The Science of Magic Meets the Magic of Science(b)

Many may be curious about how the audience couldn't feel that they were turning. The fact is that the Earth is always rotating, and humans' sense of motion relies on the relative positions of themselves to other physical objects in their vicinity for verification. Since everything on Earth moves along with the Earth, people usually have no real sense that they are actually moving.

Other common magic tricks are similarly grounded in the application of scientific principles. Take for instance the common trick of sawing a woman in half. Once the assistant has stepped into the box, the magician ruthlessly dissects her with metal blades. Just as everyone watching is concerned for the life of the assistant, in a flash she steps out of the box unharmed. The reality of the trick is to be found inside the box, which is lined with foam rubber, letting the assistant curl up inside the box, pressing up tightly against the walls and end of the box.

A lot of once-mysterious magic, after science explains it, loses its mystique. Will this end up lowering public interest in magic and maybe even affect magicians' livelihoods? Magic is as adaptable as the people who perform it. Even though people soon figured out the tricks behind David Copperfield's disappearance of the Statue of Liberty, this did little to decrease the sense of marvel the trick created. For those who love magic, whether as simple entertainment or as a puzzle to solve, there is a lot to be learned from every good performance.

　　很多人一定会好奇当舞台旋转时，现场来宾怎么可能不知道？正如地球无时无刻都在自转，但由于人类对运动的感知是依赖自己和其他物体相对位置的移动来确认，而当地球自转时，包括人在内的所有物体都随着地球同步转动，因此人类就无法察觉自己正在转动。

　　生活中许多常见的魔术表演，其实也是根基于科学原理的应用。例如一般魔术秀常见的『人体拉腰箱』的表演──当助理钻入箱内，魔术师会毫不留情地以金属切割板将她『分尸』。当大伙都在担忧助理的性命安危时，隔一会儿，她却又毫发无伤从箱内走出。玄机其实暗藏在箱子内部，内箱里头铺了塑料软垫，当助理进入箱内，就可随着内箱的空间曲线倾斜身子，同时贴紧箱壁与箱底。

　　众多不可思议的魔术，经过科学『破译』后，似乎变得不过尔尔，而这样是否会降低民众对魔术的观赏乐趣，甚至影响魔术师的生计呢？戏法人人会变，巧妙各自不同。如同戴维的『自由女神像消失秀』演出，即使人们早已了解其背后运作的『眉角』，却从未减损这场表演的传奇性。对喜好魔术的观众来说，不管是以纯娱乐的心情或科学解密的角度欣赏演出，都还是能从每一场精采的演出中得到不同的收获。

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戴维‧考柏菲出生于纽泽西州，12岁就开始学魔术，并成为美国社会魔术组织认定最年轻的魔术师，其知名的魔术表演包括使自由女神像消失、穿越万里长城、雷射幻术、死亡锯和漂浮秀等。1982年戴维创办『魔术计划』，主要是透过魔术花招帮助一些有残缺的病人康复或恢复他们的技能，该计划也已被美国职业治疗协会公认，并且在 30 多个国家以及超过 1,100 个医院使用。他所拥有的世界纪录包括历史上获得最多奖项的魔术师，也是第一位在好莱坞星光大道留名的在世魔术师。伦敦的杜莎夫人蜡像馆也制造了戴维‧考柏菲的蜡像。（数据源：维基百科）