Discovery fuses mind and matter with 'The Magic of Science'

The 9-part series is a blend of theatrical exhibition and empirical principles, bolstered by the before and after reactions of the audience

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Delhi | February 13, 2013

Factual entertainment network Discovery Channel has launched 'The Magic of Science', an all-new series featuring jaw-dropping illusions performed by an ensemble of fresh, innovative magicians in front of live spectators. The twist: each feat is backed by real science, with an explanation and breakdown to prove it. A nine-part series, the show premiered as part of Discovery's 'Ultimate Discovery' on February 11 at 9 PM.

Episodes begin with impromptu tricks captured by hidden cameras and culminate in full-scale, elaborate stunts in a melting of magic and science. The result is a blending of theatrical exhibition and empirical principles, bolstered by the before and after reactions of the audience.

The Magic of Science elevates the purely entertaining aspect of magic to new heights by proposing seemingly impossible endeavours, executing them flawlessly, and ultimately disclosing the scientific reality as the featured magicians, Canadian female Billy Kidd, American Wayne Houchin, Briton Ben Hanlin and Australian James Galea explore the physics, chemistry, biology and a little pure Einstein that make illusions possible. The magicians are filmed in New York, London, and Warsaw with the help of both hidden and open cameras for the largest possible impact.

From a new scientific lie detector test, a silver bracelet that transforms into gold, to mind-reading metal and burning ice cubes, the magicians transform sceptical viewers into astonished believers by doing the opposite of what they usually do: showing us how the tricks are done. The talented troop of magicians, each armed with their unique style of delivery, challenges onlookers with inconceivable claims and seamless execution, all through the very real magic of science.  Live audiences and home viewers alike will be stunned by the tricks themselves as well as their real world applications.

Episode descriptions

EP 1 – Cannonball Fall

Four magicians from around the world create magic tricks using science. In this episode, Wayne Houchin visits a mechanic shop in Brooklyn to demonstrate a very special technique: intelligent oil, which he can 'command' to move wherever he wanted. Then, Ben Hanlin tricks people on the streets of Warsaw using a new scientific lie-detecting liquid that changes colour when the person holding the jar tells a lie. Billy Kidd challenges a group of martial masters to pick up as many grains of rice as possible with a sword and outsmarts them by picking up a whole jar of rice using just her sword. James Galea defies the laws of gravity with an extremely dangerous cannonball trick which could see him losing something vital, his hand!

EP 2 – Danger Drop

Wayne Houchin amazes New Yorkers with his “Midas touch” by turning a seemingly ordinary silver bracelet into a gold bracelet, while Billy Kidd impresses passers-by with her ability to mind read in London. Later, street magician Ben Hanlin creates instant snow from water using a chemistry-based trick, and James Galea attempts to cheat death with a stunt aptly named “The Danger Drop.” Every trick looks like magic but it's really science.

EP 3 – Book Bungee

James Galea convinces a group of onlookers into thinking that he can crush a fuel tanker using telekinesis. As the crowd concentrates on the tanker, it dramatically implodes with a massive bang! Meanwhile, Ben Hanlin and Billy Kidd go undercover at a restaurant to astonish a crowd as Billy stains Ben's jacket, burns it, and then completely restores it using a fire extinguisher. Finally, Wayne Houchin performs a death-defying bungee jump, using a rope that has actually been cut and held together only by the pages of two interwoven books.

EP 4 – Vortex Cannon

In this episode, Ben Hanlin performs a special agent style trick where two volunteers call each other and exchange a code word. Without any listening equipment, he is able to get the phone booth to reveal secret code words through a telephone wire. In Warsaw, Poland, Billy Kidd defies the laws of physics with a strength-based trick where she miraculously increases her body weight from very light to impossibly heavy.  Meanwhile, in London, Wayne Houchin makes a newspaper spontaneously combust in front of a crowd, and James Galea knocks over a solid wall with just the power of his voice.

EP 5 – Tesla Coil

This time, Wayne Houchin astounds New Yorkers at a famous deli, by making the paper bags their lunch is wrapped inside magically reveal their sandwich selections. Ben Hanlin cooks up a ruse and tricks a world memory champion, Dominic O'Brien, into believing that he has found a 13 year old boy genius who remembers all the significant dates in the 20th Century. Finally, Billy Kidd serves up ridiculously foamy coffees while Wayne becomes a human lightning rod and shoots 750,000 volts of electricity across his body. It all looks like magic – but it's really science at play.

EP 6 – Vampire

Wayne washes a New York limo driver's car with a warm jet spray and reveals some of the limo driver's personal details on the hood.  Ben poses as an antique stall owner and makes a ship in a bottle disappear in a cloud of fog. Billy Kidd suspends water upside down without spilling it on a crowd of Londoner's cell-phones. And in London's House of Detention, a 17th century former prison, James convinces a crowd he might actually be a vampire through a series of tricks involving holy water - but is it really just a game?

EP 7 – Voodoo Car

Wayne baffles a London audience in London with his mind-reading skills and surprises the crowd when he is able to guess what a volunteer had written in the envelope. Ben tricks a group of diners in Warsaw into buying him dinner by betting that he is able to place a balloon on a flame without bursting it. Billy goes undercover as a waitress and injects a little spark into unsuspecting customers' lives by setting ice on fire. And in South London, James Galea makes a crowd think he may actually be able to perform a voodoo curse with disappearing dolls and an explosive result.

EP 8 – Dry Ice Bomb

In this episode, Wayne Houchin impresses ice skaters with his superhero powers when he uses what looks like telekinesis to move a soda bottle and make it explode! Billy Kidd shows off her powers of strength when she challenges a strong looking man to empty a bottle of water as quickly as possible, and Ben Hanlin tricks a crowd into believing that their cellphones can actually scramble eggs.

EP 9 – Anti-Gravity Glass / Danger Special

In this final episode, Ben and Billy become bartenders and create magical cocktails. We go behind the scenes of The Magic of Science's most dangerous tricks and reveal the science behind how the magic worked.

 Info@BestMediaInfo.com

Info@BestMediaInfo.com