Alvin Duane Schneider (born February 3, 1943) is an American magician, author, physicist and mathematician known for his contributions to magic. He developed the
Matrix
Matrix (: matrices or matrixes) or MATRIX may refer to:
Science and mathematics
* Matrix (mathematics), a rectangular array of numbers, symbols or expressions
* Matrix (logic), part of a formula in prenex normal form
* Matrix (biology), the m ...
magic trick, a modern version of
Yank Hoe's "Sympathetic Coins".
[''Matrix Coin Trick'' by Al Schneider in ]Genii 1970 November
Genii (a plural form of genie) are supernatural creatures in early pre-Islamic Arabian and later Islamic mythology and theology.
Genii may also refer to:
* ''Genii'' (magazine), or ''The Conjurors' Magazine''
* Genii (''Stargate''), fictional c ...
, Vol. 35, No. 3, page 123.
Biography
Schneider was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. He lived in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for most of his life and spent a year in Denver, Colorado. He started in magic in 1960 during his senior year in high school. In 1967, Schneider graduated from
Wayne State University
Wayne State University (WSU) is a public university, public research university in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 375 programs. It is Michigan's third-l ...
with a degree in physics after seven years of part-time schooling. During his free time, he studied magic, working toward his goal of a career in professional magic.
In 1960, Schneider developed the Matrix magic trick, where four cards are placed over four coins, and the coins then invisibly move between cards. Matrix is a modernized version of Yank Hoe's "Sympathetic Coins." Countless magicians have since developed variations and improvements upon the effect, cementing Schneider's legacy in the annals of coin conjuring.
In 1969, Schneider left his job as a mathematician for Uniroyal and accepted a position as a systems analyst for Univac, specializing in computers. Univac transferred him to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he worked as a systems programmer.
In 1972, he began writing and publishing magic books after the computer industry suffered a downturn. He worked as an editor of the house organ Goldshadow Newsletter and also as a dealer for Goldshadow Industries. Schneider theorized that "misdirection, while essential for effective magic, is actually a supporting technique for the greater concept of hiding the spectators' false assumptions."
Since early 2001, he has operated a web page sharing magic information title
World Magic Center
Schneider was also interested in full-contact karate, sword fighting, golf, skiing, theoretical physics, and
quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics is the fundamental physical Scientific theory, theory that describes the behavior of matter and of light; its unusual characteristics typically occur at and below the scale of atoms. Reprinted, Addison-Wesley, 1989, It is ...
. Schneider gave magic lessons to a magician duo who tricked Penn and Teller on ''
Penn & Teller: Fool Us'' with a magic routine called "A Mother's Love."
Books
*Matrix (1974)
*Off (1974)
*Al Schneider on Coins (1975)
*Al Schneider on Close-Up (1980)
*Al Schneider on Zombie (1981)
*Al Schneider Magic (2011)
*New Age Quantum Physics (2012)
*Quantum Mechanics A-Z without the BS (2013)
References
Further reading
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Schneider, Al
1943 births
American magicians
Living people