By performing a famous magic trick for three species of monkey with differing hand structures, scientists have discovered that—in order to deceive—a conjuror needs a similar anatomy to their audience.
By performing a famous magic trick for three species of monkey with differing hand structures, scientists have discovered that—in order to deceive—a conjuror needs a similar anatomy to their audience.
Psychologists used a sleight-of-hand trick called the French drop, in which an object appears to vanish when a spectator assumes it is taken from one hand by the hidden thumb of the other hand.
The study, carried out at the University of Cambridge’s Comparative Cognition Lab, found that monkeys lacking opposable thumbs did not fall for the assumption—staying wise to the whereabouts of tasty treats a magician tried to make disappear.
The research suggest that sharing a biomechanical ability may be necessary for accurately anticipating the movements of those same limbs in other individuals.
This is true even when those apparently accurate predictions end in befuddlement at the hands of an illusionist. The study is published today in the journal Current Biology.
1) A capuchin monkey is tested with a fake French drop—so the treat is actually transferred from hand to hand—as part of the experiment. 2) A Humboldt’s squirrel monkey is misled by sleight-of-hand magic trick the French Drop as part of the experiment. 3) Lead author and magician Dr Elias Garcia-Pelegrin demonstrates the French Drop sleight-of-hand trick used in the experiment. Credit: Dr Elias Garcia-Pelegrin
« Magicians use intricate techniques to mislead the observer into experiencing the impossible. It is a great way to study blind spots in attention and perception, » said Dr. Elias Garcia-Pelegrin, who has practiced magic for a decade, and conducted the experimental work during his Ph.D. at Cambridge. Another co-author of the study, Clive Wilkins, Artist in Residence at Cambridge’s Department of Psychology, is a professional magician and Member of the Magic Circle.
« By investigating how species of primates experience magic, we can understand more about the evolutionary roots of cognitive shortcomings that leave us exposed to the cunning of magicians.
