Magic, alchemy and science at the Widnes Scibar

Over the last year, the Sci Bar has provided the residents of Widnes with a a wide range of opportunities to catch up on contemporary topics in Science and Technology, ranging from renewable energy through particle physics, to the history of the science of dyestuffs. However, the lecture by Pete Turner entitled: "The Science of Misdirection", provided a rare insight into the challenges that magic and magicians bring to the world of rational Science. Pete combined some breathtaking "tricks" and illusions with a thought-provoking view of the psychology of perception and the skill of misdirection. Starting with an unsettling, pacing around the "stage" in silence, for a minute, he invited us to participate in an "experiment" that would test our perceptions of what was scientifically possible and what we witnessed. Within a few minutes, he had most of the audience in the palm of his hand (well not quite!).

His first "trick" (and incidentally, controversy surrounds the "oldest trick in the book": was it the ball and cup trick, made famous by Tommy Cooper, or the "miraculous" refilling and emptying of a bowl of water? And does it matter?), involved a ring, a long chain and a volunteer, Adrian. As we all sat scratching our heads Pete had managed to achieve the seemingly impossible deception of making the ring thread around the chain, before our eyes. Scientifically impossible, maybe; but we all saw it happen. Or did we? The stage was set for further impressive illusions, including the disappearing silk scarf, which made its reappearance in the wallet of the volunteer, during Pete's "encore". 

Throughout Pete's "performance" he infused his spellbinding magic with a thoughtful exposure of our gullibility! We all fell for his tactics and almost enjoyed falling prey to his manipulation of our collective audience psychology. As we craved explanations of his unbelievable tricks, Pete's magic circle lips remained sealed. Occasionally he offered a peek into the secret world, but we had to settle for the (by now) familiar realisation that once again he had misdirected us! Pete closed the evening with a couple of card tricks and he did a roaring trade with his booklets on illusions. However, Schroedinger's cat stayed firmly in the bag!