Mental Magic and Psychology

http://wmbriggs.com/blog/?p=588 ^ | William Briggs

[mattstat]

I say, Thank God Penn & Teller reveal the workings of their magic tricks. We’re all used to it now, but when they first got going they caused a lot of angst and delicate hand-wringing among the brotherhood. No one will watch magic if they know how the tricks work! went the standard lamentation.

But it wasn’t shouted too loudly. Sympathy for secrecy wasn’t exactly on the wane when the boys showed up, but complaints against violations were reflexive more than strident.

Penn & TellerThis is because magic had fallen into the doldrums. There were a plethora of exaggerated hand-waving silent acts. These consisted of a magician who would purposefully stride across the stage, gesturing like a ballet dancer at his change cabinet—whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—swirl the thing round once or twice, and out would pop a bikinied gorilla, all set to bad, loud music. The only difference between acts were their magicians’ costumes—and those weren’t too dissimilar either.

Penn & Teller forced illusionists to change their thinking, or at least to develop fresh material. Silent acts are still with us, but not to the same extent (yes, I know Teller doesn’t talk).

And it was Penn & Teller, and later Fox’s Masked Magician, that proved the old belief wrong. Knowing how the tricks were done did not lessen people’s enjoyment of them. I’d say it was also empirically demonstrated that nobody can remember how illusions work. Or that even if they do, they can’t follow the trick as it’s happening.

Jonah Lehrer at Wired picks up this theme of Penn & Teller’s brand of magic ...

[1010RD]

Outstanding article. It may also explain why we continue to elect politicians who lie to us all the time. Even when they are exposed they can still be reelected and supported despite their crimes.

This seems to be especially true in large cities with Democratic Party majorities. Maybe we just enjoy being lied to and given that we are tricked assign to the trickster certain attributes - intelligence, wisdom, etc. - thus short circuiting our morality and allowing them to lead us.

I am not being facetious. People with low moral standards who don't mind white lies, eventually find themselves believing everything. The adage from Clinton about the bigger the lie, might just fit here. People admire tricksters.

Some more than others.

[melissa_in_ga]

I was part of the “act” at a Penn & Teller show in Vegas recently. It involved my marking a .357 round with my initials on the round ball and a flower on the cartridge (I chose the picture). A guy on the other side of the stage did the same. We then put the marked rounds in the firearms - which were real. Penn & Teller shot each other and caught the rounds in their teeth. I was with Penn. My marked round ball ended up in Teller’s teeth, with my cartridge still in Penn’s chamber.

I deliberately made my initials and my flower somewhat unique. Although the ball was slightly smeared, I could tell it was mine. I have NO IDEA how they did it. Anyone?