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Episode 122: Magic Hijacks Your Weak Attentional Systems, Even if You Look Close — Now You See Me (2013) with Chelsea Bell
Join Alex and Chelsea Bell as they explore the magical world of illusion craft and sleight of hand in Now You See Me (2013), Louis Leterrier’s hodge-podge of heist, mystery, and real-world magic. The film is a dominant ensemble, featuring Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Melanie Laurent. The different kinds of magic portrayed are discussed, along with the ways that magic, illusion, and misdirection work on the limitations of the human brain, including attention and cognitive biases. The episode also forays into topics related to magic, like hypnosis and suggestibility, and subliminal priming.…
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Episode 119: Hearing and Sound Localization, the Alien Way — A Quiet Place (2018) with T.R. Brooks
Join Alex and returning guest Dr. T.R. Brooks as they try to survive the post-apocalyptic invasion of blind aliens with really good hearing in the film A Quiet Place (2018). The film was directed by John Krasinski, starring himself, real-life wife Emily Blunt, deaf actress Millicent Simmonds, and child actors Cade Woodward and Noah Jupe. We follow a family trying to survive this invasion, trying their hardest to not make any sounds ever, but these pesky aliens have some wild hearing abilities in spite of their blindness. Topics focus on hearing, sound localization, and the attention required to figure out the sounds one is making while trying not to make any.…