I was featured in a very thoughtful (and wide-ranging) piece published today in The Lever. While it started with exploration of the competition to find a piece of magic that is exclusively auditory in nature, it expanded to touch upon how politicians use techniques similar to those of magicians and a deeper analysis of the role that vision plays in our lives. It starts with a rather disgusting piece of imagery (seen above) and ends with an embarrassing one (that you'll have to seek out in the article)! Have a look at https://www.levernews.com/the-art-of-deception/.

Just in time for Halloween, a piece has been released on Yahoo!Life outlining six psychological techniques that magicians use to deceive you. I was quoted a handful of times in the story. Have a look!
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/magic-works-magicians-share-6-090006410.html

I had the pleasure to be featured in a new popular science book for young readers. “Do You Believe in Magic” explores the history of scientific interest in magical phenomena and why humans seem to have an inherent tendency toward belief in the supernatural. Author Laura Krantz interviewed experts from a variety of fields to better understand the history of belief in alchemy, magical potions, curses, and other superstitions. She also traced these beliefs forward into some of the psychology that allows modern theatrical magicians to shape the beliefs and perceptions of their audiences.

Krantz visited me in Kenosha to accompany me to a magic performance by my buddy, Joe Diamond. She later interviewed us on the interplay of science and magic…and some of the historical conflicts between the two endeavors. Ultimately, Krantz concluded that magic (in every sense of the word) has a place in the modern world, saying:

“Mysteries and things that seem like magic keep us asking questions. Even when we do know the answers, it doesn’t have to make what we’re wondering about feel any less like magic. And it’s that feeling of magic — of wonder, of curiosity, of possibility — that’s magical in and of itself, even if there are no wands involved.”

Zachary Elwood invited me to join him on his People Who Read People podcast for a discussion on how magicians manipulate their audience's attention. We had a fun chat that covered a lot of ground. I talked science and a little smack (about magicians who behave in a less-than-ethical way). Elwood's background is in reading poker tells, so he brought an interesting perspective to the discussion. Elwood shared further background about our discussion at https://behavior-podcast.com/how-magicians-misdirect-attention-and-manipulate-audiences-with-anthony-barnhart/. Stream the episode below.

In April, the Carthage Adventures in Fandom & Cosplay club hosted their annual CarthageCon event (inspired by Comic Con). I was invited to put together a panel to discuss something in the realm of magic, and I landed on a discussion of why magic sucks. Of course, I don't actually think magic sucks (although a lot of it is subpar). I invited Victoria Richter (a student who has taken my Cognitive Science of Magic class and who has seen LOTS of good magic) and John Sturk (the current national president of the Society of American Magicians) to join me on the panel. We discussed some of the historical barriers of entry to the magic community, including magic's whiteness and maleness. We also addressed how many of the tropes of magic are deeply grounded in misogyny. However, we also talked about current trends in magic, including DEI committees and movement towards audience-centric, narrative-driven magic...magic that makes you feel something. John Sturk talked about his experience on the panel in his monthly column in M-U-M Magazine, the official publication of the Society of American Magicians. You can read his piece here.

I had a fun conversation with my friend, Andy Luttrell, on his "Opinion Science"podcast. We covered a lot of ground, from magic and mentalism to attention to education to skepticism. Andy's pedigree is similar to mine; he was a mentalist before he was a psychologist. Consequently, we went down some fun rabbit holes. As the kids say, "smash that 'like' button and subscribe" to Andy's podcast.

Today, September 2, 2022, is World Magic Day. Coincidentally, it also marks the release of a special issue of Vanish Magazine devoted to the interaction of science and magic. The issue includes a piece by me, exploring the pedagogical value of using magic in the classroom. It also includes pieces from many of my friends and colleagues, including Gustav Kuhn, Jason Leddington, Jeanette Andrews, Jamy Ian Swiss, and Richard Wiseman. The issue is free to download at https://joom.ag/IjId.

I had a lengthy conversation with Milena Korostenskaja for her Neurocareers Podcast...So lengthy that it will be broken into two parts! We covered a lot of ground, from the science of magic to how undergraduate students can set themselves up for success in graduate school and on the job market. The first part is out now. I'll update this post once the second part becomes available.

08/29/2022 Update: And Part 2 is now available!

I had the pleasure of joining my colleague, Dr. Kateryna Sylaska, for a virtual discussion of the psychology of awe, organized by the Purposeful Planning Institute. We had a fun conversation that highlighted some of the mysteries of awe (and the inconsistencies in the awe research program).

In the lead-up to my Darwin Day talk for the Dubuque Area Humanists, I was interviewed by Cindy Kohlmann for her KDTH "Voices of the Tri-States" program. It was a nice reminder for me that scientific skepticism (not to be confused with science skepticism) is a foreign perspective to many. Have a listen below!

My colleague, Gregory Berg, invited me on his daily radio show to discuss my J-Term course devoted to the Cognitive Science of Magic. Of course, our discussion veered in some other directions, as it always does. Have a listen!

I had the pleasure of moderating a rich conversation on magic and creativity for the Science of Magic Association. My panelists were an international group of magicians and creativity researchers including David Parr, Cyril Thomas, Matt Pritchard, and Amory Danek. The video is available below, and accompanying content is available at https://scienceofmagicassoc.org/blog/2021/8/23/magic-creativity-webinar.

I was interviewed by Eric Hunley on his "Unstructured" livestream on topics from magic to skepticism to handwriting and more. https://youtu.be/UgMgE1gOaDs
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After hearing some false claims about graphology in the media, I appeared on the WGTD Morning Show with Greg Berg for a rebuttal. You can listen to the interview at https://www.wgtd.org/playlist/morning-show/carthage-professor-dr-anthony-barnhart-handwriting-and-magic

I was interviewed on the Society of American Magicians "Backstage" podcast. It was a really fun chat about the history of interaction between scientists and magicians. Enjoy! ​