The Science of Illusion with Teller

What’s the real difference between dreaming and waking consciousness? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly sit down with sleep expert Matt Walker to answer fan questions about the most mysterious thing humans do every single night: sleeping & dreaming. Wh ... Show More

Is there no single shared "now" for everyone in the universe? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Paul Mecurio dive into another grab bag of fan questions about superconducting asteroids, what memories are made of, and if you could ever experience pure unwarped spacetime. NOTE: ... Show More

Is it time to update the constellations? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Matt Kirshen dive into astrophysics, folklore, and our ancient connection to the stars with astrophysicist Moiya McTier, Ph.D. Originally Aired December 6, 2022. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patron ... Show More

Dr. Susana Martinez-Conde and Dr. Stephen Macknik are neuroscientists who specialize in the science of magic and illusion. Both are professors of ophthalmology, neurology, and physiology & pharmacology at the Downstate Medical Center. Together they pioneered the study of various ... Show More

<p>Ventriloquism: The Science of Dummies: It's time to rediscover ventriloquism, the surprisingly deft art of illusion that relies on a keen sense of comic timing and obsessive technique from the performer, as well as a buy-in into the illusion from the audience member. Why do we ... Show More

A popular podcast called The Telepathy Tapes claims that telepathy is real — and tons of people are convinced. So we open our minds to the possibility of mind-reading and ask: Could this be real?? And if not — what might be going on here? We dive into the science (yes — there is ... Show More

Just like optical illusions trick our eyes, audio illusions can trick our ears. It makes scientists wonder: What exactly are we hearing, when we're hearing? This is the first episode of our new four-part series, The Sound Barrier. Guests: Diana Deutsch, emeritus professor at the ... Show More

<p>When is magic real? </p> <p><br></p> <p>Join us on a captivating journey as Sasha Crespi, a maestro of magic, unravels the enigmatic realm where magick and magic tricks intersect. In this episode, we probe the moral dimensions of deception and ponder the elusive line between m ... Show More

What is hypnosis? Is it mind control? Are some people just faking? We’re revisiting this episode in which we explore the science of hypnosis and take Science Vs to the edge of consciousness. In the service of journalism, Wendy tries to get hypnotized at a comedy club and in a doc ... Show More

<p>A whirlwind of questions brings us to an odd conclusion: could reality be an illusion created by a quantum fluctuation of a brain? This is a rebroadcast of a past favorite.<br/><br/>For ad-free episodes and other exclusives, join us for $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.c ... Show More

<p>In time for your Friday commute, we introduce you to a new segment called Magic Brain. Shankar explores the social science behind magic, and discovers that free choice is sometimes just an illusion.</p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm ... Show More

Why do we humans seem to be so easily influenced or even fooled? On one hand this can be done for entertainment, in a Las Vegas stage magic show for example, but on another it can be used for more nefarious purposes such as con artists tricking people into sharing their bank acco ... Show More

<p>Have you ever experienced psychic phenomena?<br> How about an experience that could only be regarded as “magic”?<br> It’s more than likely you have, considering a survey conducted where over 90% of participants, all being scientific academics, reported to have had at least one ... Show More