The magic is not in the trick | Esteban Pomar | TEDxRiodelaPlata

Why are we surprised by a magic trick even when we know it's not magic? Esteban shows us how wonder works for him. He studied History at the Catholic University of Argentina and also magic for some time, a discipline he practices for pleasure. Every time he does a trick, he loves to witness the astonishment of his viewers. He took part in the TED-Ed Clubs program at his school. He's 20 years old.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

Here's a piece of paper.

I will fold it and cut it, like this.

And now with these two pieces
I will do the same.

Now I'll put it all together and fold it.

And once it's all folded,

just by saying the magic words
"paper, paper"...

the paper will be...

fully restored.

When I do magic,
one of the things I like the most

is to see wonder
in the people around me.

I enjoy being able to give
the gift of wonder.

And we magicians have several ways
to make people be amazed.

For example, we can challenge physics

making objects float in the air.

We can also create unexpected changes

making a card...

change color.

We can also make objects teleport.

And travel from one place...

to another.

And I can also bring something broken
back to restoration,

like I did before with the paper.

In all these situations my game
is not to meet the expectations,

challenging the predictions
our brains make.

And if you also do this,

you will be able to give away wonder

even if you don't do magic.

With the due permission
of my fellow magicians,

let me show to you
how to perform the paper trick.

You need two identical papers.

One of them, you fold this way.

And once it's folded,

you hide it in the palm of your hand.

You have to be covering it
in the most natural way possible.

With the other paper
you do what I did before.

You fold it, cut it in pieces, again...

and again.

Now you put it all
back together and fold it.

And once it's all folded
you swap the cut pieces

with the complete piece of paper
in your hand.

Swapping it with a very subtle movement.

And now you can show the paper
completely restored.

We feel wonder even when
we know there's a trick.

We feel wonder despite
the fact that there's a trick.

And you can also use this
to give away wonder.

Magicians take advantage
of the way we all observe,

listen and feel,

to make possible the impossible.

We create these small theater plays

in which we include the audience,
without them noticing,

and go beyond a simple sleight of hand.

We make use of tools like the narrative
I present a trick with.

I can tell a story, I can tell a joke,
I can create mystery.

Each type of narrative helps me reinforce
the effect of each trick.

Some with humor. Others with suspense.

Also, on the road to final wonder
I can leave some clues,

some true and some false,
about what's going to happen.

Or I can also create
little moments of wonder

that can grow
to reach the magic climax.

There's also the staging.

The scenery, backgrounds,
objects, lights,

the clothes I wear.

And finally, sounds.

Music may be synched with the trick.

I can create mystery, emotion.

Silence also helps.

I like to think that all these things

are tools I can experiment with
in different combinations,

discovering in the audience
new shades of wonder.

"The most important thing is not the trick

but what I manage to build around it."

The journey I take you on

to make you pay attention
to some things and not others.

For example, if I take the cut papers
that are still in my hand

and I say the magic words
"paper, paper"...

the paper is back...

completely restored.

Thank you very much.