SPECIAL REPORTS

The Eighth Gathering for (Martin) Gardner Who attends these gatherings? What takes place? How do they serve as a tribute to this remarkable man?

RAY HYMAN

he Eighth Gathering for Gardner qualities, Martin somehow manages to dinner to gether. (G4G8) took place at the engage in extended correspondence with Martin’s mastery of ; philosophy T Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Atlanta, hundreds of admiring disciples. of science; recreational mathematics; opti- Georgia, from March 26 through March I first met Martin in 1950 at a “sodal- cal illusions; the literary subtleties of L. 30, 2008. A Gathering for Gardner occurs ity” at Bruce Elliot’s apartment in Green- Frank Baum, Lewis Carroll, and Arthur in Atlanta every two years, celebrating wich Village, New York. Bruce Elliot Conan Doyle; debunking pseudoscience; the many facets of the polymath Martin was a magician who held these sodalities theology; and other topics have always Gardner. Martin, who rarely attends pub- every Friday night. Every major New York impressed me. However, having attended lic meetings, attended the first two gath- magician usually attended. I was a young all of the eight Gather ings for Gardner, erings. Although he has not come to the college student in transition from finishing I have become even more awed with the latter six meetings, the organizers make my undergraduate degree and beginning variety of subjects to which he contributed sure that he receives a full report of all the my graduate work at The Johns Hopkins and for which many disciples credit him presentations. Uni versity in Baltimore. Because I had for inspiring. It is beyond my comprehen- Attendance is by invitation only. To recently published some of my creations sion how one individual, without benefit receive an invitation, a person must have in a magic magazine, I got the attention of computers or assistants, can consistently some connection with Martin and share of some of the New York magicians. They write books, articles, reviews, and com- one or more of his myriad interests. At the invited me to attend Bruce Elliot’s sodality mentaries on so many different topics earlier gatherings, most of the attendees whenever I came to New York. I made the and at the same time maintain continuing were chosen by Martin himself. Since trip to New York just to attend. correspondence with so many individuals then, the criteria have become more inclu- At my first sodality I was dazzled by around the world. And just as amazing is sive. People are invited if their activi- the gathering of famous magicians whom that the quality of the content of his writ- ties have been influenced or inspired by I knew by reputation but had never met in ing and correspondence is consistently of Martin and his writings. Most of the person. I met Jay Marshall, , the highest caliber. attendees have not met Martin personally, and other luminaries, including Martin. So who attends these gatherings? What but many of them have communicated Because Martin and I shared interests, takes place? How do they serve as a trib- with him. Among many other amazing not only in magic but also in skeptically ute to this remarkable man? At the most is professor emeritus of psy- evaluating paranormal and other pseudo- recent gathering, registration began on chology at the University of Oregon and scientific claims, we became good friends. Wednesday evening. Regi strants assem- a fellow of the Committee for Skeptical We began a correspondence that still con- bled in many small groups. In some of the Inquiry. Both he and are tinues. Later, when I worked for General groups, individuals displayed new puzzles original members of CSI’s Executive Coun- Electric Com pany at its New York head- or challenged one another with puzzles. In cil. (Gardner is now on emeritus status but quarters from 1958 through 1961, Martin other groups, magicians demonstrated new still writes regularly for SI.) and I were neighbors. We lived only a few tricks. Discussions on a variety of topics miles from each other and frequently had were held. And, of course, participants

12 Volume 32, Issue 5 reminisced about some of the previous attendees who have sadly passed away, such as Jerry Andrus and Jay Marshall. Very soon, news spread that Lennart Green, the dazzling magician and puzzle devotee who has been a fixture at all previ- ous gatherings, would not be able to make it to this one. He had broken his hip on his way to the airport in Sweden. Although unable to attend, word reached us later that he was doing well. Three hundred people registered for G4G8. In addition to participants from the United States, attendees came from England, Scotland, the Netherlands, Israel, Serbia, Italy, Japan, China, Den mark, Ger many, Portugal, Spain, Hun gary, and Can ada. I suspect that several other coun- tries might also have been represented. The formal conference began at 8:30 Thursday morning, and later that evening we had dinner at the Sun Dial Restau rant, which sits atop the tower of the Westin A cube jiggle presented at the eighth Gathering for Gardner in Atlanta. Peachtree Hotel. The restaurant contin- ually rotates so that each diner obtains a Benjamin performed his very impressive Frisbees, demon stration of a model 360-degree panoramic view of Atlanta and entertaining lightning calculator act. aircraft kept aloft by the slight breeze and its surroundings. We could see many Throughout the gathering, an exhibi- created by a person walking, and other board ed-up windows and other traces of tion room and sales room were available delights. the recent tornado that had swept through for participants. The exhibition room dis- This year’s contributions were no less downtown Atlanta. Several magicians played rare puzzles, puzzles made out of varied. Several presentations focused on went from table to table entertaining the special woods or precious metals, kinetic different ways to make mathematics fun attendees. These included Dan Garrett, art, optical illusions, and other interesting for students—an endeavor that is dear to Thomas Fraps and Pit Hartling from Ger- items. The sales room provided the oppor- Martin’s heart. At one extreme, we had many, and several others. tunity to buy a variety of puzzles, books, some rather arcane presentations of new On Friday afternoon, chartered buses and gadgets related to the various themes mathematical proofs, such as one that dealt took the participants to Tom Rodger’s of the gathering. with a new computerized proof. Thomas unique house for a Japanese lunch and din- The major focus of the gathering was Banchoff showed an excerpt of Flatland: ner. Tom, who is the primary coordinator the presentations—ranging in length from The Movie. Several presenters provided of the gathering, hired Japanese architects ten to thirty minutes (each speaker who proofs for various puzzles. We had talks to construct his house in authentic Japanese finished before his or her allotted time was on soap bubbles, the Knight’s Tour, puz- style. His environs were landscaped with awarded one dollar). More than ninety zle food, Sudoku, and puzzle locks from Japanese gardens, ponds, waterfalls, a tea presentations were given. At previous gath- India. house, and the like. Visitors were treated to erings, the range of topics—all related to Adam Atkinson from the United Japanese Taiko Drumming, the erection Martin Gardner’s interests—included the Kingdom discussed “Applications of Vam- of a group sculpture, a puzzle hunt, and construction of mazes, juggling, joggling pires in Law and Medicine.” He used what a special performance by a dancer from (juggling while racing on foot), analysis we know about vampires from shows such Japan, as well as . of ancient puzzles, introduction of new as Buffy and Ultraviolet to suggest various The dinner on Saturday at the Ritz- puzzles, knot theory, the history of magic, ways they could be used to solve legal Carlton featured a tribute to the late Jerry mathematical magic, critiques of paranor- and medical problems. George Bohigian Andrus as well as a magic show performed mal claims, paradoxes, new mathematical explained that in ancient times the ability by Dan Garrett (filling in for Lennart proofs, kinetic art, new and old optical to recognize and identify constellations and Green), Pit Hartling, Thomas Fraps, and illusions, various themes based on Escher’s celestial bodies was used to test vision. The Mark Mitton. The mathematician Arthur art and geometry, specially designed ability to detect the separation between

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER September / October 2008 13 of a Legend (reviewed in SI, November/ Decem ber 2005). Ac cord ing to historians, the trick was witnessed by Marco Polo, and the Viceroy of India offered in 1875 a large reward for a single performance of the trick. Lamont’s careful research revealed that neither of these statements is true. The Indian Rope Trick, the stimulus for end- less de bates and speculation, was created as a journalistic hoax by John Wilkie that was published in the Daily Tribune on August 8, 1890. It was quickly picked up by newspapers around the world. I was especially intrigued by the physi - cist David Finkelstein’s “Decoding Dürer.” When Dürer created his famous engraving Melencolia in 1514, he was one of the most gifted artists of his time. He was also, like Leonardo Da Vinci, talented in many other fields, such as technology, philoso- phy, and the like. Many, including myself, Compass Points, a fifty-two-inch sculpture designed by George W. Hart, is composed of sixty stain- have found Dürer’s engraving fascinating less-steel pieces, 120 brackets, and 510 nuts and bolts. because of its many occult, Biblical, and other symbols. Among other images in the engraving is a 434 magic square. Many art and other scholars have speculated about the message they think Dürer was trying to convey. Finkelstein argues that the engrav- ing con tains a “dou ble message.” “The overt message . . . is that abso lute truth and beauty are inaccessible to the artist/scientist, causing the melancholy of the legend. The covert message, however, is that Natural Philosophy, Gate way I to Heaven, is superior to Mathematical and Theo logical Philoso phy. The innocuous admission of the limitations of science veils a manifesto of the impending scientific revolution that would otherwise have been a capital offense,” said Finkelstein. His analysis is compelling, but I suspect many scholars will not buy it. As you can surmise from this small sample of the content of the presentations, the topics not only ranged widely but all Participants of the Gathering for Gardner pose next to the sculpture they helped assemble. dealt with challenging puzzles, paradoxes, the two stars that make up the double star regaled us with a survey of fun paradoxes mysteries, and other themes to which in the Big Dip per was a common test. such as “going back in time and killing Martin Gardner has contributed to or Bohigian show ed how this ability cor- both of your parents before they met.” inspired others to contribute to. Each related with the 20/20 line in the current Peter Lamont, from the University of of the presenters gratefully acknowledged Snellen visual acuity test. Arthur Benjamin Edinburgh, discussed “The Rise of the that they were inspired by Martin in pur- performed and then taught us a wonderful Indian Rope Trick.” His presentation was suing these themes further. card trick that depends on a subtle math- an interesting addendum to his book The ematical principle. And Michael Ecker Rise of the Indian Rope Trick: the Biography

14 Volume 32, Issue 5 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER