Call My Physics Bluff

Number of Players:

This is a game for as many players as you like – but there needs to be two teams. If you are playing with just two people then you can play against each other.

How to Play:

1. First you will need the Einstein Year Physics to Go pack. In this pack there are 20 physics tricks. Split these physics tricks in half e.g. one team has tricks 1 – 10 and the second team have tricks 11 – 20. Don’t look at the other team’s tricks!

2. Within your team choose three tricks that you would like to perform.

3. Next is the creative bit. You need to prepare three explanations for each trick. One of these explanations will be the truth (which you can get from the ‘How does it work?’ sections of the Physics to Go pack) – the other two will be bluffs that you make up.

4. Once you have prepared your explanations (this is all done in secrecy of course – the other team should not hear what you are planning) the teams then take turns to perform their trick and read out their three explanations of how the trick works.

5. It’s then up to the opposing team to pick out the truth from the bluffs. The winning team is the one which has guessed the most truths at the end of the game. Remember you are trying to get the opposing team to go for the bluffs that you have read out, not the truths - so make your bluffs believable!

We have prepared some bluffs around three tricks for you to use - click here to view them – or have a look at the Physics to Go pack so you can prepare your own bluffs for tricks. You can also see all the tricks performed with our Physics Tricks movies (you may need to download Shockwave Flash to view the Physics Tricks Movies)

And when you prepare your bluffs for your physics tricks, why not send them into us at einsteinyear@iop.org. Include your name and we will put the best ones up on the web site before the end of the year.

Good luck with your bluffs!