Ensign Steve

You guys are so smart! I had to actually read the solution before I got it. Fortunately I am so skeptical, because I am really NOT astute at finding the secret to tricks. I'm surprised I have not been conned a lot more in my life.

Jamie_L

From another recent thread:

The Flash Mind Reader

Jamie

Ensign Steve

Okay, I am stumped! Please enlighten me before my brain explodes. I told you, I'm easy!

Jamie_L

Hints:
*Pick the same number a couple of times in a row.

*Pick a series of consecutive numbers (i.e. 34, 35, 36)

*After doing that, study the table of symbols carefully

Math + misdirection = fun.

Jamie

Vicar Philip

Think of it this way:

Let X = the first digit of your number, and
let Y = the second digit of your number.

Now, your two-digit number is equivalent to:

10X + Y

Next, we're supposed to subtract the sum of the two digits:

(10X + Y) - (X + Y)
simplify
(10X + Y - X - Y)
simplify
(10X - X) = 9X

So, no matter what two-digit number we choose, the above mathematic process will always give us a multiple of 9. If you look carefully at the list of numbers and symbols, you'll notice that 9 and all its multiples share the same symbol.



(edited to add: sorry Jamie, I guess I wasn't too subtle! But it was fun figuring out the algebra.)

Ensign Steve

OKAY! DUH! I thought that was how it was going to work, going into it. I've seen a similar trick where you add your birthday to your age, divide by nine, do the hokey-pokey, and you end up with your birthday again. But when I kept getting different symbols, and it kept being right, I thought there was more to it. I didn't figure on the chart changing each time. Duh! I told you I was easy! Heehee.

Thanks, I feel 1000 times better!

Jen