Easy Pick-Up

[Chillum]

Can anyone explain the "lifting people with your fingers" trick, that we used to do several years ago. One person sits in a chair. A group of people hold their hands, one-on-top of the other, above the sitter's head. The group then recite say some baloney several times, then, on a count, pick up the person, using only their extended fingers under the sitter's knees and armpits, easily lifting them high out of the chair.

It's bugged me for years.

[bernardo]

It's a load of rubbish.  People are misled into thinking that they are only using their fingers to lift the person because a big fuss is made of sticking out the two forefingers.  But in reality, the lifters sort-of scoop up the liftee and allow their hands to take the weight - possibly without realising consciously what they are doing.  All the preliminary mumbo-jumbo is just for distraction.

[Chillum]

So what, you rekon it's only the momentum of the lifters that enables this to happen? If you try it from a normal perspective, i.e. just putting your hands under the knees and armpits and lifting, the sitee invariably folds at the waist, making it very difficult to lift them.

I honestly don't know how this works, I know that it happens because I've tried it, but I know that there must be a logical explanation.

[bernardo]

It's not the "momentum" of the lifters; it's the effort made by the lifters.

[Chillum]

Nope, thanks for the answers bernardo, but I'm not buying it. I've done this as both the liftee and the lifter. As the lifter, I can say there was definitley no great effort involved, the sitter felt light and lifted easily. As the liftee, I certainly didn't brace myself or anything. Two males, two females lifted another male up to the ceiling from a position which would naturally 'cause the sitter to fold in the middle and straighten at the knees and arms. I'm absolutely sure there is a subconscious psychological aspect to it, but if so why does it work?   

[ll_billym]

Now I am a science man myself but I remain puzzled by this one.  I have done this a couple of times to a person sat in a chair and 4 of us have lifted someone with our index fingers.  We tried to lift them initially and couldn't do it but after putting our hands on top of each other in a set pattern and trying again, we lifted them easily.

This is done all the time I'm sure and I cannot believe that in every single one someone 'cheats', nor can I believe that it works every time.  I think that it is down to positive thinking and everyone truly believing that they can lift the person.

Like I say, I am a science man and as such I shouldn't believe that this trick works but I have seen it work and the only explanation I can think of is positive thinking.

[jimmer]

yeah i've done this too and it is very odd how light the person feels but it is as bernardo says. you have four people keyed up by the chanting who all end up putting more effort into it than they realize. i think you really end up lifting with your forearms anyhow.

 

jim

[flano]

Here's the Answer!

I find it odd that no one can come up with this simple explanation. Perhaps I'm missing something or we did differently.At the begining everyone applies a doward pressure to the lifties head(using the opposing muscles to those used for lifting).Opposing Muscles that work in tandem such as Bicep/tricep,when one exerts an effort it creates extra strength in the other.From what I guess are endorphins secreted during the opposite apllication of pressure. The body compensating for itself. Please tell me if this makes sense.

[jimmer]

yeah that makes sense. it was a long time ago but i seem to remember pressing down on the liftees head before lifting up.

jim

[Chillum]

Yeh Flano, I'd forgotten the downward pressure - the key must be there.

[rojash]

Just as with conjuring tricks, we have a psychological need for an explanation that is both complex and elegant, such as Flano's. Unfortunately, just as with most conjuring tricks the real explanation is disappointingly mundane. Next time a trick like this is shown on TV, tape it and play it back in slow-mo. You will see that initially everyone is concentrating on carefully using only their fingers. The important point about all the mumbo jumbo is that after it, they are always rushed to repeat the lift, with words like "OK, 3-2-1 let's GO".

They then thrust their fingers back into place and lift all in one swift motion. In slow-mo you will notice two points:

1) The fingers are already moving upwards when they make contact with the liftee - i.e. they already have considerable momentum compared to the carefully controlled "standing start".

2) No care is taken about accurate placing of the fingers - in fact subconsciously the lifters understand the danger of thrusting hard with only their fingers (broken fingers) and tend to push inwards so that they are actually lifting with the edge of the hand.

As with all "mysteries", a mundane answer takes away the fun, so there will always be plenty of people who refuse to accept this explanation.

[Chillum]

I refute that answer. It's obviously the lifting faries.

[Steve.king1]

It may have something to do with repeating the task, such as youv'e tried it once it didn't work, and you think what can i change to make it work.  I remember doing it years ago, and it think that maybe you use more arm muscles second time round, i don't know, i will have to try it again soon though.