Looking for instructions for a magic trick/puzzle involving rope, tube, & washers.

December 3, 2011 10:52 AM

Can you help me find instructions for a magic trick or illusion that involves 2 or more ropes going through a large tube? (I believe the ropes are linked by washers inside, and so by discreet pinching, the user can produce baffling effects when a mark pulls on a rope.)

It was described to me by a science teacher, and used with great success for years in a demonstration on observation, evidence, inference, etc.

posted by chr1sb0y to sports, hobbies, & recreation (3 answers total)

It's not a tube, but I think you might be talking about Chinese Sticks. There's tonnes of videos on YouTube. :)
posted by smoke at 2:33 PM on December 3, 2011

It could also be the pom pom stick trick.
posted by surenoproblem at 4:49 PM on December 3, 2011

Thanks! It's definitely a variation of the pom pom stick/tube. I found something close to what I am looking for here, once I also added 'discrepant event' to my searches, which is teacher talk for a demo that baffles students and makes them rethink their assumptions.
posted by chr1sb0y at 8:11 AM on December 4, 2011