A really great book about how our brains are programmed to perceive and accept what is around us. Shocking how easily we are fooled into accepting something that is not what it seems to be.
Even more shocking how much we don't see.

Or see something that clearly is not what we think it is.

Have you ever placed your keys or sunglasses someplace you normally do not set them down, and then looked around for them, when in fact you've already looked directly at where they are and not seen them?

I think there are some interesting applications to understand that are great for what we do.

It's amazing how our brains really see what we want to based on what we've seen before.

If you put an apple down on the table during a discussion with someone, keep them engaged in conversation and casually pick it up and replace it with a pear, 75% of the time the person across from you will accept that there was always a pear there.

I know a lot of this is not new to you guys, but this book is very cool.

http://www.theinvisiblegorilla.com/

This is why "eye witness" testimony is so unreliable. But try telling that to this nations prosecutors.

Cheers.

Roth

This looks like an excellent resource. Thanks for the heads up.

Cheers
Frank

Thanks, Rick! This definitely looks like a winner, and coming from you a recommendation I'm definitely looking into.

A video that illustrates this phenomenon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo

and another by the authors of the book mentioned above:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahg6qcgoay4

Suggesting to prosecutors that they should forego their reliance on eyewitness testimony would be a waste of time. Bear in mind that the job of a prosecutor is to obtain a conviction, just as the job of the defense attorney is to secure an acquital. The pursuit of justice is the purview of the judge and jury and THEY are the ones who need to be reminded of the unreliability of eyewitness testimony. Any interest in that objective on the part of the opposing attorneys, especially the prosecutors, is secondary.

BTW, several other recently published books that also address the subject of cognitive/perceptual psychology from slightly different perspectives include "Sleights of Mind" by Stephen Macknik & Susaa Martinez-Conde and "On Second Thought" by Wray Herbert.

It is, of course, unlikely that any of those books will enjoy wide readership among subscribers to the Café as they are not on DVD and don't include any videos of unshaven guys in T-shirts accosting strangers on the street to show them magic tricks.

Similarly, Richard Wiseman's book "Did You Spot The Gorilla" covers some of the same material. Wiseman is also a 'magic' hobbyist, and a Derren Brown associate (his influence on some of Brown's "Evening Of Wonders" show, was quite strong).

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Did-You-Spot-Gor......4&sr=8-1

"Quirkology" is also an excellent Wiseman book.

The official videos from the book are here

http://www.theinvisiblegorilla.com/videos.html

DB fans will note that the Door Study is VERY familiar

The first time I saw this (the first one Mind Guerrilla mentioned) I did miss the freakin' gorilla completely. Of course this was not due to any deficit in my thought processes but rather to my astonishing powers of concentration.

You know that 800 pound gorilla sitting in the room that nobody wants to talk about? I can make him completely disappear.

BTW, has anyone seen Mind Guerrilla lately? I don't see him anywhere.

Dick Christian has left the building (R.I.P) but if he were with us today I would point out that he described only the de facto situation. The job of a prosecutor, de jure, is to discover the truth whether or not it results in a conviction. Really.

But Dick described exactly how things work in the real world. A prosecutor doesn't make attorney general or governor or president by preventing the conviction of innocent men. I think the job of prosecutor, district attorney, state's attorney or whatever your jurisdiction calls the job, should be a political dead end. If you ever work as one you are forever barred from seeking any other political office.

I think we'd all be better off.

We now rejoin our thread already in progress...

I have long been a fan of the principle of "hiding something in plain sight." many fine magic routines follow this idea. Tamirez talks about the bullfight ring and how what is to be seen is in the sunlight and the things - out in the open - but nevertheless is in the shadows and not noticed.

My last show 'An Evening of Enchantment' has a revelation in plain sight as part of the programme handed out to the audience and sits on a powerpoint slide throughout the effect related to the revelation. I have used this principle with a clock in plain view throughout the show as well. Reactions are wonderful. Ian Rowland has shared a wonderful idea on this as well using a block of text, which I have modified to use powerpoint and the notion of 'framing'...

Cheers

Dr Todd

This one really blew my mind the first time I saw it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voAntzB7EwE

Watch the whole thing!

Love that trick!

[quote]. Wiseman is also a 'magic' hobbyist, [quote]
As a Member of the Magic Circle and a past Magic Castle performer (and possibly lecturer) I think the term "Hobbyist" is a slight understatement.