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.
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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
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!
![]() I am honored to be featured as a "Thought Leader" at the 2020 convention of the American Psychological Association. My keynote address, entitled "Magic in the Lab: Psychological Insights from Magicians," will be a call to action for psychologists to seriously consider hypotheses from the folk psychology of magic. Update: Video of my virtual keynote address is available here. I am pleased to be part of a special episode of the long-running CBC science program, "The Nature of Things," devoted to the Science of Magic. Folks in Canada will be able to watch the episode on March 18th. A teaser is available at http://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/episodes/the-science-of-magic. I was interviewed in two episodes of the Cengage "Neuro Transmission Podcast." The first interview relates to my academic trajectory, from magician to psychologist who studies magic. The second explores my use of magic in the classroom as a tool for enhancing students' critical thinking. Both episodes are available at https://www.cengage.com/learn/neurotransmission
An interview with me appeared in The Linking Ring magazine, journal of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. You can read the piece here.
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AuthorI am an Associate Professor of Psychological Science at Carthage College, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Archives
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