“This experiment has to do with a journey,” the magician announces. “I imagine you enjoy traveling as much as I do. I’ve always loved trips, especially when they involve performing. One of the images I’ve always fantasized about is that old cartoon scene where the rich uncle, Scrooge McDuck, spins a globe, stops it with his finger, and wherever he lands becomes the destination of his next adventure. Shall we try something similar? Yes? Perfect! To spark the imagination, I brought this exquisite piece of origami.”
The magician reaches into their pocket and produces an ordinary paper airplane. “Don’t laugh… you have no idea how long this took me to make! Anyway, in a moment this plane will reach a passenger, and that passenger will reach a destination.”
The magician turns their back, tosses the airplane into the audience, and asks who caught it. That spectator is invited onstage. The magician retrieves the plane and places it on the table.
“My plan was to bring a globe, but for reasons of logistics—and budget—I couldn’t. Instead, I have this.” The magician removes a large world map from their pocket. “You could say it’s the flat-earthers’ version of a globe.”
The spectator examines the map, confirming that at a glance all countries are listed and none seem to be repeated. The magician asks the spectator to fold it and tear it in half, then hand one half to another spectator, who also tears their portion in half, passing pieces along so that several people hold fragments.
“Excellent. Once more, please… and again… and again. We’re preparing confetti for the carnival later on….”
When they finish, the magician produces a clear Ziploc-style bag and asks them to drop the pieces inside.
“In a moment, I’ll ask you—without looking—to reach inside and remove a slip. Agreed?”
The spectator does so. They are told to look at it carefully and see if they can clearly read a country. If so, they should remember it. The magician then takes the paper airplane and recaps: “This plane found a passenger; that passenger, through pure chance, found a destination. Would you please tell us the country you’re thinking of?”
“Japan,” the spectator replies.
“Japan? What a coincidence! I didn’t mention it earlier, but the destination of this airplane was Japan. Don’t believe me? Look.”
The magician unfolds the plane and shows the word JAPAN written boldly inside.