The science of magic

(In your study you argue that the time has come to create a science of magic. What does that mean?) Most magic tricks allow the magician to utilize a wide range of techniques to manipulate perception. Magicians have accumulated vast amounts of experience and knowledge in the principles of how this works and many of these principles are similar to phenomena studied by psychologists. We’re trying to define this link between magic and science or psychology and this will hopefully lead to the science of magic. (What techniques are you talking about?) In this paper we look at three different techniques: misdirection, illusion, and forcing. Misdirection relates to the magician’s ability to prevent you from seeing certain things happen. What this means is that unless you specifically attend to a specific thing or event, you’re not necessarily aware that it’s there. while this fact has taken the scientific world by surprise, magicians have long been aware of this and this is how they used misdirection. Then illusions�much of how we perceive the world to be is based on expectations about the world rather than what’s out there. so our perception is subjective. Now magicians manipulate your expectations to make you perceive things that have not really taken place. Forcing is about developing things that make you alter your choices and you’re not aware of how your choice has been influenced, and that’s forcing. (Can magicians learn from psychology?) I think so, and this is what we’re hoping to do. (But are you giving away a magician’s secret?) We’re not giving away secrets, we’re trying to make use of the techniques rather than the secrets.