magic news stories on Newser

Penn and Teller Suit: Magician Stole Our Trick

Matt Cantor — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 12:30:05 CDT

Half of Penn and Teller is suing a fellow magician who he says ripped off a classic trick. Dutch illusionist Gerard Bakardy reportedly posted a YouTube video of "Rose and Her Shadow," a trick at the heart of the duo's repertoire, and Barkardy said he'd reveal the secret to anyone...

Female 'Ritual Rapists' on Trial in Zimbabwe

Mark Russell — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 03:25:05 CST

A nationwide syndicate of suspected witches is operating in Zimbabwe, kidnapping men and raping them to use their semen in magic rituals—or at least that's what the Zimbabwe police apparently believe, reports the BBC . After a year-long investigation, three women are going on trial today on 17 counts of...

Make Your iPhone Do Magic Tricks

Mark Russell — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 04:00:00 CDT

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, as Arthur C. Clarke famously theorized. But now, some creative young nerds, er, entertainers are adding smartphones to their magic acts, dazzling audiences with some high-tech prestidigitation, reports the Washington Post . Now a guessed number can appear on screen, a digital pic...

Fight Fire With ... Electric Wands?

Matt Cantor — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 17:09:05 CDT

A little piece of Hogwarts may someday be reality: firefighters could eventually replace their hoses with flame-snuffing wands, the Daily Mail reports. Scientists attached a 600-watt electrical amplifier to a wand that blasted a foot-high fire with electricity, and the flames were extinguished almost immediately, they announced at a conference...

The Sorcerer's Apprentice: Anything but Magical

Emily Rauhala — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 06:41:49 CDT

Nobody is cheering for this Jerry Bruckheimer-produced pretender to the Potter throne, based (sort of) on the iconic scene from Fantasia. Nicolas Cage and Jay Baruchel play a sorcerer and his protege on a mission to ... do something—anything!—involving lots of spells and special effects. The result is anything...

South Africa Fans Pin Hopes on World Cup Witchcraft

Mary Papenfuss — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 04:37:57 CDT

A bit of magic just might boost South Africa's chances in the World Cup. That's what practioners of muti—a Zulu word referring to traditional medicine and witchcraft—are hoping as they brew concoctions of plants and animal parts in a bid to help the second-lowest-ranked team in the competition,...

How to Make Magic With an iPad

Mary Papenfuss — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 03:16:00 CDT

Move over, David Blaine: everyone's new favorite illusionist is the iPad, recently put through its mesmerizing paces by innovative Japanese performer Shinya Uchida on the streets of Tokyo. The sleight-of-gizmo on YouTube presents a history of communication with the iPad providing smoke, drink, a cheese appetizer, x-rays, and even a...

Tiger Flees Magic Act for Vegas Streets

Rob Quinn — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 06:13:21 CDT

An escaped tiger ended up roaming the streets of Las Vegas after pulling a disappearing act from its magician owners, AP reports. Police, who heard reports from residents about a wandering tiger, say they recaptured the tame animal without incident after it was found in a back yard. The animal...

Oops! Broken Arm Not Part of Trick

Rebecca Smith Hurd — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 11:11:01 CST

David Copperfield fans may feel disillusioned after one of the magician’s tricks went horribly wrong onstage in Las Vegas this week, breaking an assistant’s arm. The employee got his limb stuck in a fan during a routine stunt in which Copperfield “disappears” while passing through the whirling object, People reports;...