Page 50 - (DK) How to be a GENIUS?

Real or fake?
Anything “magical” is something that
seems to break the laws of nature,
such as making things disappear
or reading someone’s mind. Some
people really believe in magic, just
as they may believe in ghosts. Some
religious cults such as voodoo are
based on magic. But most of
us recognize that magic is
some sort of trickery, even
if we can’t see how it’s
done—and that is
part of the fun.

Illusion
A magician tosses a ball in the air twice
while following it with his eyes. But he fakes
a third toss, moving his eyes as if watching
the ball, and to you, the ball appears to vanish.
This illusion works because there is a slight
delay in visual data reaching your brain.
The brain compensates by inventing some
data to fill the gap—sometimes it’s incorrect.

Criminal tricks

artists, but confidence tricksters and pickpockets
use similar techniques. If you can’t see how a
trick is done when you are watching a magician,
you certainly won’t recognize it when someone
distracts your attention in the street and his or
her partner steals your money. So watch out!

48 We associate magic tricks with performance
(c) 2011 Dorling Kindersley. All Rights Reserved.
(c) 2011 Dorling Kindersley. All Rights Reserved.