The Neuroscience of Magic - With Gustav Kuhn

Explore the fascinating intersection of neuroscience and magic in this 44-minute lecture by Gustav Kuhn, a leading researcher in the science of magic and Reader in Psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London. Discover how misdirection and optical illusions can manipulate our perception as Kuhn performs magic tricks to illustrate key concepts. Delve into topics such as the visual system, artificial context, eye tracking, and bistable images. Learn about the practical implications of these findings and how they relate to our understanding of visual information processing. Gain insights into phenomena like the Vanishing Ball Illusion and how our brains predict the future based on visual cues. This talk, hosted in conjunction with U3A at The Royal Institution, offers a unique blend of entertainment and scientific exploration, shedding light on the cognitive mechanisms behind magic and illusion.

Intro
What is magic
Visual system
Mass
Spot the Difference
Artificial Context
Laboratory Demonstration
Pete
Eye Tracking
The Serious Side
Practical Implications
Bistable Images
Visual Information
Illusion
Vanishing Ball Illusion
Seeing the Future
A Better Message
Conclusion