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How to Do a Magic Trick

The magician Teller demonstrates how to pull coins out of thin air


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The magician Teller relies on misdirection and sleight of hand to create an illusion called the Miser’s Dream. He begins by secretly palming six coins in each hand, then apparently produces the coins out of anything he can reach—his own hair, the clothing of his spectators, empty space—and tosses them into a metal bucket with a loud clank. The deception depends in part on social cues such as head position and gaze direction.

Slide Show: View how this magic trick fools the brain