Benedict Cumberbatch

Water Bottle Trick

Revealed

On The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, English actor Benedict Cumberbatch performed a simple but impressive magic trick which amazed both Jimmy and the audience. Benedict needed no cards, coins, or other magic props. All he used to perform the trick was a simple bottle of water.

Benedict takes the bottle of water in his hands and opens it. He then puts his hand over the top of the bottle and turns the bottle upside down. His hand is now the only thing preventing the water to spill out of the bottle, right?

Not so fast! Benedict then starts to slowly take his hand away from underneath the bottle. Everybody expects that the water will just start pouring out as soon as Cumberbatch's hand isn't keeping it inside anymore. But no! To great surprise of everyone, the water still stays inside the bottle, even though the bottle is open and turned upside down!

Benedict then shows that he can squeeze the bottle and make a bit of water drip out. He can also drink out of the water. How is this possible? Did he just brake the laws of physics?

The answer is no. Sadly, Benedict Cumberbatch has no actual magic powers. But how did he do it? If you want to find out, first watch the video of the performance, and then read the explanation below.

Explanation:

How did he do it?

First thing you need to understand is that trick wasn't as spontaneous and improvised as it looked. Cumberbatch acted surprised when Jimmy asked him to perform the trick, but he knew in advance that he will do the trick on the show, and he was able to prepare for it.

Another important thing to understand is that the bottle and the cup Jimmy puts on the table weren't actually just a regular bottle and cup. They were prepared in advance to make this magic trick work. Benedict couldn't to this trick with a normal bottle and a normal cup.

There was a piece of cellophane attached to the top of the bottle. The cellophane perfectly matched the shape of the hole, so there is no way the audience will see it. When the bottle is turned upside-down, the cellophane is strong enough to hold it in. But when Benedict squeezes the bottle, the pressure is too strong and the cellophane falls off, letting the water out. It's as simple as that.

But how did the water disappear from the cup?

The cup was prepared in advance too. There is a sponge attached to the bottom of the cup. When Benedict pours some water into the cup, it is quickly absorbed by the sponge. Then he can turn the cup around, and since no water comes out, everyone thinks the water disappeared.