Fun exchange in PNASNews: 1. A paper (pnas.org/content/117/30…) imports a Derren Brown magic trick into the lab: Ask subjects to name a card; describe card as "bright & vivid"; make a diamond with your hands; gesture at 3 spots for suits; subjects more likely to name 3 of ♦️s.

What do magicians know about the sense of agency that cognitive scientists don't? Looking forward to this week's GoldsmithsPsychology seminar from Alice Pailhès, on how magicians manipulate feelings of volition and agency. Thurs 11th Feb, 4pm. Email me if you'd like the link.

UK Magicians - the Good Thinking are offering an award to support the art of magic. Apply now! goodthinkingsociety.org/projects/the-g…

Our new paper reviewing the research on magicians’ mind control tricks has just been published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences! Cell Press Trends in Cognitive Sciences Gustav Kuhn authors.elsevier.com/a/1ceDP4sIRvHk…

Revealed: the magical secrets to tricking your free will | gold.ac.uk/news/magicians…

Jokes aside, this is a very interesting read 👇, questioning humans free will when making decisions #DecisionMaking

Great to see our last paper picked up by the BBC!

"Understanding magicians' forcing techniques is a valuable tool to raise awareness about the ease by which our choices can be manipulated.” Alice Pailhès and Gustav Kuhn on their research into how magicians' tricks could be used to modify our behaviour bbc.co.uk/news/education…

New SoMA newsletter ft Anthony Barnhart Alice Pailhès Gustav Kuhn @CambSciFest Jeanette Andrews + Loads more who've recently contributed to the Science of Magic lit (2020 sucked overall, but it was a great year for SoM research output matt-tompkins-d9zl.squarespace.com/config/pages/5…)

What does stage magic teach us about misinformation? I conjure with the topic in my FT Weekend Magazine feature here: ft.com/content/5cea69…

Video and annotations from our June webinar on Advancing Magic Through Science are now available on the SoMA website at scienceofmagicassoc.org/blog/2021/4/29….

Don't miss tomorrow's (Sunday) SoMA Conversation on Science, Magic, & Society. Jay Olson will moderate discussion by Brian Brushwood (Brian Brushwood), Koen Peeters Grietens (@SEHR_ITM), Patricia Kingori, & Simon Henderson on 'Deception Offstage.' Register at: forms.gle/GEotg5f1i8UNqm…

Watch the hands! Two cool results: When a magician uses hand motions (making a diamond) it primed people to select ♦️cards When founders use figurative language (“top down” strategies, “moving toward” growth) & accompanying gestures, it makes investors more likely to give 💰

In both cases, people didn't know they were being influenced. Magic paper: pnas.org/content/pnas/1… Entrepreneurship paper: research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/files/7…

Additional research on how magicians can use psychology to trick us:

Our article on eye-tracking the centre-preference effect tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10… now published - strong evidence that the CP for similar items is driven by a centre stage heuristic (rather than due to attention).

(Slightly belated) Happy New Year from SoMA! bit.ly/3fSEniG

My article on magicians’ Too Perfect Theory has been published today in PeerJ - the Journal of Life & Environment! 🪄 Can a trick be too perfect to be good? Do people really find out the secret method when there’s no flaw? Find out here: peerj.com/articles/13449 #Neuroscience #Psychology #magictrick #magic

Who is looking forward to the #SoMA22 Gala Show? Tickets are still available, and the public is welcome! somagala2022.bpt.me

New podcast! Alice Pailhès: The Psychology of Magic and Decision-Making In this exclusive episode available only to Farnam Street members, Dr.  Pailhès and Shane go in-depth on the concepts behind forcing techniques, how they work in the world of magic, and what we can learn