This is how I steal a PIN code | Timon Krause | TEDxAmsterdam
TEDx Talks
9 min, 34 sec
A detailed demonstration of mentalism illustrates the vulnerability of the human mind in the context of security.
Summary
- The audience is engaged in a series of thought experiments to select the most unpredictable thinkers.
- A participant, Andrew, is invited on stage to demonstrate the ease of mind-reading and its implications for security.
- Through a series of calculated questions, the mentalist successfully deduces personal information about Andrew, including his birthdate and PIN code.
- The act concludes with a message on the importance of safeguarding personal information, as the same techniques used for entertainment can lead to real-life vulnerabilities.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4

The chosen participant is involved in an interactive mind-reading session.
- The mentalist asks the participant to think of a number, an animal, a color, and a shape.
- The participant's thoughts deviate from the statistically common answers, demonstrating his unpredictability.

Chapter 5

The mentalist reveals the participant's thoughts and selects another volunteer.
- The participant's thoughts are revealed to be a dolphin, the color purple, and a pentagon.
- Another participant, Andrew, is selected from the audience to join on stage.

Chapter 6
Chapter 7

The mentalist performs an in-depth mind-reading session with Andrew.
- Andrew is asked about mind reading and is then subjected to a series of questions aimed at deducing his date of birth.
- The mentalist successfully guesses Andrew's birthdate and begins to probe for his bank PIN code.

Chapter 8

The mentalist attempts to reveal Andrew's bank PIN code.
- The mentalist uses techniques similar to a pickpocket to distract Andrew and extract the digits of his PIN code.
- After a series of calculated guesses and psychological tactics, the mentalist successfully deduces Andrew's PIN code.

Chapter 9

The video concludes with a message on the importance of safeguarding personal information.
- The mentalist emphasizes the human mind as a security vulnerability and urges caution with personal information.
- As a final touch, the mentalist returns a wallet to Andrew, playfully suggesting he might have stolen it during the act.

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