Bob Cassidy s
Laboratory Conditions
The Ultimate Close-Up Design Duplication
Copyright©2003 by Robert E Cassidy
History   Laboratory Conditions - my first commercial effect - was originally released in 1976
by Frank Pazel. Supplied with the effect were two pieces of plexiglas, rubber bands, some aluminum foil
and a specially gimmicked pen. Except for the foil, none of the other items were necessary to accomplish
the effect, but Frank felt that the effect wouldn t sell unless it came with props.
The late Ed Mishell gave the effect a very favorable review in  Genii magazine  but, then again,
Ed gave favorable reviews to just about everything. That, together with the fact that nobody in the magic
world at the time had any idea who Bob Cassidy was, resulted in somewhat less than spectacular sales.
A few years later, a modified version of the effect was released to the newly formed Psychic
Entertainers Association  this time supplied with a special clear plastic envelope in place of the plexiglas.
Again, the prop wasn t necessary, but the mindset at the time was that you couldn t charge a decent price
for an effect unless some kind of prop was included.
Here, for the first time, is the effect as I originally conceived it. And, like I said, no special props 
unless you call cheap aluminum foil a prop  are required. The effect is virtually self-working and is
straightforward and completely inexplicable. The conditions under which it is performed seem to
completely rule out any form of trickery  hence the title  Laboratory Conditions .
EFFECT:
The mentalist draws several designs on business cards  these can be standard
ESP symbols or designs suggested by the spectators. Any number of designs can be
used, as will be seen. The design cards are handed to a volunteer and are not touched
again by the mentalist. While the performer s back is turned, one of the designs is
selected by the volunteer and placed on the center of a piece of aluminum foil as shown
in the photograph.
The spectator then wraps the card in the foil, hides the rest of the cards, and tells
the performer when he is finished. The performer turns around and, without any false
moves whatsoever, picks up the foil package and places it into an envelope which is
handed to the volunteer to be sealed.
After emphasizing the impossibility of what he is attempting to do, the mentalist
draws a design on the face of the envelope. The envelope is torn open and the card is
removed from the foil and shown to the audience. It is the same design drawn by the
performer.
The envelope, foil and card can be left with the audience and examined to their
hearts delight  no preparation or gimmickry can be found because there isn t any.
Alternatively, it is possible to allow the spectator to draw a simple design or
picture of his choice on a blank business card, which he or she then wraps in the foil.
METHOD:
The only  move takes place when the performer picks up the foil packet from the table
and places it into the envelope. At this point, he is literally able to see through the foil
and determine the design! This is because the drawing is embossed, or raised up, on the
back of the card thus creating a bas-relief image on the back of the foil packet.
The embossing is accomplished as follows. Note that there is a folded newspaper
on the table beneath the packet. (Alternatively, a close up pad or any other soft surface
with  give can be used. The designed are drawn on the cards with a ballpoint pen. Just
press firmly as you draw and the soft surface below the card will allow the design to be
 raised on the back of the card.
The following illustrations should make the basic handling clear to you.
While showing the spectator what he is to do, the
mentalist takes a blank card and wraps it in a piece
of foil, thus properly pre-folding the foil. He opens
out the packet and removes the card, thus leaving
the foil as shown on the left.
He next takes any one of the design
cards and places it face up on the center
of the foil stating,  When I turn my
back I want you to select any one of the
design cards and place it face up on the
foil just like this. Okay?
(If you were to press down on the card at this point, you would create a raised image of
the design on the back of the foil packet  so DON T PRESS DOWN yet, you are just
giving the spectator a demonstration of what he is to do.)
Remove the card and toss it into the tabled stack with the others. Turn your back
and tell the volunteer to pick up any one of the design cards and place it face up on the
center of the foil. Then tell him to fold the left side of the foil over onto the card, then
the right and then the top and bottom.
Have the spectator tell you when
he is finished. Turn back towards
him and place and slide the packet
toward yourself with your right
hand, surreptitiously pressing it
down against the newspaper as
you do so. At the same time, pick
up the envelope with your left
hand.
Turn the foil pack away from you and the flap side of the envelope toward you.
You will, thus, be looking at the reverse side of the packet as you slide it into the
envelope. A perfect bas-relief impression of the design will be facing you, as shown in
the following photograph.
Note that the flash from my camera slightly obscures the
impression, but it is very visible nonetheless.
Slide the packet into the envelope as you glimpse the
impression and tilt the envelope away from you as soon
as the part of the foil bearing the impression is fully
within the envelope.
The next photograph shows the spectator s view just before you give it to him to seal.
This part of the routine is done very slowly and deliberately so as to raise no suspicion
of a switch or other trickery.
The rest of the handling should be obvious to
you from the description given under  Effect.
IMPORTANT HANDLING POINTS
Look at the foil box shown in the picture
to the left. It is NOT a brand name such
as  Reynold s Wrap, nor is it heavy-
duty foil. It is the cheapest store brand
foil you can obtain. Not only is this good
for your wallet, but it assures a clear
impression. The more expensive foils
can be used, but the impression will be
much fainter unless an inordinate
amount of pressure is applied while
sliding the packet towards you.
The expensive or heavy duty foils, moreover, will not work reliably in the variant
presentation of the effect in which the spectator is allowed to draw a design of his
choice on a blank business card.
The latter effect is accomplished by placing a blank card on the foil and handing the
spectator a ballpoint pen. He draws his design while the card is on the foil and
unwittingly embosses the back of the packet at the same time!
It should be obvious to you that you should use business cards that are either blank on
both sides or cards which DO NOT HAVE RAISED PRINTING. Raised printing, as is
commonly used on print shop business cards, will likewise be embossed on the back of
the packet and will very likely obscure the impression, depending on the relative
locations of the design and the preprinted information.
How, you may well ask, is it possible for the spectators to examine everything at
the conclusion of the routine without detecting the impression on the back of the foil?
This is one of the most beautiful parts of the method. After you open the envelope and
unwrap the card  being careful not to flash the impression side of the packet as you do
so  toss the card on the table and at the same time casually crumple up the foil before
you toss that, too, onto the table. You needn t crumple it into a tight ball. Simply
squeezing the foil into a loose ball is sufficient to remove all traces of the impression as
well as all clues as to the method.
PRESENTATIONAL NOTES
I usually present this effect following a brief monologue about the word
 impossible and the restrictions unnecessarily imposed by preconceived ideas and
beliefs. Feel free to use them as you will.
"Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible." (Lord Kelvin, president,
Royal Society, 1895)
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." (Thomas Watson,
chairman of IBM, 1943)
"There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in their home." (Ken
Olsen, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977)
"The telephone has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means
of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." (Western Union internal
memo, 1876)
"Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value." (Marshal Ferdinand
Foch, French commander of Allied forces during the closing months of World War I,
1918)
"The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay
for a message sent to nobody in particular?" (David Sarnoff's associates, in response to
his urgings for investment in radio in the 1920's)
"Professor Goddard does not know the relation between action and reaction and
the need to have something better than a vacuum against which to react. He seems to
lack the basic knowledge ladled out daily in high schools." (New York Times editorial
about Robert Goddard's revolutionary rocket work, 1921)
"Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?" (Harry M. Warner, Warner Brothers,
1927)
"Everything that can be invented has been invented." (Charles H. Duell,
commissioner, US Office of Patents, 1899)
After revealing the design, a nice closing line for the effect is:
 Always remember, it is not what is in front of you that blocks your way, it is
what s inside of you that holds you back.
There are very few mentalists, and virtually no magicians, who know the secret
of laboratory conditions. As long as we keep it that way, it will remain a powerful tool
in our repertoires.
Good thoughts to all of you.
Bob Cassidy
August 2003