We’re all familiar with the magician’s standard bag of tricks: hat, rabbit, magic wand, interlocking rings, etc. An innovative magician named Simon Pierro has brought magic into the twenty-first century: instead of a top hat, he has a tablet computer, earning him the nickname “the iPad Magician.”
Simon grew up in southwestern Germany but his introduction to magic began when he visited New York City at the age of 15. A street hustler used the old shell game to relieve him of $20. Knowing he was curious about how the guy had done it, Simon’s sister gave him a book about magic and card tricks. Magic became a hobby and later a career. By his early twenties, Simon was winning awards and soon made the first of over 20 appearances on a “Candid Camera” style show on German television. In 2008, he discovered the magical possibilities of Apple’s iPad.
As Simon told one interviewer, “The moment I started doing iPad magic, I wanted to see how chimps would react. It took three years to arrange everything, but I’m so pleased with the outcome. To create this video, I worked with three different chimps: Mona, Jenny and Andy. I was intrigued with their distinct personalities. Mona was shy and introspective, Jenny was self-confident and focused, and Andy was the most rambunctious of the trio, running around and jumping on the shoulders of my videographer.”
As you’ll see in the video posted below, the chimpanzees were completely flummoxed by the illusions Simon created. One moment peanuts were on the tablet’s screen, the next, real peanuts were dropping into his hand and then vanishing. One of the chimps held the iPad flat against the top of their head, as if to say, “I don’t get you crazy humans sometimes!” Not to worry: they did get real peanuts as a reward for putting up with Simon’s antics.
What did you think of these chimps and their reaction to this high tech magic show? Let’s hear from you in the comments section below. Be sure to like and share!
