The Rest Is Science The Magic Math Trick That Fools Everyone
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Dec 11, 2025 Dive into a clever brain-teaser that has puzzled math enthusiasts for decades. Discover how a simple riddle about two swords opens up discussions about logic and reasoning. Learn how binary encoding transforms this trick into an educational tool for kids. From error-correcting codes in barcodes to the privacy pitfalls of sharing QR codes, the conversation is both entertaining and insightful. Plus, explore strange moons, limits of human survival, and groundbreaking cancer research that unveils hidden carcinogens.
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Swords Of Truth Demo
- Michael and Hannah demonstrate the Swords of Truth trick using wooden swords marked with circles and squares. Hannah secretly flipped one shape and Michael decoded her chosen number (36) using binary interpretation of shapes.
Shapes Encode Binary Numbers
- The swords encode numbers by treating circles as zeros and squares as ones, forming binary digits. Reading the six-shape pattern left-to-right yields the decimal number Hannah had chosen (36).
Kids Learn Binary Through Play
- Hannah taught her children binary using the Swords of Truth and they loved it. She turned a magic trick into a playful math lesson that stuck while routine school math did not.