Allow me the joy and privilege to introduce you to Derek DelGaudio and Helder Guimarães: undoubtedly two of the finest magicians in the world today. Winning the Best Magician of the Year awards for the second consecutive year for Close-Up and Parlour from the Academy of Magical Arts is only one more feather in the hats of these two highly regaled and accomplished wizards of magic.

Derek has over his rather young years been regarded as one of the finest card workers ever by the people in the know and was featured on the cover of MAGIC magazine in October 2011, while Helder is a FISM award winner and also had his own MAGIC cover in May 2011.

The last year saw Derek and Helder put a special combined show at the Magic Castle where the Who’s Who of Magic lined up for hours and days on end to be mesmerised by these two masters of magical entertainment. This show was so popular that there was a huge waiting list of celebs and magicians that wanted to see it whenever they hosted it again.

And it happened! The last two months have been really magical with Derek & Helder featuring a two-person theatre show, produced by none other than the highly-popular Hollywood actor (and the President of The Magic Castle) Neil Patrick Harris.

This show “Nothing To Hide” that initially opened for a two-week limited run, ran houseful every single day for a record 13-week extension! And now people are still trying to get tickets to a show that ended some days back.

What amazed people from all over the world was that Derek and Helder mesmerised and enthralled each and all with just a pack of cards. No other prop or apparatus was really needed, as the adept magicians weaves a magic spell that has never been experienced before.

International reporters and celebs wrote eloquent about how this was the one show that anybody with any interest in magic had to see. There were write-ups by star reporters who wrote about how and why they had hated seeing magic, and how Derek and Helder had changed all that – that they now loved magic.

This magic is real and can only be real, say the people that experienced it – despite the fact that what they saw was “magic with cards”. And there in is where I see the difference between my friends Derek and Helder and much of the rest of the magic world. Everybody does card magic. They do magic, real magic, with cards.

I have had the good occasion to spend some time and watch the magic that flows from their hands, and can only look forward to the next occasion to watch my friends perform magic as only they can.

The grapevine has it that Derek and Helder are soon going to tour the US with Nothing To Hide, this making it possible for more audiences to experience their brand of magic. And I do hope that the show also tours the world, and comes over to India.

Then again, Derek and Helder’s show is more than worthy of making a special trip to the US for – to experience real magic. And I am making one, soon.

Note: Was first published in the Vishu special issue of the Vismayam Magic News (VMN) April 2013 issue.

Recommended Reading:

• Derek DelGaudio and Helder Guimarães Created the Most Popular Show at the Magic Castle in Years. But They’re Not Finished – By Zachary Pincus-Roth, LA Weekly (Nov 2012)
• Derek DelGaudio & Helder Guimarães, ‘Nothing To Hide’ Stars, Take Over The City: My LA – Sasha Bronner, Huffington Post (February 2013)

“We were willing to bear all relocation costs, and also provide free company accommodation for one year,” said Charles, the HR head of the US consulting firm, lamenting that, “Akash just refused everything we offered without even a blink”.

Is this the face of the new India? Are students finally spurning foreign opportunities to work and toil for their own country? Is this all about making it a stronger and vibrant India?

Even as business analysts and industry experts were pitted in a determined battle of wits to understand this phenomenon, sources in the main opposition party of India blamed the budget: “There is nothing surprising about this decision (like the budget). This has everything to with the Azim Premji Surcharge that was announced by the UPA in the budget.”

Informed sources close to Akash were quick to dismiss this claim as preposterous. “If he takes up the offer he will soon be an NRI, and so will not have to worry about paying the surcharge or any taxes. The opposition is totally lost on this matter as they are with everything else,” said Amarnath, who introduced himself as being one of Akash’s best buddies.

It took your favourite news media much effort to catch Akash in person and thus get to the root of the problem. “No! No! No! All these things have nothing to do with my decision. My passport expired a week back you know, and that made my decision really simple” he clarified.

“It took me two days, two days of focused and sustained effort to completed my online application for a new passport. And 37 days since, I am still trying to seek an appointment using their online appointment tool,” says Akash who was advised last week by his doctor to stop his efforts in the interests of sanity. “I began getting nightmares about applying for an passport appointment,” he confides.

“No foreign job could really compensate the pain and torture I have to go through to reapply for a passport,” confessed Akash, adding that he will spend the rest of his life happily in India, especially since he had figured an optimum way to use the IRCTC website to book railway tickets.

Note: This is a parody news report, written in jest, with little or no semblance of truth.

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Earlier today, we saw an official response from Mr Naveen Jindal on the Tri-Vortex powered Tiranga Bangle issue. He tweeted,

@MPNaveenJindal: Enough & more hs been said on this issue,making it much more than it needs to be. My final thoughts on Tiranga Bangle http://t.co/yOzk3VVP.

You can go over to Mr Naveen Jindal’s official blog to see his post “IN RESPONSE TO THE TRIVORTEX ISSUE“. I recommend that you go over and give it a full read.

Among the various thoughts expressed by Mr Jindal in his blog post, the following two paragraphs deal specifically to the issues we have been raising since January 26th:

The objections raised over the past few days are based on comments posted on a Blog published by a few individuals in South Africa. Neither the publisher nor the website represents any competent authority. Further, there are no tests/trials cited that negate the effectiveness of Trivortex.

A second source on the internet that has been referred to is a ruling by the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa that had asked a distributor of the technology to withdraw its advertisement of a workshop. The ASA made no comment on the veracity of Trivortex itself.

Having been in contact with CAMcheck, the website that calls itself “a South African consumers’ guide to scams, pseudoscience and voodoo science” for a couple of weeks now, I directed their attention to this clarification issued by our esteemed Member of Parliament.

And specifically, I directed their attention to the fact that Mr Naveen Jindal had alleged that “neither the publisher nor the website represents any competent authority” and his statement that “ASA made no comment on the veracity of Trivortex itself”.

Here then is the response to Mr Naveen Jindal, MP from Dr Harris Steinman of South Africa – the author and founder of CAMcheck, who per his bio on the website is a “medical doctor, consumer activist and author of a number of evidence-based allergen reference books”. (More on this later)

Response to Mr Naveen Jindal’s response to the Tri-Vortex issue:

It is in my opinion that a public representative is expected to uphold a higher standard in order to protect his or her constituency from scams, pseudoscience or other marketing gimmicks that may defraud or negatively impact on the health of a constituency that he or she represents.

It is therefore with dismay to read Mr Naveen Jindal’s response to the Tri-Vortex issue. I can appreciate that he may not have a scientific background in order to fully appreciate the nonsense of this product. However, it would have been imperative to consult with credible scientists who would have pointed out that the scientific process requires proof of effect, not the opposite – proof of no effect. Therefore Mr Jindal’s comment that “. . there are no tests/trials cited that negate the effectiveness of Trivortex” [1] is simply unacceptable. If one follows this fallacy of logic, then one can claim that sea sand cures AIDS/HIV for there are no tests/trials cited that negate the effectiveness of sea sand.

Furthermore, it is disingenuous for Mr Jindal to claim that “[T]he ASA made no comment on the veracity of Trivortex itself”. In fact, the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) stated categorically: “ . . submitted no substantiation as required by the Code, verifying the truthfulness of the claims.”[2] In plain language, the ASA asked Mr Anton Ungerer for proof and he was unable to supply any. Simple and straightforward.

Mr Jindal also tends to give more credence to Mr Anton Ungerer by referring to him as Dr Anton Ungerer. I am under the impression that he is not. Mr Jindal writes: “Dr Anton Ungerer has conducted extensive research on Tri-vortex technology over twenty years”. It is remarkable that “extensive research on Tri-vortex technology [has been conducted] over twenty years” yet there is not a single report in the scientific literature on this. The fact is that this is the brain child of Mr Ungerer and that his research has never been published, assessed or replicated by a single credible scientist.

Mr Jindal’s assertion that “Trivortex has been tested by scientists and results have been documented” is simply untruthful. For purposes of transparency and for respect for his constituency, I respectfully request that he publish the names of these scientists and the [implied scientific] documentation of the results: he will be unable to for these do not exist.

Mr Jindal tried the bangle on himself, family members and close friends and reported the product to be beneficial. This anecdote is no different to the support for the Power Balance bracelet which claimed to “resonate with and respond to the natural energy field of the body”, and increase sporting ability, an American scam that was discredited.[3]

Mr Jindal claims that “[T]he debate around alternate healing techniques is not new, many people swear by the usefulness of traditional, complementary and alternate healing techniques, while others reject them with equal vehemence”. One should not conflate a scam with well-recognised traditional, complementary or alternate healing techniques – Tri-Vortex is a modern “invention” by a singular personality with no proof of being entitled to these descriptors.

Dr Harris Steinman

[1] http://naveenjindalblog.wordpress.com/2013/02/06/in-response-to-the-trivortex-issue/
[2] http://www.asasa.org.za/ResultDetail.aspx?Ruling=6098
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_Balance#Legal_issues

Dr Steinman (who until today afternoon I knew only as Harris!) has unfortunately left no points unsubstantiated or open for me to add on.

Yet I can’t help but wonder on what grounds did our esteemed MP make his judgement that the website in question and its views did not represent “competent authority”. A quick Google search with the name “Dr Harris Steinman” quickly brings up results that are impressive to say the least.

Now I do not know about Mr Jindal and the “scientific evidence” he refers to, but I would any day take the word of a medically qualified doctor and researcher actively associated with the the health and food committees of the United Nations and World Health Organisation that the said “Tri-Vortex Technology” is exactly what we fear it to be – a pseudoscientific fraud and scam.

My last word on this matter, is exactly what I said in one of my earlier articles:

It is in this bleak context that I implore on our two popular, well-meaning MPs to make an example and desist from promoting quackery and pseudoscience. If they are convinced from personal experience that what they have on offer is real, the least they can do is validate it through scientific lab tests.

After all, if the claims are indeed real and can cure everything from arthritis to cancer, we should make it available to every one in the country. A lab-based scientific study will help us do just that – separate snake oil from the truth.

On the other hand, if Mr Naveen Jindal chooses to promote a Tiranga bangle sans the fraudulent and dubious claims of the Tri-Vortex, I would happily buy a dozen of them.

Jai Hind.

Nakul Shenoy

At an event held earlier this week, Jindal via his Flag Foundation launched “Tiranga” – a bangle that will do more than just foster patriotism among its wearers. If claims are to be believed, this “Tri-Vortex Technology” treated metal band will cure many ailments from acidity to arthritis, purify water, and also protect people from harmful cellphone radiation.

The Tiranga bangle was launched by Shashi Tharoor, the Minister of State for HRD in the presence of Jindal and Anton Ungerer – the South African who “developed this technology”. Jindal plans to sell the Tiranga bangle and other Tri-Vortex treated products across the country, and expects them to prove particularly beneficial for athletes and the elderly.

The only issue is that CAMcheck, a South African consumers’ guide dismisses the claims made by the Tri-Vortex Technology as “pseudoscience baloney, quackery, and scam”. In a second article CAMcheck explains that a consumer complaint regarding the Tri-Vortex product advertisement was upheld by the South African ASA Directorate as being unsubstantiated and in contravention of the local laws.

Despite ample evidence to suggest that the so-called “Tri-Vortex” technology is pseudoscience, Mr Jindal remains unfazed and insists he has personally benefitted from it. Thus, he sees no harm in making this “technology” available to others, in spite of numerous articles online questioning the veracity of its tall claims – especially with regard to its healing properties.

In a country plagued by superstition, “black magic,” quack cures and magic remedies, the last thing we need is that our MPs peddle or support by association snake oil to the gullible. The least our MPs could do is put this product and its claims to a rigorous scientific test with respect to its medical claims.

If the technology is found to be real and beneficial, we should indeed harness its amazing life-changing properties for the benefit of one and all. On the other hand, when it proves to be a pseudoscience fraud, we would prevent thousands of our countrymen from falling prey to yet another scam.

This article originally appeared in NitiCentral.com on January 31, 2013 as “Tharoor Promotes Jindal’s Bangling“

The launch of a new “Tirangaa” bangle caught my eye, especially since it was a Naveen Jindal initiative. After all, this was the man who famously won us the right to fly our National Flag at our homes and offices! This had to be good and I was going to get some soon as I could!

That was when everything began to fall apart. This “bangle” that was launched by our Minister of State Shashi Tharoor and avidly promoted by Naveen Jindal (also a MP) was not just a tri-coloured band that would foster patriotism and the spirit of one-ness. No! That would be mundane.

This Tirangaa bangle, powered by “Tri-Vortex Technology” and imported from South Africa, claims to cure ailments from acidity to arthritis, purify water and even protect people from harmful cellphone radiation. Further we are assured that it would “prove particularly beneficial for athletes and the elderly”.

Fascinated by the possibilities, I ran a Google search to find that CAMcheck (a South African consumers’ guide to scams, pseudoscience and voodoo science) had a couple of articles on this “technology”. In summary, they call Tri-Vortex related products “pseudoscience baloney, quackery, and scam”.

A second article on the same site speaks about a consumer complaint regarding the products’ advertisement, which was upheld by the South African ASA Directorate as being unsubstantiated and in contravention of the local laws.

Thinking something was amiss I reached out to the two MPs via Twitter, trying to point their attention to these and numerous other articles that suggest this amazing life-saving “technology” is in fact a pseudoscience scam. As of this moment of writing, all efforts to request a rethink on their promotion of these “Tri-Vortex powered bangles” have gone in vain.

India is a country plagued by superstition, “black magic,” quacks, magic cures and remedies. The last thing we need is our esteemed Members of the Parliament peddling or supporting by association the sale of “snake oil” to the gullible.

Having been a performing magician for most part of my life, I have faced numerous situations where people, educated and well-to-do ones at that, associate magic with supernatural powers. I have faced the pain of being approached by people who hoped my “powers” could help their loved one get over a chronic ailment.

These incidents, which leave me feeling utmost helpless, have included a medically-educated doctor calling on me to seek help for his daughter and a lady from the US inquiring if my “powers” could help her overcome her ailments. Nothing can really describe that feeling of not being able to help a person who has reached out to you as his or her only hope.

Ample research exists in India and abroad to show that even among the well-educated, over 43% of the people associate simple magic tricks to being the fruit of yogic or paranormal powers! If this is the case among our more educated and in our cities, one can only fear the worst among the millions that make our villages and the country.

It is in this bleak context that I implore on our two popular, well-meaning MPs to make an example and desist from promoting quackery and pseudoscience. If they are convinced from personal experience that what they have on offer is real, the least they can do is validate it through scientific lab tests.

After all, if the claims are indeed real and can cure everything from arthritis to cancer, we should make it available to every one in the country. A lab-based scientific study will help us do just that – separate snake oil from the truth.

Note: This article originally appeared in Mid Day, Mumbai on January 31, 2013 as “Bangles Or Snake Oil: What Will You Wear?“

Here then is the first public preview of all the six adverts that have been released.

I hope you like them and look forward to hearing your thoughts on them.

The evening of November 5th saw The Magic Space host a special meet and greet session with the Amazing Randi. Over 30 magicians, many of whom had travelled from other states, gathered at The Magic Space to meet the legend in person.

Living up to his stage name, the 84-year-old Randi amazed the gathering at the open session sharing his journey in magic and performing some of his trademark effects. The stories that he shared captured everybody’s imagination, and his hilarious anecdotes with magical legends had people in splits. Whether Randi was sharing aspects of his life or performing some breathtaking effects, he had the Indian magicians eating out of his hands.

DJ Grothe, the President of the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) who had accompanied Randi on this trip to India, apprised the gathering about the activities of the Foundation. Among the various things he highlighted, the Million Dollar Challenge took the cake: a standing offer of One Million Dollars in reward to anybody who can perform a genuine miracle! Needless to say, this reward remains unclaimed!

This was followed by a question and answer session where the magician attendees made full utilisation of this opportunity of a lifetime to interact with the Amazing Randi. James Randi was at his wit’s best pulling no holds on his immense sense of humour. You really had to be at your attentive best to catch the one-liners or risk looking foolish as the others that were listening, laughed hysterically!

Among the stellar audience was Shankar Junior, a magical legend in every right, who took stage to honour James Randi on behalf of The Magic Space. Shankar Junior also presented James Randi with a commemorative plaque on behalf of the two active rings of the International Brotherhood of Magicians (USA) in India: Ring 261 and Ring 177.

On the next day, James Randi addressed a gathering of nearly 100 people, comprised of rationalists, magicians, and general public. Presenting his talk “A Life Among Mysteries,” Randi stressed on the need for rational and critical thinking. Highlighting that most of us get fooled and taken in to scams and frauds only because we assume things, Randi elucidated how expert knowledge in one field need not necessarily make you foolproof in another.

Randi won the hearts and minds of all those gathered with his wit, charm, and knowledge in the topics at hand. Godmen, fake psychics, blind, and homeopathy were among the topics that Randi poked holes at. His magical demonstrations enthralled the audience, and most of them repeatedly attempted to get him to divulge the methods behind the miraculous performances, to no avail.

Indeed! Randi has mastered answering the questions aimed at seeking the methods behind the magic performed: “How did you do that” gets you a “Very well I thought”, while a “And how did he do that” mostly leads to a “same as me I think” response! Gets a lot of laughs too.

Over the three days in Bangalore, Randi met a lot of his fans from all across the country, via the various public and private events organised by The Magic Space. Here, and later in Mumbai where he addressed a magician gathering (organised by the Society of Indian Magicians) Randi continued to mesmerise each and all. All those fortunate enough to attend any of these meet-ups with the Amazing Randi realised just why he was counted among the best three speakers at THiNK and emerged as the talk of the conference!

As Randi walked into the Mumbai airport to board his flight back to the United States of America, all I could wonder was: “When is he visiting India again?” After all, these six odd-days spent in the company of the Amazing Randi – at the THiNK conference in Goa, in Bangalore, and in Mumbai – easily figure among the best memories I cherish and hold dear.

Like most others who got a piece of the Amazing Randi experience, I look forward to our next meeting. Here’s to James Randi’s next trip to India.

Note: This much-awaited article originally appeared in the December 2012 issue of the GIMMICK MAGAZINE – a magician’s monthly e-zine published by Magician Solyl Kundu.

In the process of moving servers, we made the best of the opportunity to make some much needed changes to the way our website functions. This would mean that some of our links do not work the way they used to, especially if you are using old links to reach our website.

We apologise for the inconvenience caused, and hope that the new transition and format eases a lot of issues that the website otherwise faced. We will continue to work on the website to make it better and more effective, and would appreciate if you sent in your thoughts and feedback.

Thank you for your continued support.

Nakul

The Headlines India article (dt. January 25 2013) said that the Tirangaa bangle would not only foster patriotism and oneness among the Indians wearing it, but also cure a long list of ailments. If that was not enough it would also curb excessive radiation that otherwise impacts our being.

The words “Tri-Vortex technology from South Africa” and the name “Anton Ungerer” stood out among the tall claims to “cure ailments like acidity and arthritis, purifies water and even protects people from harmful cellphone radiation”. Of course, this would prove “particularly beneficial for athletes and the elderly”.

A skeptic by nature, I ran the words through a Google Search and landed up with two articles on the Tri-Vortex products by CAMcheck – “a South African consumers’ guide to scams, pseudoscience and voodoo science”:

• Tri-Vortex™ Technology – Big scam? (dt. October 30, 2011)
• Tri-Vortex Technology – Yep, no proof (dt. May 28, 2012)

Do spend the ten minutes required to read up the above two articles.

As a quick summary, they primarily call the Tri-Vortex related products “pseudoscience baloney, quackery, and scam”. The second article specifically details a consumer complaint regarding the product advertisement, which was upheld by the ASA Directorate as being unsubstantiated and in contravention of the local laws.

Thinking and hoping fervently that something was indeed amiss, I quickly sent out a tweet to our Hon. Minister Shashi Tharoor and Hon. MP Naveen Jindal:

@nakulshenoy: Please tell me this is #FakingNews: http://t.co/UEsVjJT0
@ShashiTharoor and @MPNaveenJindal of all people associate with such farce?!

Since no replies were forthcoming to that and other tweets, I sent out another tweet earlier today to Mr Shashi Tharoor, pleading,

@nakulshenoy: Dear Minister @ShashiTharoor. Is it too much to seek clarity on your support to the unscrupulous claims of tri-vortex ‘Tiranga’ bangles?

These and the related tweets were being retweeted and spoken about by numerous folks on Twitter. A lot of tweets began flying towards Shashi Tharoor and Naveen Jindal from concerned folks, all to no avail.

Friends on Twitter joined in and soon there emerged an ardent attempt to trend the hashtag ensued #SavedByTrivortexBangle. While the hashtag may not have trended, it did succeed in make a lot more of the cyber citizens aware and involved in the issue.

Yet, all these efforts have, as of this writing, not got any response from the Hon. Minister Shashi Tharoor and Hon. MP Naveen Jindal.

As we involve the large Rationalist and Skeptic community of India, we are looking to reach out to you and every free thinking member of the society to seek an explanation from Mr Tharoor and Mr Jindal to their actions that are seemingly peddling snake oil to the masses.

After all, it is in staying with the spirit of the Constitution of India that every Indian citizen and of course the Government has to support and develop scientific thinking and prevent the gullible from being taken for a ride.

I request you to spend two minutes of your time to sign our petition asking the Hon. Minister and Hon. Member of Parliament to clarify their association with this unscrupulous product and humbly request them to support the much-needed fight against magical remedies, quackery, and related scams.

Thank you for your support.

Jai Hind.

Nakul

Update as on Monday, January 28, 2013 09:00 IST:

Thanks to the immense support of well-meaning folks on Twitter, later last night we saw a couple of responses on the topic from Mr Shashi Tharoor and Mr Naveen Jindal:

Here are the three tweets from Mr Shashi Tharoor posted as replies on the topic of the Tri-Vortex bangles:

@ShashiTharoor: @Alisaspeaks @Roflindian @shilpitewari By being asked by a friend to launch it. @MPNaveenJindal is the one who can answer your questions.

@ShashiTharoor: @dr_rita39 no business interest whatsoever. Was asked by a friend & fellow MP to launch it. @MPNaveenJindal does great work for the Tiranga

@ShashiTharoor: @Berges Not selling anything. I’ve launched 100 books&1 bangle, none mine. Didn’t feel they could do any harm. No1 is obliged2read/use them

Unfortunately, Mr Naveen Jindal looks fully taken in by the benefits of the Tri-vortex technology that power his Tirangaa bangles. Here are his two tweets on the topic:

@MPNaveenJindal: @ShashiTharoor @Alisaspeaks @Roflindian @shilpitewari Hv tried&benefitd frm d technology.Urge u2 do d same.Sply helps wid d Twittr trolls

@MPNaveenJindal: @maheshmurthy One can contest a scientific innovation but unfair to dismiss it without knowing enough about it

For now, I end this update with this tweet from Mahesh Murthy to the two parliamentarians:

@maheshmurthy: @MPNaveenJindal I request u & @ShashiTharoor to immediately dissociate with this fraud & stop millions of poor Indians from being taken in

More on this topic as it develops, via another post.

Thank you for your interest and support. Together we can and we will make a difference.

Now to hope that like any good magic effect, the transposition per se is invisible, that it is without problems.

Do bring it to our attention if you see something not working the way it should, or see a dead link or a missing page.

Thanks for your support and interest in my activities.

Nakul