Neuroscience of Magic – July 31

From ancient conjurers to quick-handed con artists to Las Vegas illusionists, magicians throughout the ages have manipulated human attention and perception to dazzle and delight us. Both sensory and cognitive illusions are responsible for the “magic” of a magic trick. But how and why do these illusions work? Magician Robert Strong and neuroscientist Adam Gazzaley team up to demonstrate how magicians use our brains to accomplish the seemingly impossible. In the process, they explore what those magical methods and techniques can teach us about the brain.

Author and inventor Adam Gazzaley is Professor of Neurology at UC San Francisco. Comedy magician Robert Strong has been voted — three times — San Francisco's "Best Magician."