This has stumped me

[Gail]

Try it and just say if you can figure out how's it's done. Let a few people goive it a try before revealing the secret. I'll have to look at it a little more to find out. It IS a pretty good trick. :)

http://www.mysticalball.com/

I figured it out.

No, I didn't but thought I did.

[Sabine]

Okay, it worked for me when I actually did the number thing...but when I just thought of a number, and clicked on the ball, it didn't work...I figured it out while I was lying down with my son to get him to nap...it's pretty simple...but in the beginning sure can be mind boggling! ;)

[CarolynB]

I figured it out... want me to divulge the secret?

[Gail]

Don't tell us the secret yet. Let more people have fun with it first. :D

[CarolynB]

:thumbsup: Okay ... let me know when ...

[maria V]

I tried it 4 times and it was wrong all 4 times - am i doing something wrong?

[Gail]

I've tried a lot of different numbers and most of them end up with the same symbol. Then I'll try one and see it adds up to a different symbol. The crystal ball comes up with that new symbol.

I'm still stumped. The answer has to be as obvious as that choose a card out of 6 face cards and see your choice is missing from the 5 cards that appear next...but I'm still stumped.

I'm sure Lois. our number psychic, will get the answer immediately. :D

[Gail]

You need to pick a two digit number such as 69. Add up the 6 and 9, (15).

Subtract 15 from 69 (54) and then click the ball. Most answers end up being the * type symbol.

I know how it's done now. Just showed how little attention I paid to it. :goofy:

[chargeit2him]

maria V I tried it 4 times and it was wrong all 4 times - am i doing something wrong? Same for me none of them were right.

[Sabine]

If I may please have the "okay" from Gail, I can post exactly how they do it :D Let me just say, that no matter what number you pick, when you add the two together, and subtract that from the original number...every answer you get should be divisible by the number 9...try it again... :thumbsup:

[Sabine]

I tried it 4 times and it was wrong all 4 times - am i doing something wrong?

I'm so sorry if this sounds silly, but re-check your addition and subtraction ;)

[Gail]

I just checked it again and you are probably doing something wrong. Try again. Pick any two digit number such as 25 or 72 or 38 etc. Add the two digits together, 2+5 equals 7, or 7+2 equals 9, or 3+8 equals 11.

Subtract that added number from the original one. 25 - 7 equals 18. Look at the symbol next to 18. Click the ball and that symbol should appear.

There is a trick as to why the magic ball is correct. Anyone can email me and I'll let you know what it is. :)

[Jeannie]

you got me! I tried it with the addition/subtraction and it worked every time. I then tried just concentrating on a symbol and it worked twice in a row. The third time I was having trouble with the symbol, my eye kept changing the image to a negative (it was a black iron cross, by my eye kept changing it to a white flower) That was the only one it missed. I noted that the symbols change for the numbers every time you try again. :confused:
It's like the 7-up game that was out a year or so ago, I never figured that one out either, but probably the same principle.

[maria V]

What can I say, I stink at math!

I just did it another 7 times and re-checked my math and it worked every time. I know there is a logical reason behind this, but my brain isn't very logical - especially before :coffee: so I'll leave it to the braniacs of the board to fill me in on "why" this works.

Thanks Sabine for the advice on math and thanks Gail for posting it - it was cute.

[Jeannie]

I figured it out

[Irishrose]

Can we tell now, huh? Huh, can we??????

[Gail]

Go ahead and tell. :D New people are going to try it first before they get down here to the answer.

[CarolynB]

Well, it's as easy as pi ... :P , but I'll let Ellen tell it ...

[Irishrose]

rofl I don't have a clue, seriously, I don't. Go ahead someone that is math inclined.

[CarolynB]

Okay ... here goes - both my long answer and my short one, some will want to know the "why" as well as the "how."

First - as earlier pointed out, anytime you take any two digit number, add them together and then subtract your answer from the original number, you'll get a multiple of 9. Since we're only dealing with 2-digit numbers, the highest result you'll ever get is 81 (9x9).

Example: 99: 9+9=18; 99-18=81
Example: 98: 9+8=17; 98-17=81
Example: 91: 9+1=10; 91-10=81

When you click on the crystal, the program is designed to randomly generate the symbols for all the numbers EXCEPT 9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72, and 81 ... but notice that the list goes all the way to 99 - the other two multiples of 9 on the list (90 and 99) also get a random generation since those two will never be the answer.

If you try it again, look at all the multiples of 9 up to 81 and you'll see they're all the same symbol. It doesn't matter what any of the other symbols come up since the answer you'll always get will be one of those 9 numbers (9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72, and 81).

The short answer - the only answers you'll get are multiples of 9 up to 9x9 so those are always the same symbol - and the crystal ball "picks" that symbol.

BTW - for the record I failed math in 6th grade and 8th grade :o

[paige]

What numbers are you "clicking on?" I just looked at the numbers - the only thing I ever clicked on was the crystal ball. I did this at least a dozen times and it was right every time.

p.:confused:

[Gail]

I made it through algebra 1 and 2 ok but met my match in geometry and trigonometry. I could not believe I barely passed them with a D. It was a shock to have reached my math ability limit. :eek:

It took me a few days to see what the trick was with the game, although I knew it had to be a trick. :D

[CarolynB]

... sorry for the confusion ... I should have said when you click on the crystal ball... the symbols next to the numbers are generated and the same program that gives the crystal ball it's symbol also gives the same symbol to the 9 numbers that will inevitably be the answer to your math problem.