CBC Radio: Jason Osler interviews Mel Jones and Julie Eng

Listen to Jason Osler interview Mel Jones and Julie Eng "Why aren't there many female magicians?" on the the January 10th episode of "Columnists from CBC Radio."

[via The Magic Demon]

 

 

 

 

ICYMI: CBC Vancouver remembers Houdini on the 100th anniversary of his visit to Vancouver

From the February 28th article "Houdini's daring Vancouver escape was 100 years ago this week" by Michelle Gomez and Andrew Kurjata, on the CBC website:

He "furiously struggled" for three minutes and 29 seconds, according to the paper's report, and when he showed he was free, "a cheer arose and swelled into a roar."

And while it may have been showmanship, Houdini had praise for the audience, as well, calling it "the greatest outdoor crowd I have ever seen."

Houdini's final years
The visit was a part of an East-to-West tour through several Canadian cities, according to Pellatt. A few days earlier, the magician had made similar headlines in Winnipeg.

At the time of his Vancouver show, Houdini was 49 years old. He died from a ruptured appendix just three years later.

...

"He was trying to tell us that you can escape the boundaries of your own daily limitations in different ways ... I think, in many ways, it was a metaphor for people's own humdrum lives."

"And I think people then and now still need that kind of hero to look at and to maybe aspire to."

Read more.

 

From CBC Radio One Vancouver (On The Coast):

Rod Chow and The Magic Demon speak with Kathryn Marlow about the famous magician's stop 100 years ago.

Listen to the interview online.

 

 

 

 

 

Rod Chow and The Magic Demon to discuss Houdini in Vancouver on CBC Radio One Vancouver

Rod Chow will join The Magic Demon in studio today to discuss Houdini in Vancouver on CBC Radio One Vancouver (on line and locally at 88.1 FM and 690 AM) at 5:20 pm PT (8:20 pm ET)

[Guest post] 100th anniversary of Houdini appearing in Vancouver, BC

Edited at 8:30am to add the link to the article "Houdini's daring Vancouver escape was 100 years ago this week" by Michelle Gomez and Andrew Kurjata, published today on the CBC website.

 

The following is a guest post from an author who wishes to be known as The Magic Demon.

--

100th ANNIVERSARY OF HOUDINI APPEARING IN VANCOUVER BC

It was one hundred years ago today (Feb 28th, 1923) that the legendary Harry Houdini made his one and only stop over in Vancouver BC for three days and four nights of thrilling vaudeville shows which were prefaced by his awesome upside down straight-jacket release while hanging high above an outdoor street crowd estimated in the thousands.

Canada's Magic provided reconstituted coverage of the auspicious event on its 94th anniversary, which you can find here: [Guest post] Houdini in Vancouver: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, and part 7.

CBC Radio One Vancouver (on line and locally at 88.1 FM and 690 AM) plans to mark the memorable occasion with a brief interview about Houdini in Vancouver with our very own Magic Demon, author of our reconstituted coverage. It's scheduled for today, Tuesday Feb. 28th at 5:20 pm PT (8:20 pm ET) although it is subject to last minute changes as the CBC Radio One afternoon program, On The Coast, provides updated breaking news which may even pre-empt the irrepressible Houdini!

There has also been an accompanying on-line print interview by CBC Vancouver reporter Michelle Gomez about Houdini in Vancouver which will also appear on the CBC News site. You can also find it by googling the reporter's name and adding Houdini in Vancouver.
[Edited to add:  Here's the link to the CBC article "Houdini's daring Vancouver escape was 100 years ago this week"]

So happy 100th anniversary Harry! We trust you enjoyed your time visiting Vancouver as much as Vancouver enjoyed hosting you. I'm sure you'd be beyond pleased to know we remember you and we're still talking about you.

- The Magic Demon

--

Thank you The Magic Demon for guest posting at Canada's Magic!

 

 

 

 

FISM 2022 in CBC News

From the July 29th upload "World’s best magicians gather in Canada for championship" by CBC News: The National:

 

 

From the July 28th article "The best magicians in the world are gathering in Canada this week" by Joseph Pugh at the CBC:

Two Canadians are competing this year, including Yannick Lacroix from Quebec and Cobalt, who will be competing in the close-up card magic category.

"I'm excitedly terrified," Cobalt told CBC News. He qualified for the championship after competing in an event last fall for the first time.

The Toronto-based magician says there is added stress and excitement when thinking about the audience.

"It's literally every great magician I grew up reading about … or ask[ed] for an autograph who's going to be in there now watching me do this act."

There's a lot on the line for the magicians, according to Canadian illusionist Greg Frewin.

"If you place even in the top three of this competition, your life changes," he says.

Frewin speaks from experience having won first place in the general magic category at the 1994 world championships in Yokohama, Japan. He currently performs shows at the Greg Frewin theatre in Niagara Falls, Ont., and has been training the next generation of magicians. One of his students, Ding Yang of China, is also competing at FISM.

"I can't give away what she does, but I will say this, there is one part of her act that nobody, male or female, has ever done and probably won't do for a long time because of the skill level and the skill set besides magic that it takes."

Read more.

 

 

 

 

Loran interviewed on C'est ça la vie

From the November 8th Facebook post by Loran Magie (translated by Facebook):

If you want to know me better, here's a recorded interview for the program ′′ C ' est est la vie ′′ broadcast on the channel TELUS. But here you will discover not the magician, but rather the ′′ person ′′ behind the character. I tell my personal life journey. It's not always easy to be an artist in your soul, but it's my life and I wouldn't change it.

CBC's The Amazing and Astounding Invisible Women of Magic

From the February 22nd post "The women of magic are much more than 'lovely assistants'" CBC Radio:

Sawing a woman in half, a hemicorporectomy, is a classic illusion. And a classic role for women in magic — the pretty helpmeet, assisting men as they dazzle and enchant their audiences. But women are busting out of the boxes.

Frank Faulk's documentary, which was first broadcast a decade ago, is called "The Amazing and Astounding Invisible Women of Magic."

Read more and listen to interview.

The Magic Circle of Saint John in the CBC

From the January 26th article "Inside the spellbinding world of Saint John's Magic Circle" by Julia Wright in the CBC:

The former Carnegie library in Saint John is a pretty ideal place for a magicians meeting.

It certainly has the right ambience: a 115-year-old, brick, Beaux-Arts-style building with a stained-glass skylight and mosaic floors.

Every month the Saint John Arts Centre hosts the Magic Circle of Saint John — a haven for sleight-of-hand artists, ventriloquists, jugglers, mind-readers, and other practitioners of unusual feats and magical effects.

The Magic Circle of Saint John is a haven for sleight-of-hand artists, ventriloquists, jugglers, mind-readers, and other practitioners of unusual feats and magical effects. 1:04
The club encourages aspiring magicians to develop their skills and "think out of the box," said club president Tabraze Sheikh, a self-professed fan of "puzzles, hard-to-answer questions, and mystery."

Read more and watch video.

The Thrillusionists: May 4th premier

Updated at 8am to add:

• Suspicion confirmed, Sorcerers Safari alumnus Brad Bond is one of the three stars in The Thrillusionists!
• From the April 27th article "Tricky Orillia teen set to make magical debut on CBC series" in Barrie Today:

  Brad Bond has been fascinated by trickery, sleight-of-hand and the mystery of illusions since he received a magic kit from his grandparents as a Christmas present when he was 10-years-old.
  
  But for him, this has never been child’s play. Bond, now 16, has approached the craft like a professional, painstakingly working on his technique, delivery and persona. That work has paid off.
  
  The Grade 10 Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School student was one of three youths chosen – more than 1,000 auditioned from coast to coast – to host The Thrillusionists, a ground-breaking magic show set to make its debut next month.
  
  “It’s almost surreal,” Bond says of his new gig. “It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was very young.”

I have a sneaking suspicion that a Sorcerers Safari alumnus is one of the Thrillusionists!


From The Thrillusionists Facebook page:

The Thrillusionists will PREMIERE on CBCKIDS.CA and on-demand MAY 4TH 2018!!! Stay tuned to this page for news update, live appearances and more! Thanks for watching and have a magical day! Bought to you by CBC Kids & 5'7 Films

From the CBC:

The Thrillusionists explored the mystical and fascinating world of magic with kid magicians! Our team of three master magicians are guaranteed to blow your mind!

Watch as they travel the city of Toronto, gaining access to various VIP locations — backstage at concerts, professional sports arenas and amusement parks — and perform their trickery for celebrities!

The Thrillusionists is brought to you by television-magic masterminds who have worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Criss Angel, David Blaine, Dynamo and David Copperfield.

The Thrillusionists are two boys and one girl (ages 8-12). This is the first magic series that involves kid magicians performing “grown up” illusions, all to delight and entertain kids!

Read more.

Check out the Thrillusionists YouTube channel.

Who are the top 10 Canadian magicians of all time?

Updated April 3rd at 6pm to add the following nominations:

• Celeste Evans and Reveen The Impossiblist (Reveen Sr.)

Updated March 31st at 9pm to add the following nominations:

• Greg Frewin and Mahdi Gilbert

Updated March 29 at 7am to add the following nominations:

• Billy Kidd, Carisa Hendrix, Joan Caesar, and Julie Eng

Updated March 24 at 10am to add the following nominations:

• Alain Choquette, David Drake, Mickey Hades, and Shin Lim

Updated March 23 at 9am add the following nominations:

• Bob Farmer, Carl Coultier, Francis Martineau, Gary Ouelette, Howard P. Lions, Mel Stover, Romaine, Roy Cotte, Tom Ransom, Tony Eng, Willis Kinney

Updated March 23 at 7am add the following overnight nominations:

• Additional submissions:  Bedros "Spidey" Akkelian, Bill Abbott, Bobby Motta, Dale Harney, Eric Leclerc, Johnny  Giordmaine, Juliana Chen, Leon Mandrake, Sid Lorraine, Stewart James, Ron Leonard, and Vincent C

Updated at 12:15pm to add:

• Additional submissions: Darcy Oake, Luc Langevin, Murray Hatfield, Ross Bertram, Tom Auburn

Updated at 10:15am to add:

• The following names have been submitted for consideration:  Chris Ramsay, Dai Vernon, David Acer, David Ben, Doug Henning, Gary Kurtz, James Randi, Jay Sankey, Martin Nash, Richard Sanders, Shawn Farquhar

Complete list of nominations received (alphabetical by first name):

1. Alain Choquette
2. Bedros "Spidey" Akkelian
3. Bill Abbott
4. Billy Kidd
5. Bob Farmer
6. Bobby Motta
7. Carisa Hendrix
8. Carl Coultier
9. Celeste Evans
10. Chris Ramsay
11. Dai Vernon
12. Dale Harney
    
13. Darcy Oake
14. David Acer 
15. David Ben
16. David Drake
17. Doug Henning
18. Francis Martineau
19. Eric Leclerc
    
20. Gary Kurtz
21. Gary Ouelette
22. Greg Frewin
23. Howard P. Lions
24. James Randi
25. Jay Sankey
26. Joan Caesar
27. Joel Machtinger
28. Johnny Giordmaine
29. Juliana Chen
30. Julie Eng
31. Leon Mandrake
    
32. Luc Langevin
33. Mahdi Gilbert
34. Martin Nash
35. Mel Stover
36. Mickey Hades
37. Murray Hatfield
38. Reveen The Impossiblist (Reveen Sr.)
39. Richard Sanders
40. Romaine
41. Ron Leonard
    
42. Ross Bertram
43. Roy Cotte
44. Shawn Farquhar 
45. Shin Lim
46. Sid Lorraine
47. Stewart James
48. Tom Auburn
49. Tom Ransom
50. Tony Eng
51. Vincent C
52. Willis Kinney

Devon Murphy recently posted the article, "Top Canadian Magicians and the Tricks That Made Them Famous," at the CBC website.  Devon lists seven outstanding magicians (Julie Eng, Dai Vernon,  Doug Henning, Billy Kidd, Mahdi Gilbert, Greg Frewin, and David Ben).  (Of note, two of the seven on that list are recipients of the "Editor's Choice Award" in the Canada's Magic "Readers' Choice Award" festivities.)

Devon's list got me wondering.

Who do you, dear readers, consider to be the top 10 Canadian magicians of all time?

For those of you who don't like to be influenced by the decisions of others, we're going to start with a clean slate and let you choose all ten!

Submit your nominations in the comment form below,* by 11:59PM EDT on Friday April 6th.  You may nominate as many Canadian magicians as you like.  (Number of nominations don't influence the vote.  If you see your choice(s) listed, please refrain from submitting duplicates.)  Voting will open shortly thereafter.  

What say you?  Who are your top (living or dead) Canadian magicians of all time?


--
* or email me.  I'll send a confirmation back to let you know I received your email.

Random thoughts about "The Science of Magic" on CBC's "The Nature of Things"

Updated at 9:30am to add links to: 

•  MORE TRICKERY FROM THE MAGICIANS FEATURED IN THE SCIENCE OF MAGIC from the CBC,
• WHAT MAGIC HAS TAUGHT US ABOUT HOW THE BRAIN WORKS from the CBC, and 
• The CBC promo page for The Science of Magic

"The Science of Magic" boasts an extraordinary list of participants, which include: Julie Eng, Ronald Rensink, Jay Olson, Gustav Kuhn, Anthony Barnhart, Amory Danek, Matthew Tompkins, Thomas Strandberg, Billy Kidd, Tom Stone, Thomas Fraps, Pit Hartling, and Juan Tamariz.

Had I known it was possible to do university level research involving the magician's force, mind-reading MRIs, or magic beans*, I may have reconsidered the focus of my post-secondary education.

I am, however, on the ball enough to jump at a chance to take an advance peek at (and ask questions about) "The Science of Magic," a documentary that examines these subjects and more!

Tune in to "The Science of Magic" on CBC’s "The Nature of Things" on Sunday, March 18, 2018 at 8PM (8:30 NT). The documentary will also be available to watch online at cbc.ca/natureofthings on Friday, March 16 from 5:00 pm EST.

When Donna and Daniel Zuckerbrot from Reel Time Images (who brought us  "Dai Vernon – The Spirit of Magic," "Max Maven: a fabulous monster," "The Houdini Code,"' and "Jeff McBride: a magickal life" among other titles) realized how much research was going on in the field of science and magic, they knew they had to investigate it further.
 

"You can see that the real question about our film 'The Science of Magic' isn’t why we wanted to make it, but rather, how could we not have?"
-- Donna Zuckerbrot

Julie Eng's reaction to being brought on board the project?

"I was thrilled. I have known the Zuckerbrots for many years and I am a big fan of their work."

  "The idea of using magic as a mechanism for study into how we think, and how we perceive the world is fascinating for me.  It was a huge honour to be asked to be the 'magical guide' for this film."

"Magicians don't have supernatural powers. Instead what they do is exploit very powerful and often very surprising limitations in human cognition."

-- Gustav Kuhn

In "The Science of Magic," the Zuckerbrots along with magical host Julie Eng, take us across Canada, the US, and Europe to visit with scientists using magic as an investigative tool in their exploration of cognition and behaviour.  (Pay close attention to catch cameos by Daniel Zuckerbrot, David Ben, and magic enthusiast Ari.)

The show is full of fascinating insights sure to capture the attention of those who like to be entertained by magic, those who perform magic, as well as those who are interested in psychology and behaviour.  There are even opportunities to participate in on air magic tricks!  From the press release:

"... viewers are able to feel the power of magic from the comfort of their homes and experience some of the psychological principles these tricks reveal (including ‘magicians choice,’ and choice blindness,' ‘failure to see,’ ‘change blindness,’ inattentional blindness, as well as the ‘aha’ moment)."

I'm not too proud to admit that on more than one occasion Julie had me right where she wanted.  I was also properly schooled by Anthony Barnhart.



On the other hand, I did well with Ronald Rensink's challenge and some of the other ones too!

Julie also teaches a coin trick that even I could master, with a little practice.

"We take these principles that magicians know, we bring them into the lab and we try and figure out how they work."

-- Jay Olson

It is humbling (and a bit disconcerting) to discover, as the press release describes, that "we sometimes don't see what's right under our noses," "we see tricks that fool us despite nothing actually happening," and that "we can be blind even to our own choices."

"We were all surprised at how magical the science was. It was astonishing to realize that we don’t see what we think we are seeing, that our memories are as slippery as our perceptions, that who we are — even our deeply held beliefs can change without us knowing. Like good magic the science left us with a feeling of wonder."  
-- the Zuckerbrots

For some behind the scenes photos have a look at the Reel Time Images Facebook page, Instagram account, or Twitter feed.  I look forward to hearing Daniel's thoughts at his Browser's Bash mini-talk.

During the making of the documentary, Julie said she was pleased to learn that "old magic tricks that I have known and have performed since I was a child can still have a deep and profound affect on people, particularly with the right presentation."


There are a variety of real world applications to the knowledge gained:

• Work on "how small distractions can blind drivers" can help improve driver safety.  ("Driver looked but failed to see" is an actual category of accident!)

Anthony Barnhart's studies showing how "off beats" work across sensory systems, help me better understand my habit of turning off my radio when I'm in a situation that requires my full attention.

• Suggestion-based treatments have promising uses in the medical field.
• The Zuckerbrots noted that Rensink's findings with respect to 'change blindness' "seems to underlie film editing.  It is apparently the reason why you don’t notice the change of pictures, from wide shot to close up for example, while you are watching a film."  
• In addition to psychology benefiting from the insights discovered using magic as an investigative tool, the Zuckerbrots observed that "some magicians believe they have already gained from what they’ve learned from psychologists.  Tom Stone is a great example, he certainly credits work he did with experimental psychologists as having changed his own performance in fundamental ways."
• Julie posits that "... from learning how intention and actions (movement) can help create smoother technical manipulation, to how it can mask the most technical sleight… is useful."  After all, she continues,

"If we can use science and technology to work out the perfect angle for speed skaters to maximize physics to their advantage, why can we not benefit from learning more about human behaviour and cognition to advance our field?"

"Each of these areas can bring a lot of insights to magicians to heighten the “magic" experience for audiences."

Is there anything else you'd like our readers to know about the show? 

"We hope they find watching it as interesting and as much fun as we did making it." 

-- the Zuckerbrots

"Bring their eyes and ears (and to be prepared to have fun!)"    -- Julie Eng

I certainly had fun learning and I'm sure you will too!  (As the scientific field evolves, I hope they'll film a second part.)

Tune in to "The Science of Magic" on CBC’s "The Nature of Things" on Sunday, March 18, 2018 at 8PM (8:30 NT). The documentary will also be available to watch online at cbc.ca/natureofthings on Friday, March 16 from 5:00 pm EST.



--
* Maybe they're really magic. Who knows? **
** With apologies to Stephen Sondheim.

Watch "The Science of Magic" on CBC’s "The Nature of Things" Sunday, March 18

Edited March 15th to add links to: 

• Canada's Magic's post Random thoughts about "The Science of Magic" on CBC's "The Nature of Things"
• MORE TRICKERY FROM THE MAGICIANS FEATURED IN THE SCIENCE OF MAGIC from the CBC,
• WHAT MAGIC HAS TAUGHT US ABOUT HOW THE BRAIN WORKS from the CBC, and 
• The CBC promo page for The Science of Magic

Edited on March 7th to add:

•  The CBC has posted a 1 minute promo and a 1+ minute excerpt of the show at http://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/episodes/the-science-of-magic

Edited on March 6th to add:

• Welcome GeniiOnline readers! Watch this space for updates about the show, including any announcements about international viewing opportunities.

Ever since it was first announced, we've been eagerly awaiting the air date of the Reel Time Images' CBC documentary on magic and science, featuring Julie Eng.

I'm delighted to announce that the show is scheduled to air on the CBC’s "The Nature of Things" on Sunday, March 18!

The show boasts an extraordinary list of participants, which include:  Julie Eng, Ronald Rensink, Jay Olson, Gustav Kuhn, Anthony Barnhart, Amory Danek, Matthew Tompkins, Thomas Strandberg, Billy Kidd, Tom Stone, Thomas Fraps, Pit Hartling, and Juan Tamariz.

I can hardly wait!


From “The Science of Magic” press release:

THE SCIENCE OF MAGIC

produced, directed and written by

Donna Zuckerbrot and Daniel Zuckerbrot

With magical guide Julie Eng

Toronto-based magicienne and executive director of Canada’s magical arts organization Magicana

World Broadcast Premiere on CBC’s The Nature of Things

Sunday, March 18, 2018 – 8PM (8:30 NT)

“The scientific community, I believe, can learn a lot about both the principles that magicians use as well the unique experience that magic elicits. By using new tools and scientific theory to understand why these principles work, scientists can really learn about the limits of human cognition.”

•             Gustav Kuhn, Cognitive Psychologist, Goldsmiths University of London

“Magicians and scientists both have learnt that it's our own mysterious consciousness that casts the spell, weaving reality from fleeting impressions. So, even when you don't know it, you are the magician.”

•             Julie Eng, Magicienne, Executive Director Magicana

Reel Time Images is pleased to announce the world broadcast premiere of their new documentary, The Science of Magic. Directed by Donna and Daniel Zuckerbrot, and with magical guide Julie Eng, Toronto-based magicienne and executive director of Canada’s magical arts organization Magicana, The Science of Magic can be seen on CBC’s The Nature of Things on Sunday, March 18, 2018 at 8PM (8:30 NT). The documentary will also be available to watch online at cbc.ca/natureofthings on Friday, March 16 from 5:00 pm EST.


Magic has become the latest investigative tool for scientists exploring human cognition, neurobiology, and behaviour.  Across Canada, the US and Europe, The Science of Magic follows researchers and scientists who are bringing magicians’ tricks into the laboratory.   This extraordinary exploration peeks behind the curtain into a fascinating world where ancient magic meets modern science.

Colourful, compelling and interactive, this film takes a critical and engaging look at the fascinating facts revealed when you see the human mind through the eyes of a magician.  With opportunities to participate in on-air magic tricks, viewers are able to feel the power of magic from the comfort of their homes and experience some of the psychological principles these tricks reveal (including ‘magicians choice’, and choice blindness”, 'failure to see’, ‘change blindness’, inattentional blindness, as well as the ‘aha’ moment).

Acting as guide for much of the evening, Julie Eng mystifies with her magical talents, using card tricks to show how magic can be used to explore human consciousness. Alongside these simple tricks are more elaborate scientific experiments.  Jay Olson, a performer of magic since his youth, is completing his PhD in psychiatry at McGill University in Montreal. There, Olson is one of the scientists spearheading a novel and powerful approach to experimental psychology.  At the Montreal Neurological Institute, we join him for an extraordinary demonstration involving an MRI machine that seems not only to read minds, but to also use its electro-magnetic fields to manipulate your most private thoughts.

Professor Ronald Rensink at the University of British Columbia discovered how small distractions can blind drivers to obvious dangers. He believes that magicians’ practical knowledge about how to fool the eye and the mind can fuel important new research in vision science and psychology in general.

In the US professor Anthony Barnhart, a magician turned scientist is using magic principles to investigate why we sometimes don’t see what’s right under our noses. We also meet Professor Amory Danek who is using the conjuror’s craft to study creativity and problem solving. 

In London England Gustav Kuhn conducts a study along with Canadian magician Billy Kidd, that tracks the eye movements of the magician’s audience. We see tricks that fool us despite nothing actually happening, as well as demonstrations that reveal we can be blind even to our own choices.

As surprising as many of these magic tricks are, the ultimate reveal, as Julie tells us just before she vanishes in front of our eyes, is that the true magician is our own brain — weaving reality out of fleeting impressions.



--
THE SCIENCE OF MAGIC - PARTICIPANTS

Julie Eng
http://www.magicienne.com
Born in Victoria BC into a family of magicians, Julie Eng has been appearing on stage from an early age.  Julie has developed a refreshing and distinctive style which combines a mix of elegance, surprise and humour. Besides performing, she is currently the executive director of Canada’ magical arts organization, Magicana which is dedicated to the study, exploration and advancement of magic as a performing art.


Ronald Rensink
https://psych.ubc.ca/persons/ronald-rensink/
Professor Rensink grew up in Whitby, Ontario and has taught at the University of British Columbia (UBC) since 2000. An authority on vision in humans and machines, his seminal paper on “change blindness” has become one of the most cited papers in the field of cognitive psychology. His studies of perception and consciousness have led him to work with magicians. He believes that magicians’ practical knowledge about how to fool the eye and the mind, can fuel important new research in vision science and psychology in general.


Jay Olson
https://www.jayolson.org
A performer of magic since his youth, Jay is currently completing his PhD in psychiatry at McGill University. Jay Olsen is looking at how magic, deception and suggestion can be used to create new methods in psychology. His studies show how magicians influence their audience and how people can be deceived into believing a machine is controlling their mind. His current work is on the potential use of machines as placebos.


Gustav Kuhn
https://www.gold.ac.uk/psychology/staff/kuhn/
Dr. Kuhn is a cognitive psychologist at Goldsmiths University of London. He went to England originally to perform magic and ended up staying and studying psychology. He is one of the founders of The Society of Magic Association (SOMA), and uses the methods of magic to study a range of questions about how we perceive and think about the world. His research focuses on magic, and explores how magicians allow people to experience the impossible.


Anthony Barnhart
https://www.carthage.edu/live/profiles/1492-anthony-barnhart
Dr. Barnhart is a professor of psychology at Carthage College in Kenosha. Wisconsin. His many years as a magician inform his studies of how our attention is misled in daily life. His research explores the wealth of principles used by magicians, but still unknown to psychology.


Amory Danek
http://www.amorydanek.de
Dr. Danek is associated with the psychology department at the University of Heidelberg. Her research using magic (with the cooperation of magician Thomas Fraps) is focused on insight. Her current research is aimed at disentangling the various ways of thinking and feeling that together make up the “aha experience”. Another aspect of her research involving magic uses behavioural and neuroimaging experiments. This work is centred on identify brain regions that come into play when our expectations are violated (e.g. something mysteriously appears, disappears, or acts contrary to what normally happens).


Matthew Tompkins
https://www.psy.ox.ac.uk/team/matthew-tompkins
Matt Tompkins a part-time professional magician since he was 14 is currently the Jr. Dean at the Queen’s College Oxford University where he is a doctoral student in the department of Experimental Psychology. He uses his knowledge of magical techniques to investigate the interplay between attention, illusions and beliefs.


Thomas Strandberg
http://www.lucs.lu.se/choice-blindness-group/
Thomas Strandberg currently does research in the cognitive sciences at Sweden’s Lund University.He is affiliated with the Choice Blindness Laboratory. They use a variety of methods, including magicians’ tricks to study how our preferences, attitudes and choices change with the feedback we receive about them.


Billy Kidd
http://www.billykiddshow.com
Billy Kidd has been an actor in theatre, film, and television since she was 11. Her career as a magician began when, after graduating from the University of Alberta’s theatre program, she happened to see a magician busking on the streets in Edmonton. Here fascination with magic and especially street magic eventually led to international TV appearances and performances all over the world.


Tom Stone
Tom Stone is the stage name of Swedish magician, editor and author Thomas Bengtsson. One of Scandinavia’s foremost magicians, he is rarely to be found at home in Stockholm, Sweden. He spends a great deal of time traveling the world performing and lecturing. His books on magic, and creativity are considered modern classics by many of his fellow magicians.


Thomas Fraps
http://www.thomasfraps.com/english/index_e.html
A former student of physics, Thomas Fraps is an award-winning professional magician whose performances combine illusion, comedy and science. He has worked with a number of scientists including with Professor Amory Danek for whose experiments in problem solving he designed and performed a wide variety of magic tricks.


Pit Hartling
http://pithartling.de/en/
An extremely popular performer not only in his home of Germany but throughout the world. The author of two acclaimed books for magicians Hartling is as much in demand as a lecturer and teacher of magic as he is as an entertainer.


Juan Tamariz
Born in 1942 Juan Tamariz-Martel Negrón in  Madrid, Spain he is known professionally as Juan Tamariz or simply as Tamariz. He is regarded as a national treasure in Spain, and an international treasure by his fans around the world. Based on his encyclopediac knowledge, his skill and creativity Tamariz is recognized by most of the world’s magical greats as the greatest magician alive.

--
The Science of Magic is produced, directed and written by Donna Zuckerbrot and Daniel Zuckerbrot.  It is produced by Reel Time Images in association with CBC, with the Participation of the Canada Media Fund, the Canadian Film or Video Tax Credit, and the Ontario Tax Credit.

Chris Ramsay in the CBC news

From the CBC:

David Blaine is running into some serious competition as the most viewed street magician on YouTube with Saint-Sauveur's Chris Ramsay edging his way into top spots.

Ramsay said his love of magic started as a child and blossomed when he noticed he could make extra tips performing tricks while he worked as a bartender.

Now, he performs bigger and better tricks for millions of YouTube viewers.

It all started with a street magic video shot in 2014 with the help of a friend, much like Blaine's, but "in my own way, with my own flare, and obviously my own budget," Ramsay told CBC Montreal's Homerun.

Read more and watch videos.

Ottawa: David Acer recording "The Debaters"

From The Comedy Nest's Twitter feed:

Catch all these #Montreal pats & ex-pats recording @cbcdebaters in #Ottawa Feb. 9 & 10. Tix: https://t.co/ppOi14ECP9 pic.twitter.com/vpvZxmaB5H

— Comedy Nest Montreal (@comedynest) December 15, 2015

Clowns vs Magicians

From CBC:

When it comes to kids parties, who makes the better entertainer? A clown or a magician? Pat Thornton champions the clown and Dave Acer endorses the magician.

Read more and listen to a clip.

Details about Halifax Houdini Seance

From John Cox at Wild About Harry:

Official Houdini Séance will Haunt the

Halifax Citadel on Halloween

Famous Canadian fort to host an evening of
magic, mystery and history

Harry Houdini spent a month in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1896. This Halloween, some are hoping the legendary escape artist will return to the harbour city. The 2013 Official Houdini Séance is set to convene at historic Citadel Hill, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada on October 31.

Before he died on Halloween in 1926, Houdini promised to send a message from the Great Beyond. His widow Beatrice held the first ten séances on the anniversary of his death, and each year since the Official Houdini Séance has been held in a city where Houdini performed. It is now organized by an American consortium of Houdini experts, piloted by Tom Boldt and Bill Radner, son of Sidney Radner who was caretaker of the Séance from 1947-2010. Halifax organizer is Nova Scotia author and Houdini historian Bruce MacNab.

Read more and buy tickets.

From the CBC:

Goulish thrill seekers in Halifax will be looking for signs of legendary magician Harry Houdini’s return from the grave this Halloween night.
Houdini, whose real name was Ehrich Weisz, died in Detroit at the age of 52 on Oct. 31, 1926. He was buried in Machpelah Cemetery in Queens, N.Y.

Just before he passed away, he promised his wife he'd send a message from the great beyond, if it was possible.

Since his death 87 years ago, there's been a séance — somewhere in the world — every Halloween night. This year it will be held in Halifax.  

Read more.

CBC: Luc Langevin on the Pénélope McQuade show

From the Pénélope McQuade show:

Enfin Réellement sur scène!

En 2009, Luc Langevin commençait à faire connaître ses talents sur le petit écran. En 2012, il devient la référence en matière d’illusion au Québec. Il a, bien qu’il ne soit âgé que de 30 ans, 20 années d’expérience en tant que magicien et illusionniste.

C’est à compter du 15 août que Luc Langevin présentera son tout premier spectacle, Réellement sur scène. 

Read more and listen to interview.

Luc Langevin on CBC Radio One

From the CBC:

Quebec illusionist Luc Langevin is bending minds -- and forks. With Quebec City's upcoming Magic Festival, he's encouraging others to learn magic, and tells us what kind of miracles it performed for him.



Read more and listen to the interview.
 

MAGIE | Mise en vente des billets demain samedi pour @luclangevin – Réellement sur scène présenté @le_capitole les 8 et 9 novembre 2013
— Quoi Faire à Québec (@QuoiFaireaQc) April 5, 2013

Visit 2tickets.ca to see a calendar of Luc's other upcoming shows.

CBC: Magic world standoff over tricks of the trade

Should magic secrets be kept secret?

From the CBC:

Professional magicians dazzle audiences, but in the age of Google and instant answers, might tell-all books and video explainers forever expose what's up performers' sleeves?

According to Alex Stone, author of Fooling Houdini and a practising magician who has competed in The Magic Olympics, it's high time to reveal the magic world's secrets to the public.

Read more.

Watch the video (including comments by David Ben and Julie Eng):

[h/t: Sharing Wonder]

CBC: Ryan Joyce on Being Jann

This morning on the CBC show Being Jann, Jann Arden chatted with Ryan Joyce about his passion for magic.

Ryan created this video tribute to Jann called "Meaningful Deceptions" using her song "Hanging By A Thread."
 



Visit the CBC website to listen to Jann Arden interview Ryan Joyce.  (Ryan starts about at about the 25:30 mark.)