Public Speaking

 Anthony Barnhart is a dynamic and engaging public speaker on topics surrounding science, pseudoscience, superstition, and magic. His goal as a speaker is to arouse curiosity about the mind and instill a healthy skepticism in his audiences. Contact Tony to inquire about a keynote address for your public or private event. He has different presentations pitched for different audiences:
Click here for a list of Tony's upcoming public speaking engagements.
Magic in the lab: Psychological insights from magicians
Recent years have seen widespread interest in a “science of magic” that learns from the psychological insights and methods of magicians, who are themselves informal cognitive scientists testing their hypotheses in the real world. In just the last decade, renowned magicians have authored papers meant to be read not by magicians, but by scientists who study attention and perception. In his presentation, Dr. Barnhart will discuss the long history of interaction between psychologists and magicians. Along the way, using live performance and video, he will introduce some of the techniques and theories from the world of magic that have inspired research in laboratories around the world (including his own).
Do you believe in magic? The causes and correlates of magical thinking
We all hold weird, irrational beliefs about the world around us. In fact, you probably hold some irrational beliefs that aren't even available to your consciousness! In this presentation, Dr. Barnhart will discuss the evolutionary and environmental factors that impact our tendencies toward magical thinking and the experiments that have shaped our understanding of these behaviors. Dr. Barnhart will take special aim at a set of widespread magical beliefs that persist in healthcare, from homeopathy to acupuncture and chiropractic "medicine."
Fossils of gooey bits: The futility of evolutionary psychology
Every reputable scientist accepts the reality of the theory of evolution. No one denies that the brain evolved. However, application of the theory of evolution to behaviors introduces a host of logical problems. The scientific tools available to us for understanding the genesis of behaviors are generally incapable of enlightening us on the extent to which they are genetically endowed. In this presentation, Dr. Barnhart introduces the central tenets of evolutionary psychology and discusses some of the scientific findings and limitations that complicate our ability to differentiate evolutionary adaptations from learned behaviors, concluding that "just so" stories do not a science make.
Magic in the classroom: Fooling students into thinking critically
Magic tricks exploit automatic assumptions and heuristics that allow for quick decisions in the natural world. As such, they can be a powerful tool for exemplifying the fallibility of cognitive systems and encouraging students to engage in skeptical, critical thought. In this workshop, Dr. Barnhart will teach some basic magic than anyone can perform and discuss how to employ magic across diverse classroom settings toward various learning objectives.
What can magicians learn from cognitive scientists?
Recent years have seen widespread interest in and call for a “science of magic” that learns from the psychological insights and methods of magicians. In just the last decade, renowned magicians, like Teller, Mac King, James Randi, and Apollo Robbins, have authored papers meant to be read not by magicians, but by scientists who study attention and perception. Although much of the work up until now has been one-sided (in that scientists are benefiting from magicians), the collaboration should be a two-way street. In his presentation, Dr. Barnhart will illustrate some of the ways that magicians can enhance their performances by integrating principles and discoveries from cognitive science.
While most of Tony's speaking engagements are for private audiences, this page will be updated with a listing of public opportunities to attend one of his keynotes.
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