THE secret behind one of the most controversial feats in the history of magic will be revealed tomorrow.

The Indian Rope Trick has baffled magicians and audiences alike since it was first performed in the 19th Century.

It involves throwing a rope to the sky, which becomes a rigid vertical pole. A boy then climbs the unsupported rope and vanishes when he reaches the top.

Former magicians Dr Peter Lamont and Professor Richard Wiseman, who have spent years researching the phenomenon, will give their theory on the trick at a free event in Newcastle tomorrow.

Dr Lamont's talk, The Magician, the Psychic and the Miracles of the East, will demonstrate the different ways to create a miracle, explaining the power of misdirection and the techniques of psychic fraud.

This will be followed with an hour-long seminar, Luck Factor, delivered by Prof Wiseman, looking at whether people can do anything to improve their luck and why some people always seem to be in the right place at the right time, while others are always unlucky.

The event, in the Life Science Centre, Newcastle, is part of the Newcastle Science Festival. Dr Lamont's talk starts at 6.30pm and the seminar at 7.45pm.

Tickets are free and can be reserved by calling 0191-243 8210. For further details on other Newcastle Science Festival events, visit www.newcastlesciencefestival.co.uk