I have always marveled at the fact of how it doesn't matter how smart you are for magic to be effective. I am often in situations with political figures, lawyers, accountants and doctors, teachers and professors, captains of industry and many others and find that in magic they are all the same. No matter who they are, you approach them the same way and show them the same thing and they are most times amazed by the same amazement.

I actually proved all this stuff, somewhat scientifically, to myself one day when I showed my eye doctor a little trick using a Retention of Vision vanish. Upon the coin vanishing the Doc just couldn't believe it, shook his head and said, "I'm the one that needs glasses." In front of all his degrees and many awards, I was basically using the physics of his own profession on him and he had no clue.

He asked to see it again and I did it for him in slow motion and the same thing happened as he focused strongly on my hand or so he thought. This time he rubbed his eyes in even further disbelief. To let him off the hook (figured why not use a little misdirection on him), I went on to mention how great I thought all his pretty accomplishments on the wall were.

Works everytime on everybody for the exact same reason, scientifically speaking that is.

Training in whatever disciplines makes you good at them.

Misdirection and deception are different disciplines from those of whom you entertained were trained in.

But it is fun to get 'em all wide eyed in disbelief!

Unless the doctor was trained in Neuroscience, such as was posted elsewhere: http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/2892004.htm

I'm not surprised he would be fooled - his training doesn't address those ways that our mind fools us.

Similarly, I've wondered what it is that makes the same trick mysterious to one, but painfully obvious to another. For myself, I think its my training in math/statistics that makes certain mentalism effects (especially ones with equivoques or eliminations) seem very suspicious if not outright obvious. It would seem that the closer one's training is to the method, the more he may notice what is going on, at least after recovering from any misdirection that may have been used (I can still be surprised by simple switches, at least initially, if the presentation is such that I'm not expecting it; such as Sankey's "numb", which is currently playing on his sight. I just missed the obvious, the first time)

Love that Sankey effect Numb!!! Have had a lot of fun with it, even in reverse ...( Have them suck the air OUT of the bubble wrap in there closed fist w/cocktail straw - Then blow it back up! gets a good reaction for the same reason it does in the normal effect

I've heard it said that educated people are easier to fool, because they tend to make predictable assumptions and assume themselves to be perceptive.

Even Einstein has been fooled by a simple trick.

Just means they know and think about stuff that readily serves as internal misdirection.

"... and if I wave my hand over the coin (awful close to that odd cuflink) ..."

Somewhat related, I think that the highly-educated tend to get used to seeing patterns and make assumptions about them (perfect for a retention vanish!) Anyway, here's a very interesting presentation about why people tend to believe certain patterns (and find patterns that aren't really there)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_6-iVz1R......D5A28D17

There was a article on JREF I read recently that's somewhat related. It's about an article commenting citing a study that showed experts were a bit more bias toward their own findings:

http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swif......pid.html

It did surprise me as well when I first started magic. The human is design to focus. We are very good at focusing on one thing. Two things we are ok at. Three things are near impossible.

A great read is SLEIGHTS OF MIND by two neurologists from Arizona. They worked with several magicians that you are familiar with to put their thoughts into print. It is just two years out on the market.

Thus is why it is so much more challenging to do a successful kid's show. The tykes have not yet been trained in logical thinking, so they oftimes see right through what we are doing.

The most talented magicians are those who can fool kids and magician's wives. You should have seen the reaction from magic club members when I voiced my wife's suggestion of having the wives of our magicians judge the next competition! Needless to say, that suggestion was quickly ignored. ; )