The brain that is deceived
- mié, 14 oct
- CaixaForum Palma
How does magic work? How do magicians create those effects that seem impossible? Stage illusion is an ancient art that relies on methods and manoeuvres kept secret from the audience — and it is also a fascinating field of study for neuroscience. Experts in this craft play with the capacities and strategies of the human brain, intervening in how it processes information. From illusionism have come refined techniques that exploit the brain’s vulnerabilities, producing effects that seem to overflow the limits of human perception. Some of these effects work by interfering with cognitive processes and strategies we use constantly — attention, perception, memory, or decision-making. The human brain does not process all the information it receives; it selects what seems most relevant, which makes it susceptible to deception. Magicians take advantage of precisely these mechanisms to create astonishing illusions. In this lecture, Dr Jordi Camí will reveal some of the ways they manage to fool us. Through real examples and everyday life, we will see how illusionism exploits the failures of the human cognitive system to make the “impossible” possible. Jordi Camí, MD, specialist in Clinical Ph…