THE TRICK THAT FOOLED EINSTEIN

The earliest mention we can find of this marvelous little gag indicates it appeared one hundred years ago, circa 1919 -- the year a solar eclipse confirmed Einstein's Theory of Relativity. Sir Arthur Eddington convinced the world Einstein was right, but it was Gene Dennis, "The Wonder Girl," who convinced Einstein she was able to predict how much change he had in his pocket. 

Einstein, his wife Elsa and Gene Dennis

Einstein's endorsement made the newspapers, and made Gene Dennis' reputation as a psychic wizard - "the girl who amazed Einstein."

"She told me things no one could possibly know, things on which I have been working, and she demonstrated she has the power to do things I cannot explain.... It was miraculous indeed.”

                                       --  A. Einstein, Chicago Herald Examiner, Jan 13, 1932 

Well, it proves two things we've always believed:

1. Ph. D's are easier to fool than eight year old kids.

2. Einstein as a kid flunked basic math.

Here's the original version of the effect, which was later picked up, along with the modified slogan "the trick that fooled Einstein," by famed mentalist Al Koran and others. It can be done with coins, cards, matchsticks, Junior Mints, etc. 

[The video states it was Al Koran who fooled Einstein, but top magic sleuths have determined that when making that claim Mr. Koran had apparently imbibed a bit too much wiffle dust.]