The art of misdirection | Apollo Robbins | TED - YouTube

Is it possible to control someone's attention and predict their behavior? These intriguing concepts are at the heart of my 20-year study of human behavior through the art of pickpocketing. Misdirection is commonly misunderstood as distraction, but in reality, the most obvious things, those right before our eyes, are often the hardest to see.

Consider the cell phone test: many fail to recall the icon in the bottom right corner or the time on their phone, despite having just looked at it. This demonstrates our selective attention. Similarly, with eyes closed, can you remember details about my appearance? This experiment often reveals varied levels of perception among individuals.

I propose a simple model of attention, likening it to a surveillance system with a security guard named Frank inside your brain. Attention steers your perceptions and controls your reality. It's possible to attend to something without being aware of it, like hearing your name in a crowded room. By manipulating attention, I can effectively pickpocket someone by distracting their internal 'Frank'.

To demonstrate, I engage the audience in a game of trust, using humor and sleight of hand to distract and ultimately surprise them with my ability to take their belongings without their notice. This live demonstration underscores the power of attention and its ability to shape our reality.

So, what would you do if you could control someone's attention? Thank you.

The original article: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GZGY0wPAnus&list=PLV7xfBoJKBNQ3yhYgQRqocSWs1MKF7j0n&index=13