Dr. Matt Tompkins: From Magic to Mind Control

About this episode

Dr. Matt Tompkins discusses the relationship between magic and cognitive science, revealing insights from his work and research.

Dr. Matt Tompkins, experimental psychologist and magician, explores the intersection of magic and cognitive science. From mastering coin tricks as a child to designing "fake mind control machines" at Lund University, Matt reveals how magicians understood principles like change blindness decades before scientists. He discusses his book "The Spectacle of Illusion," founding the Science of Magic Association, and using mentalism to study public perceptions of AI with deception rates of 97 percent and higher.

People in this episode

Guest: Dr. Matt Tompkins

Topics covered

• magic
• cognitive science
• mind control
• psychology
• illusion
• public perception
• AI

Keywords

• magic
• mind control
• cognitive science
• illusion
• psychology
• AI
• deception

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Lund University, Science of Magic Association

Books & works: The Spectacle of Illusion

More episodes of The Magic Book Podcast

• Charles Greene III: Exposing Houdini · May 29, 2026 · 52 min
• Anthony Heads: The Power of Storytelling · May 7, 2026 · 60 min
• Caroline Ravn: The Business Side of Show Business · April 19, 2026 · 56 min
• Lawrence Hass: Theory and Art of Magic · March 29, 2026 · 1h 8m
• Ruth Knafo Setton: Zigzag Girl · February 28, 2026 · 51 min
• Justin Higham: The Intuitive Magician · February 12, 2026 · 52 min