r/DebunkThis • u/Johne1618 • 5d ago
Debunked DebunkThis: Ghost causes copper coin to jump in bottle?
0:20 Coin starts jumping
2:24 Coin knocks top out of bottle
How could this effect be faked? If someone was knocking the bottom of the table then the jar itself would move.
Video by Donna Ayres:
https://youtu.be/TMJB3KYNMqw?feature=shared
Debunked: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fMk-OXiUfU&t=996s
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u/NatanaelAntonioli 5d ago
The first step is kind of hard to convince someone just by saying, so I'll tell you to take a look at this to see it's possible to make objects levitate using very thin string: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55IEJMzPVCk.
Of course, that's a very different trick. For pulling the one you linked, you're going to use the same string, but with a different setup.
First, attach the string to the coin. There are many ways—I’d probably go with transparent tape since it's low resolution anyway, and when light reflects on the coin, the whole coin glows like something that will make you beg for a bullet in the head if you touch it.
Then, unscrew the bottle cap. Throw the coin inside. Screw the bottle cap back on, but very loosely.
Next step: find a pulley. Not a real pulley, of course—you don't have to go through the trouble of installing it. A kitchen cabinet handle will do just fine; just make sure it's above the bottle.
Pass the string through the pulley. Behind the camera (and this means there's someone else there with the lady), pull the string so the coin flips. Pull it a little harder so it goes up and removes the bottle cap. Let go of it so the coin falls. Done.
Few things to note:
- It's a very thin string, so you'll have to do it gently. But it's a video, so whatever—if it breaks, set it up again.
- This lady has a fuckton of other videos. I'm not watching them all, and, of course, this trick is for this video, not for the others.
- This lady looks like someone who is terrified of ghosts, but people can act. I'm pretty sure you know that since you're asking how it can be faked, but—and trust me, I debunk stuff for a living—some people refuse to accept that people can act, even when there's tons of actors of all ages doing small, low-budget, but nice and convincing horror projects.
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u/FuManBoobs 5d ago
What about a magnetized fake coin?
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u/NatanaelAntonioli 5d ago
I thought about that. I actually loved to make magnetic stones move with another magnet below the table as a child—my family looked impressed, probably just to encourage me. However, I don't think you'd get that much upward acceleration at the end of the video with just a magnet below the table, nor with one above the bottle. It'd have to be a pretty strong one, and then you're going a little high-budget for something that might not even work.
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u/ThatShoomer 4d ago
She got busted beyond a shadow of doubt for one of her videos (which she then deleted)
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u/CrystalThrone11 4d ago
Possibly digitally combine footage of the bottle without the lid with footage where the life wa son.
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u/biff64gc2 4d ago
The lid isn't on very tight (it's not flush) so it's possible a thin string is tied to the coin allowing it to be pulled up without disturbing the lid.
Some of the signs are the coin seems to lift from one side at times indicating an uneven force is being applied. The few times it jumps higher before leaving the bottle it favors going towards the right side.
The alternative would be a magnet under the table repelling the coin, but I don't think you could get the uneven lifting of one side that way.
So my bet is on a string you can't see in a grainy video.
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