Hello,

Since 2004, I am one of the organizers of the Mental Calculation World Cup, a contest for the world's best mental calculators (see here).

As a side-event, a Symposium on the Past, Present and Future of Stage Mental Calculation will be held at the Center for Magic Arts
(http://stiftung-zauberkunst.de) in Nottulm-Appelhülsen in Germany on the day before the world cup starts.
The purpose is to bring together those who perform maths-related magic or plain mental calculations on stage with those who do mental calculation as a kind of sports.

For this reason, contributions (presentations, workshop proposals, questions to launch a debate, etc.) are welcome. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
* the lives of famous calculators such as Jacques Inaudi or Wim Klein
* tricks which have a background in calculation (such as magic squares or calendar from memory)
* ways to present mental calculation on stage
* mental calculation shortcuts and algorithms

Everyone who is interested in taking part in this event either with a contribution or just as a guest, please e-mail me at info@recordholders.org.

Best Wishes,
Ralf Laue

Hello,

Although the Mental Calculation World Cup 2020 has to be postponed due to the Covid-19 outbreak (it will be held in 2021 instead), the Symposium on the Past, Present and Future of Mental Calculation on Stage is NOT cancelled.

We hope that the Covid-19 situation allows it to be held as planned.

So far, the following talks are planned:
Ralf Laue: Welcome --- Mathematicians, Calculators, Magicians
Harry Achtnig: Twenty Years as Mental Calculator on Stage
Robert Fountain: Willis Dysart - The Last Mental Calculator as a Vaudeville Performer
Hans-Christian Solka: Magic Squares on Stage
Ulrich Voigt: Calendrical Calculations
Peter Benninghaus: Wim Klein - A Biography
Willem Bouman: Old and New Stuff about Wim Klein

Interested participants or referents are welcome to join us.

Hi Ralf,

We spend some great days together at the symposium at the Center for Conjuring Arts in Nottuln-Appelhülsen, Germany.
Many thanks to Uwe Schenk and Michael Sondermeyer, the heads of the Foundation for Conjuring Arts. I love their library (About 10.000 magic books and 20.000 magic magazines.)
http://stiftung-zauberkunst.de/die-idee-......liothek/

For the readers interest: Topics/Lectures

Ralf Laue, Germany: Welcome --- Mathematicians, Calculators, Magicians
Peter Benninghaus, Germany: Wim Klein - A Biography
Willem Bouman, The Netherlands: Old and New Stuff about Wim Klein
Ulrich Voigt, Germany: Calendar Calculations
Werner Sperling, Germany: About Magical Presentation - My Personal Act
Robert Fountain, UK: Willis Dysart - The Last Mental Calculator as a Vaudeville Performer
Hans-Christian Solka, Germany: Magic Squares on Stage