Workshop: Magic for Skeptics

The worlds of skepticism and magic have always been entwined, with famous fraudsters employing techniques of magic in order to fake psychic feats, and skilled magicians using their knowledge of illusion to debunk and expose charlatans. The knowledge of how to fool - and how we can be fooled - is of great importance to skeptics, which is why attendees at QED 2024 will be given a hands-on class on the psychology of magic from none other than Professor Richard Wiseman.

At our Magic for Skeptics workshop, you can join Richard as he journeys into the fascinating world of magic and skepticism. Discover the key psychological principles that magicians use to astound their audiences, learn physics-based stunts that can be used to both educate and entertain, and go backstage with the psychics and uncover some of the tricks of paranormal trade. A hands-on and interactive session that takes a deep dive into deception, psychology, science, skepticism, and the paranormal.

Professor Richard Wiseman (University of Hertfordshire) has published over 100 academic papers examining the psychology of magic, illusion, and the paranormal. He has written several popular psychology books (including The Luck Factor and 59 Seconds) that have been published around the world and created psychology-based YouTube videos that have attracted over 800 million views. He is one of the most followed psychologists on social media, and the Independent On Sunday chose him as one of the top 100 people who make Britain a better place to live. A Member of the Inner Magic Circle, Richard acts as a creative consultant on several stage and television projects, including work with Derren Brown.

As with all of the content that takes place across our parallel tracks at QED, entrance to Magic for Skeptics workshop comes as part of every QED ticket purchase. Tickets are available right now, at a cost of £164 for the whole weekend.

Pick up your ticket today, and we’ll see you in October!