I've heard wonderful things about you.
And I have not seen anything.
I like to be surprised with the audience.
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.
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.
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.
OK.
One more.
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.
[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.
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.
Go to our website to find out more about Paul's magic.