Celebration of Mind, G4G, Universitat de Girona, 2012.

1. Girona, 22 d’octubre de 2012 #G4G-COM

2. Martin Gardner (21 d’octubre de 1914 - 2010)

5. Stephen Macknik and Susana
Martínez-Conde in “Sleights of Mind”
• Clarke’s 3rd law: Any sufficiently advanced
technology is indistinguishable from magic
• Agatha Heterodyne paraphrase: Any sufficiently
analyzed magic is indistinguishable from science
• Girona’s corolary: Any sufficiently depth insight
into science is indistinguishable from magic (e.g.,
isn’t chemistry real magic !? )
Stephen Macknik and Susana Martínez-Conde, “Sleights of Mind. What the
neuroscience of magic reveals about our brains”. Profile Books, London 2011

6. Alex Stone in “Fooling Houdini”
• There is a wealth of connections between
magic and science: psychology, neuroscience,
mathematics, physics [+ chemistry]
• The world of magic is filled with scientists and
the world of science is filled with magicians
• Scientists and magicians are people who take
an interest in mysteries
Alex Stone, “Fouling Houdini. Magicinas, Mentalists, Math Geeks and the
Hidden Power of the Mind”. Harper Collins, New York, 2012

7. Two Key Quotes
• The most exciting phrase to hear in science,
the one that heralds new discoveries, is not
'Eureka!' (I found it!) but 'That's funny ...‘
(Isaac Asimov)
• Martin Gardner has turned hundreds of
mathematicians into magicians and hundreds
of magicians into mathematicians (Persis
Diaconis)

8. Cards to explain Quantum Chemistry
• A poker set of cards is used to teach a few
concepts:
– Random number (red / black)
– Superposition of states: from Schrödinger’s cat to
Schrödinger’s card
– EPR (Einstein-Podalski-Rosen) entangled pairs

9. Quasicrystals, Nobel Prize Chemistry 2011
• Game related to Gilbreath’s Principle
• Show relating Islamic Art, Penrose Tiling,
DeBruijn cycles, Quasicrystals – and indeed
mathemagics/mentalism.
• Linking Martin Gardners’s books and
computer science.

10. More Fun: Quirkchemistry
• From the Penrose Staircase to Borromean,
Solomon and Trefoil Knotted Molecules
• From futballene to tennisballene – and other
funny named chemical systems
• To knot or not to knot, that’s the question 

12. Dmitri
Mendeléiev
(1834 - 1907)

14. H Na Sc Ga Nb Sb
Li Al V As Tc I
B P Mn Br Rh Cs
N Cl Co Rb Ag La
F K Cu Y In Pr

15. He Na Ti Ga Mo Sb
Li Si V Se Tc Xe
C P Fe Br Pd Cs
N Ar Co Sr Ag Ce
Ne K Zn Y Sn Pr

16. Be Al Ti Ga Ru I
B Si V Kr Rh Xe
C P Ni Rb Pd Cs
N Ca Cu Sr Ag Nd
Mg Sc Zn Y Te Fl

17. O Al Fe Ga Ru La
F Si Co Zr Rh Ce
Ne P Ni Nb Pd Pr
Na Cr Cu Mo Ag Nd
Mg Mn Zn Tc Ba Lv

18. S Sc Fe Ga Te La
Cl Ti Co Cd I Ce
Ar V Ni In Xe Pr
K Cr Cu Sn Cs Nd
Ca Mn Zn Sb Ba Es

19. Ge Rb Mo Ag Te La
As Sr Tc Cd I Ce
Se Y Ru In Xe Pr
Br Zr Rh Sn Cs Nd
Kr Nb Pd Sb Ba U

20. Girona, 22 d’octubre de 2012 #G4G-COM