(Video link here.)
This is our friend Mark Mitton, demonstrating the McGurk Effect, one of the many anomalies-of-perception-and-attention that fester our minds like a minefield.
Mining this mindfield is what magicians like Mark do. He is following the path blazed by Houdini and mapped by the late Jerry Andrus, who was, until his death, the world's foremost creator of optical illusions.
Mark explains the video, which proves the eye is quicker than the mind, thus enabling professional magicians like him to eat, and, increasingly, to address symposia of baffled neuroscientists:
"The audio is always Ba Ba. The video is three different recordings of me saying Ba Ba, Da Da, Va Va. If you are like most people, you will hear something different depending on which video you are watching. The final shot is all three videos together. Ba Ba, Da Da, & Va Va. At any point, you can shut your eyes and hear Ba Ba."
NEXT WEEK:
Part Two of "HAVE YOU SEEN THIS? The Jerry Andrus Story."
RELATED:
MAGIC & BRAIN SCIENCE
DANGEROUS ILLUSIONS
MAGIC HISTORY MADE ("HAVE YOU SEEN THIS? The Jerry Andrus Story," part one)
HOUDINI THE SCIENTIST
HOUDINI THE SCIENTIST: MONKEY GLANDS
HOUDINI THE SCIENTIST: DUEL OF THE MAGICIANS
Just an FYI:
ReplyDeleteBill Wisch is the only student ever authorized by Slydini, in writing, to lecture his magic. In 1973, Bill began studying with Slydini in New York City. In 1976, Slydini wrote a personal, authorization letter to all magic societies and associations in North America, sponsoring Bill to represent him and take his place introducing, demonstrating and marketing his long awaited, two-volume, book set, "THE BEST OF SLYDINI AND MORE", written by Karl Fulves. Bill Wisch is the only student Slydini ever sponsored to lecture his magic on his behalf.