The Science Of Magic: It's Not All Hocus Pocus

Is there a link between the science of magic and neuroscience? Many neuroscientists agree that magic is linked to the brain and your perception. Do you?

Magic tricks have been believed to have a long history with science. These fun party tricks can manipulate your perception and reality. Many neuroscientists have recorded their findings and have published numerous articles about them. Articles such as The Science of Magic: How Tricks Are Changing Real-life Research and The Science of Magic: It’s Not All Hocus Pocus are prime examples of magic sciences. The third article we will be evaluating is This is Your Brain on Magic. The three articles relay the same premise, magic is science.

Researchers have been looking for examples to figure out

In 1893, 123 years ago, a psychologist named Alfred Binet studied how magic worked and even released an article in 1894 named La Psychologie de la Prestidigitation. Long after Binet’s death, the term “neuromagic” was created by Stephen Macknik and Susana Martinez-Conde with four world famous magicians. Even though magic tricks are utilized for entertainment, they can twist a very complex area, perception. Many machines such as MRI scanners can identify the parts of the brain and see how they function, but perception is unique as it cannot be understood as easily. Inattentional and change blindness are some things that confuse our perception. Change blindness is when something is gradually changed while inattentional blindness is when the change is caused abruptly. Although you are not actually blind, it is called misdirection, a technique commonly used by magicians and commonly linked to science. Scientists have also noted that implied movement looks like an actual movement in our brains. Understanding these tricks used by magicians for centuries can open a new realm of possibilities in enhancing rehabilitation for people who have brain