Stephen Macknik, PhD & Susana Martinez-Conde, PhD - Neuromagic & Illusion
Drs. Stephen Macknik & Susana Martinez-Conde, neuroscientists who specialize in the science of magic and illusion, discuss how magic fools the brain on The FitMind Podcast episode 85.
You can also listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or any other major podcast platform.
Episode Overview
Dr. Susana Martinez-Conde and Dr. Stephen Macknik are neuroscientists who specialize in the science of magic and illusion.
Both are professors of ophthalmology, neurology, and physiology & pharmacology at the Downstate Medical Center and together they pioneered the study of various aspects of magic such as perception, cognitive illusion, and attentional misdirection.
On this episode, we discuss how magic tricks fool the brain, why everyday life is an illusion, what neuroscientists and magicians can learn from each other and much more.
Hope you enjoy!
P.S. — If you’re serious about starting or deepening your meditation practice, check out the FitMind meditation app
Susana Martinez-Conde, PhD & Stephen Macknik, PhD Bios
Dr. Martinez-Conde and Dr. Macknik pioneered the study of various aspects of magic such as perception, cognitive illusion, and attentional misdirection at the Barrow Neurological Institute. They are also founders of the Neural Correlate Society, which hosts the popular annual “Best Illusion of the Year Contest."
Dr. Susana Martinez-Conde recieved a BSc in Experimental Psychology, a PhD in Medicine and Surgery, and postdoc training at Harvard Medical School under Nobel Laureate David Hubel.
Dr. Stephen Macknik has his BA in Psychobiology, Psychology, and Biology from UC Santa Cruz and a PhD in Neurobiology from Harvard.
They both serve on the board of advisors for Scientific American: Mind. They have each authored over 50 academic publications and co-authored 2 books, including international bestseller Sleights of Mind: What the Neuroscience of Magic Reveals About Our Everyday Deceptions, which received the Prisma Prize to the Best Science Book of the year.
Show Notes
0:00 | Intro to Stephen Macknik, PhD & Susana Martinez-Conde, PhD
8:00 | How Magic Hacks Our Minds
13:00 | What Neuroscientists Learn from Magicians
15:54 | What Magicians Learn from Neuroscientists
17:24 | Testing Attention Manipulation
22:25 | Cognition & Calculation
25:36 | How Our Brains Construct Reality
28:27 | Vision Produces Our Changing Realities
29:53 | Microsaccades Explained
32:58 | Brain on Autopilot
35:50 | Expertise as an Unconscious Process
40:46 | Magic for Kids vs. Magic for Adults
43:43 | Is Magic Still Enjoyable When You Know the Tricks?
48:24 | Rapid Fire Questions