Fascinated by quirks of the human mind, Alice Pailhès transmits scientific knowledge through magic tricks.

Why you should listen

Alice Pailhès is driven by her desire to give people a sense of wonder about how their minds work and how they can best use them. She is writing her PhD thesis on free will and the illusion of control by conducting diverse, original experiments using magic tricks. 

By studying the subtle mechanisms magicians use to direct our attention, Pailhès probes the unconscious factors that subtly influence our choices. Magic tricks offer her an amazing way to collect and transmit scientific data in an entertaining and powerful way.

Alice Pailhès’ TED talk