ChatGPT magic in Davos
And a brand new crossword -- sports-themed. What?! Sports and puzzles?!
Puzzlers and prestidigitators!
In this newsletter:
Magic in Davos, Switzerland
Wordle in … 1?!
Video: Joel Ward on Fool Us. Sports!
A brand new crossword! Sports!
The World Economic Forum in Davos
Last week was one of the craziest weeks of travel I’ve ever had. On Thursday I performed in Davos, Switzerland and 22 hours of travel later I arrived in Omaha, Nebraska for another show. But this is the best part about my job: people all around the world love magic!
After a successful TED@BCG talk on AI and magic, BCG invited me to perform at their flagship dinner at the World Economic Forum. Davos did feel like an episode of Succession with all the world leaders, tech CEOs, and insane security.
At the Thursday night dinner I gave my talk on the meaning of the word wonder and whether we can still experience wonder in the age of AI. I then segued into the performance portion of the talk by explaining I was going to do a trick with ChatGPT and needed a volunteer. And who eagerly jumped up to join me on stage but Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI!
At first I actually said, “Is there literally anyone else who can join me?!” I was worried that the man who built the program, so to speak, would be able to see through the chicanery I was about to peddle. But I acquiesced, and fortunately Sam was gracious and kind and enjoyed himself. Though at one point he did lean over to peer at my computer screen to see what the heck was going on.
The premise of the trick is essentially that if you give ChatGPT enough information about someone it can make certain deductions that would otherwise seem impossible. And after learning about Sam’s hometown, his favorite food, and his childhood bunny rabbit among other details, ChatGPT did successfully read Sam’s mind a few times!
What I valued most about this experience was the validation that my new show on technology, AI, and magic is now ready to be shared with audiences! If I can entertain Sam Altman, then I can entertain any company around the world that is curious about magic and AI.
I promise to share the video of the TED Talk version of the trick when it posts.
What a wild performance. Only in Davos!
Wordle in … 1?!
It just happened a few hours ago, but I finally got Wordle in 1. I’m sorry, I had to share it with all of you! After over two years, my first word finally hit! The word was BLOCK. I go into a little more detail on TikTok why I use this weird first word:
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In a previous newsletter I also broke down why I choose these consonant-heavy starting words. There you’ll also find a Buzzfeed video of tips and tricks for Wordle.
So what should my next first word be? PLUCK? BLIMP? GLYPH? CRYPT? Give me those consonants! What do you think? Please let me know what word you start with in the comments!
Sports! Magic video: Joel Ward on Fool Us.
When I sat down to think of a sports magic trick to share, the first routine that popped into my head was Joel Ward’s delightful tennis trick. I’ve probably seen Joel do this act a dozen times at the Magic Castle. He’s such a pro! And fortunately, here he is performing it on Fool Us so you all get to enjoy it as well.
Follow Joel for more comedy magic: Instagram, Twitter/X, Website
Sports! crossword
Another brand new crossword for you to solve. Play it now! Would love to hear your thoughts below in the comments!
Events
Interested in booking me for your next event? More info here on private parties, corporate speaking & performances and team-building puzzle hunts.
Upcoming Shows
After a sold out run at The Kennedy Center, The Enigmatist next moves to Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier in May 2024. The Windy City, get ready for the puzzle party! More info here.
Puzzle Hunt Playing Cards
Enigmas: Puzzle Hunt Playing Cards. Included within this unique deck are four very special puzzle cards. Solve them all to unlock an online Puzzle Hunt! Available here.
Lovely puzzle. Chuckled when I got the theme (and I appreciate the diversity in the themers). 28A made me laugh out loud.
CRYPT has been my Wordle starter and I stand by its (to many) counterintuitive effectiveness. Vowels are cheap filler, consonants are the building blocks of the word!