Swimmer comes up aces
There’s a magic trick that Chuck Katis has: You pick a card at random, memorize it, and shuffle it back into the deck. “Got it?” Katis asks. You nod. Seven of spades. He presents his arm — not a typical next step in magic. “Squeeze my wrist hard,” he commands. “Think about the number or face of your card.” After you’ve squeezed for a good 10 seconds, Katis reveals the underside of his wrist, which is bare. He massages the area, and suddenly you see, unmistakably, a seven forming in his skin. How’d he do that? Katis, a Harvard College freshman by way of Falls Church, Va., has been practicing magic for more than 10 years — about the same amount of time he spent working to become a standout swimmer, earning a spot on Harvard’s swimming and diving team. As a high school student, Katis founded The Magic of Miracles, a nonprofit that...