Tuesday Afternoon Diversion: More Fun With Magnets

By Kevin Robinson in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 2, 2013 8:00PM

At first it's easy to think that his is some sort of trick accomplished with clever video editing or dishonest filming techniques. But don't tell Insane Clown Posse: the secret is magnets! In fact, if you pay attention to the sequence of where the black ball appears, you'll notice that it repeats every 10 times.

Numbering from left to right, we see the sequence of (3-2-2-3-2) 1-3-3-2-1 (3-2-2-3-2). This is because there is a strong magnet under the table, and a weaker magnet in each cup. Note the pegs on the rotating plate, and how they move a lever up and down. That's the stronger magnet!

If the peg pushes the lever completely, the ball shows at cup number three. If the lever isn't pushed, the ball appears in cup number two, and if the lever is partially engaged, the ball appears in cup number two.