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  • I've heard wonderful things about you.

  • And I have not seen anything.

  • I like to be surprised with the audience.

  • Awesome.

  • Awesome.

  • So I am a social media magician.

  • And what that means is I influence people as well as

  • entertain people in a positive light.

  • So I want to try that with two Rubik's Cubes.

  • OK.

  • Ellen, can you take this behind your back.

  • Mm-hmm.

  • And mix it up.

  • OK.

  • I'll do the same, as well.

  • Go ahead and mix it up as much as you can.

  • Yup.

  • I've never done one in my life.

  • [LAUGHTER]

  • All right.

  • OK.

  • And when you're done, I'll take it back.

  • OK.

  • So there are about 43 quintillion different ways

  • in which you can mix a Rubik's Cube.

  • And you said you've never done one in your life, ever.

  • No.

  • No.

  • Well, try this.

  • Really?

  • Not at all?

  • Never.

  • [LAUGHTER]

  • Look.

  • You did a really good job.

  • Look.

  • That's one side.

  • Two sides.

  • A perfect match.

  • Three.

  • Four.

  • Five.

  • And all six sides, a perfect match.

  • [APPLAUSE]

  • So Ellen, so what I do on social media

  • is I do magic that's very fast and visual.

  • Yeah.

  • And this time, I'm going to involve an element of danger.

  • Ah.

  • So can you hold onto the lighter?

  • Oh, a lighter.

  • [LAUGHTER]

  • So we're going to try this.

  • Let's see here.

  • Take-- boom.

  • OK.

  • So in my pocket, I have a napkin.

  • Watch.

  • I'm going take the Rubik's Cube.

  • And the idea is very simple.

  • I'm going to take the cube.

  • And everyone can see it.

  • Right?

  • Everyone can see it?

  • Yup.

  • Look.

  • I'm going to take it like this.

  • And the idea is simple.

  • I'm going to wrap it in this napkin.

  • And If you could hand me the lighter.

  • Watch.

  • Done.

  • [AUDIENCE GASPS]

  • [APPLAUSE]

  • All six sides.

  • [LAUGHS]

  • Wow.

  • [LAUGHS]

  • That's.

  • Thank you.

  • I have a little gift for you.

  • OK.

  • It's just a small, small gift.

  • Nothing crazy.

  • I'm a college student.

  • So--

  • [LAUGHTER]

  • Yeah.

  • You know.

  • You know.

  • It's a little minicube.

  • Oh, it's a baby cube.

  • But that's actually-- no, this is actually not

  • what I wanted to get you.

  • I actually wanted to get you, boom, Skittles, M&Ms.

  • Check it out.

  • [LAUGHTER]

  • Check it out.

  • Done.

  • [APPLAUSE]

  • That's amazing.

  • [LAUGHS]

  • All right.

  • One more.

  • Or no?

  • Should we take a break and do one more?

  • One more.

  • One more.

  • One more.

  • OK.

  • One more.

  • OK.

  • OK.

  • So in my--

  • I have a Sharpie here.

  • And I'm going to do something brand new.

  • OK.

  • No one's ever seen this before.

  • I would like you to hold onto the Sharpie for a second.

  • Mm-hmm.

  • Now, I have a Rubik's Cube that very few people have seen.

  • It's a stickerless Rubik's Cube.

  • It has no stickers and borders.

  • Right?

  • So it doesn't limit my creativity

  • because what I'm about to do is I'm about to draw scribbles

  • on this Rubik's Cube.

  • Now, this Rubik's Cube is so much harder

  • to solve than a normal Rubik's Cube

  • because not only do I have to solve for the colors,

  • but I also have to solve for the patterns, as well.

  • So we'll try this like that.

  • And hmm.

  • Hmm.

  • OK.

  • Well--

  • [LAUGHTER]

  • OK.

  • Ellen, can you initial--

  • [LAUGHTER]

  • Hmm.

  • Can you initial right here, Ellen?

  • Right here in this corner.

  • Here?

  • Yes.

  • Perfect.

  • I'm going to mix it up just like this.

  • Oh, thank you for capping that.

  • Mm-hmm.

  • And can you mix it up, as well?

  • Uh-huh.

  • Perfect.

  • So I've been practicing for about 10 years,

  • learning how to solve the Rubik's Cube.

  • And when you want, I'll take it back.

  • Ellen, just say go.

  • Go.

  • OK.

  • Just like this.

  • Now, I'm using a method known as F2L.

  • And that's a system that allows me

  • to solve a Rubik's Cube at breakneck speed,

  • just like this.

  • And let's see.

  • Let's try this.

  • Yeah.

  • And one more.

  • Boom.

  • And I can also do it from memory, too,

  • if I do it like this.

  • Done.

  • Solved cube.

  • [APPLAUSE]

  • Just solving a cube.

  • I've done that.

  • But the image isn't quite there.

  • You can't really see it.

  • But sometimes, if I just--

  • I just try something like this-- watch the image.

  • I'm going to just--

  • Ellen.

  • Ellen.

  • [APPLAUSE]

  • I mean--

  • [LAUGHS]

  • That's amazing.

  • [LAUGHS]

  • Oh, my god.

  • OK, Ellen, I want to try an exercise with 24 Rubik's Cubes.

  • All right?

  • So when I was in college, to get my mind focused,

  • I'd write down what I was thinking on this notebook.

  • For example, I have a Rubik's Cube, girls.

  • [LAUGHTER]

  • Lamborghini, a bench press, Pac-Man.

  • Mm-hmm?

  • Can you hold the notebook in your hand like this?

  • Yep.

  • And then--

  • Yeah.

  • --put my hand like that?

  • Yeah.

  • And close your eyes.

  • And riffle up the back of the book.

  • Mm-hmm.

  • And when you want, stop.

  • OK.

  • And lift up.

  • And look.

  • And remember.

  • OK?

  • Got it?

  • OK.

  • Yep.

  • Got it.

  • And close the back of it.

  • Yep.

  • And I'll take it back.

  • Mm-hmm.

  • And we're done with this.

  • Now, we're going to try something.

  • It's called speed mixing and stacking.

  • You're going to mix these Rubik's Cubes.

  • I'm going to stack them.

  • But this entire time, I want you to focus on your word.

  • OK?

  • Are you ready?

  • Like, mix them up and then hand them to you?

  • Yeah.

  • Yeah.

  • Mix them up.

  • OK.

  • And so, OK, OK, mix them up.

  • Let's go now.

  • OK.

  • Go ahead.

  • OK.

  • Oh, wow.

  • No, no, no, you're going way too fast for me.

  • That's OK.

  • [LAUGHS]

  • All right.

  • Keep going.

  • All right.

  • [LAUGHTER]

  • Now try to keep on mixing.

  • Keep on mixing.

  • I'm stacking.

  • Ellen, have you done this before?

  • Yeah.

  • Oh.

  • What have you done?

  • Every day.

  • [LAUGHTER]

  • So this is-- we're almost-- we've

  • done the first-- essentially, the first two layers.

  • And we're about to do the other-- oh, thank you, Ellen.

  • Let's see.

  • This one can go right here.

  • And this one can go right here.

  • And I'll take this one.

  • Actually, this one doesn't look--

  • OK, this one could go right here.

  • Keep focusing on your word.

  • Right.

  • We're almost halfway done.

  • Right.

  • And the idea's simple.

  • Don't let any other thought come into your mind.

  • OK?

  • Just think of your word.

  • All right.

  • And oh, this one too.

  • And we'll try this.

  • Do you see what's kind of like--

  • yeah.

  • You do see it.

  • Right?

  • You do?

  • Yeah.

  • It's a--

  • I think so because--

  • Yeah, OK.

  • OK.

  • I'll tell you in a minute.

  • All right.

  • So--

  • [LAUGHTER]

  • Perfect.

  • We'll take this one.

  • And I am quite a perfectionist.

  • So I'm going to take my time.

  • Can you mix this one again for me?

  • Thank you.

  • Let's see.

  • This one can go right here.

  • This one right here.

  • And we'll take these here.

  • And this last one right here.

  • Done.

  • Ellen, what was the word you're thinking of?

  • I wasn't thinking it.

  • Oh.

  • But I read it from your book.

  • Yeah.

  • But Super Mario.

  • Oh, yeah.

  • I used to love that game.

  • Yeah.

  • See sometimes the image looks a little crazy.

  • When you really hone in on that thought--

  • Right.

  • --you can actually make Super Mario.

  • [AUDIENCE GASPS]

  • [APPLAUSE]

  • Wow.

  • [LAUGHS]

  • You're amazing.

  • Thank you so much, Ellen.

  • You're amazing.

  • Awesome.

  • Thank you.

  • Thank you.

  • Go to our website to find out more about Paul's magic.

I've heard wonderful things about you.

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