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Is there any magic in magic tricks? - new blog entry

Mateusz Wójcik, a student at the WUT Faculty of Mathematics and Information Science

It would seem that magic and science are complete opposites. But card tricks show us they have, in fact, much in common. We discussed this topic with Mateusz Wójcik, a student at the WUT Faculty of Mathematics and Information Science (MiNI), member of the Mathematics Student Research Group, one half of the “card magicians” duo who gave a performance at this year’s Mathematics Popularization Day at MiNI.

"This magic may have several sources. Some tricks require technical gimmicks. Special shuffling methods, holding cards with your thumb, hiding them very quickly. This requires dexterity and weeks of practice, but the effect is mind-blowing – you have the impression that something miraculous is happening before your very eyes", explains Mateusz Wójcik. "Other tricks are based on psychology. The magician is able to “control” the spectators by skillfully diverting their attention or distracting them. By doing so, the magician may assume that the spectator will make a specific move, choose a specific card, etc."

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