Science never claimed that the Magic Color Book and Vanishing Crayons are science. It’s part of a larger section that we offer in the area of magic. Reading our instructions, you would see that the teacher is told not to share the secret as this is a magic trick. The motivation for using the trick with young children is two fold: To give the early childhood teacher an opportunity to something “magical” in front of her students (maybe the first time ever) and to offer the children a unique way to interact with their teacher (also maybe the first time ever). Selecting a magic trick to share as a way to get a teacher “hooked” on the idea of “interacting” instead of “lecturing” is not a bad approach. Many professionals use magic tricks to communicate a message. Their are a number of professional speakers in the National Speakers Association who use magic to illustrate a point. These professionals, including teachers, should not expose the workings of the magic trick.

By: Leonard Hutchens

Leonard Hutchens — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 17:59:55 +0000

Thanks for your views in the September ’06 MUM regarding “science magic”. I am the 1st grade teacher referenced in the article.After witnessing the “Mad Science” assembly and posting my opinion on SamTalk, I was puzzled by some responses, feeling like “Chicken Little” bringing this subject forward.

As both a teacher who loves science and magic enthusiast, something inside of me told me that this was different from other exposures of magic like the “Masked Magician”. Your comments in the article expressed my emotions exactly. Thank you for sharing them with the fraternity.

Leonard Hutchens, 1st grade teacher
Clemmons Elementary School