Science of Magic Insights

The biannual SoMA International Conference, which took place last week, focused on understanding the nature, function, and mechanisms of magic.

The conference began with a review of research into the science of magic. In what was the first of many graphs over the two-day conference, Matt Tompkins presented a graph tracking the experimental research related to performance magic or magicians.

Tompkins' science of magic bibliography demonstrates that magic has been studied since the earliest days of experimental psychology, with an explosion of interest in recent years.

Tompkins also observed that scientists tend to strip down phenomena to understand what’s going on, whereas magicians layer deceptions up to obscure the secret methods at work. Magicians treat their audiences like a laboratory. By testing reactions, they learn to become better.

Carisa Hendrix's lecture was full of practical advice. In her talk, she explained how she uses data to improve her magic. She analyzes show recordings to increase the ‘laugh per minute’ count and keeps track of spectators' choices over time to help her craft the perfect prediction in a future show.

Hendrix shared her thoughts on the conference with One Ahead: "I was overwhelmed not only by the number of new ideas I could use to strengthen my magic but also by the environment of healthy debate and open curiosity.”

What followed was a series of mini-TED-like talks on a range of topics. Attendees heard about the links between magic and military deception, how the words and meanings used to describe magic have changed throughout history, change blindness where small changes go unnoticed, choice blindness, and how that can be used to manipulate religious beliefs.

One of the most fascinating insights was from Leah Orleans, an acrobat, archer, and street performer, who explained how suspense and the potential for failure had a direct impact on her income when she passed the money hat at the show’s conclusion. It turns out that trying and failing the finale stunt three times resulting in more money in the hat than succeeding the first time!

An interview with Teller of Penn & Teller ended the first day's program. There was some discussion about misdirection, as that topic is often studied in the lab with eye-tracking tech to see if spectators really do look where the magician wants them to.

Teller doesn’t see the value in these studies and would be more interested in a mind tracker. For Teller: “Misdirection is the story you get the audience to tell itself.” This much more holistic approach might be worth pondering more so than the frequently used descriptions of focus, attention, and perception.

Teller was keen to stress that magic is an intellectual art form but that beauty is essential. The two can coexist without conflict.

On the second day of the Las Vegas conference, the winner of the “auditory trick challenge” was announced – an international competition encouraging magicians to develop a magic effect that only relies on sound. There can be no other senses involved, and there can’t be any speaking either.

Before the winner was announced, attendees heard Tyler Gibgot, a magician and researcher, talk about what it means to him as a blind person to be able to participate in magic.

It’s fair to say that the winning entry isn’t going to be a blockbusting miracle yet. However, its concept, which was based on the “cone of confusion,” is fascinating and could be the basis of a unique effect. Due to the way our ears work, if we keep our heads still, it’s impossible to tell whether a sound is coming from directly in front or behind us. We can only determine the direction by moving. Three of the competition entrants thought this concept could create teleportation-like effects, where the magician appeared to jump across a room rapidly.

Next to take the stage was rubber band wizard Cyril Thomas. His talk explored how a spectator’s analytical reasoning can be subverted with the use of false solutions.

Thomas shared with One Ahead why the conference was so worthwhile: “I think that science can bring magicians other methods to better analyze their art and a theoretical background to shed interesting lights on why a trick works, not only how to make it work.”

Many Facebook discussions have erupted over the statistical probability of the Any Card at Any Number (ACAAN) effect, in which a freely-named card is found to be in a freely-named position in the deck.

Adam Putnam’s talk presented research into how spectators perceive the probability, and therefore difficulty, of a magic effect like this occurring by chance.

A surprising result for many magicians is that the general public sees ACAAN as a 1 in 52 chance (the correct result, by the way). Perhaps we magicians are deluding ourselves into thinking this is the holy grail of impossible magic!

My favorite talk at the conference was about monkeys, magic, and the French Drop–a classic sleight-of-hand move used to vanish a coin that begins with the coin held between your thumb and fingers. The talk's punchline was the discovery that if a monkey species does not have opposable thumbs, then they do not get fooled by a French Drop sleight.

For the experiments, the coin was replaced by nuts and mealworms. Because this monkey cannot fathom an object being held by a thumb, they don’t make a wrong assumption when the false transfer occurs. Monkey species with opposable thumbs do get fooled.

However, when this experiment is repeated multiple times, and the monkey keeps losing its food reward, it adopts a screw-it attitude and starts to guess randomly; they’re not stupid.

After lunch on the final day, Jeff McBride and fellow Mystery School teachers gave delegates an insight into their world. Attendees also enjoyed talks about the structure of wonder, designing user experience, and exposure.

The final talk of the conference was an ongoing study into magicians’ attitudes about exposing tricks. Currently, what’s seen as the worst sin is ripping off and exposing a living magician’s work. If the magician happens to no longer be with us, however, it’s seen as being more palatable and acceptable to buy from dealers.

Limited Edition

One Ahead releases a rare Collector Annual every December with the year's best insights and a print-exclusive cover story. Be the first to know the title of this year's cover story in Thursday's newsletter.