"The Magician"

Conjurer Joshua Jay (the Society of American Magicians’ 2011 Magician of the Year) is breaking a cardinal rule and revealing the truth behind his sleights of hand, as part of the Rubin Museum of Art's annual “Brainwave” series. Along with Barrow Neurological Institute scientists, Jay will divulge what his fingers are really doing and why the audience doesn’t notice. “Magic is good at deflecting the brain’s attention,” says series founder Tim McHenry. And when the brain is distracted, it takes shortcuts, and can be convinced that a rabbit really could materialize in a hat.