Wired has a fantastic article out about the neuroscience of magic. If you’re a fan of magic, or even just interested in how the brain works, you’ll probably enjoy it. Here’s a fun snippet:
To kill some time in a diner, Teller was practicing his version of Cups and Balls, a classic sleight-of-hand trick popularized by ancient Roman conjurers. It involves a series of “vanishes” and “transpositions” as the balls appear and disappear underneath the cups. Teller hadn’t brought any props, so he used wadded-up napkins and clear water glasses. Somehow, this made the trick even better. Although it was now possible to follow the crumpled napkins as Teller variously palmed them, squished them, and moved them from cup to cup, the illusion persisted. “The eye could see the moves, but the mind could not comprehend them,” he says. “Giving the trick away gave nothing away, because you still couldn’t grasp it.” They eventually worked this version of Cups and Balls into their show, and audiences loved it. But the magic community—whose cardinal rule is “Don’t tell ‘em how it’s done”—reacted with outrage and even threats of physical violence. Penn and Teller were exposing an ancient secret! Two arty geeks were destroying the mystery!
The article comes complete with videos illustrating tricks and illusions discussed in the article, and is well worth the read (and views).
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