Podcast · Arts
How Magicians Think
Episodes
- Jan 9, 2022 · 34:34 · Episode 13
How Magicians Think: Think Like a Magician
The final episode of this podcast is filled with special guests and plot twists, all in the service of answering this simple question: how do magicians create their illusions?…
- Jan 2, 2022 · 38:02 · Episode 12
How Magicians Think: Tragic Magic
Staged suicides. Beheadings. Shootings. This episode is all about magic that goes wrong. You’ll learn about a magician who was burned alive, another who was shot onstage, and…
- Dec 19, 2021 · 23:16 · Episode 11
How Magicians Think: The Greatest Magician You've Never Heard Of
Magic historians have consistently overlooked the significant contributions Black magicians have made to the craft. Perhaps no magician in history has a more fascinating…
- Dec 12, 2021 · 28:22 · Episode 10
How Magicians Think: Magic in the Movies
There have been many movies made about magic--The Prestige, The Illusionist, Hugo, Now You See Me, Scoop--and in this episode Joshua makes a compelling argument for the very best…
- Dec 5, 2021 · 28:47 · Episode 9
How Magicians Think: Was Houdini As Great As Everyone Says?
Houdini was a marketing genius, but how great a magician he was is a source of contention among magic’s greatest scholars. Joshua creates a grudge match between Houdini’s most…
- Nov 28, 2021 · 33:43 · Episode 8
How Magicians Think: The Smartest Magician Alive
It’s definitely Teller. The shorter, silent half of Penn & Teller never speaks onstage, but we’re delighted to present this engaging conversation with magic’s most erudite…
- Nov 21, 2021 · 30:41 · Episode 7
How Magicians Think: Overcoming Obstacles
Joshua Jay speaks with Abbey Albani, a magician’s assistant who plummeted 12 feet while floating above a stage and broke her back. Joshua also talks with Mahdi Gilbert, an…
- Nov 14, 2021 · 23:09 · Episode 6
How Magicians Think: The Greatest Magician Alive
We’re not saying who, but unless you live in Spain (hint, hint), you probably haven’t heard of him. Joshua traveled to the south of Spain to be with the Maestro of magic--a…
- Nov 7, 2021 · 24:29 · Episode 5
How Magicians Think: Magic Exposed
Remember those old Masked Magician specials? They were some of the highest-rated television events of the 90s: a guy in a striped mask revealing some of magic’s most enduring…
- Oct 31, 2021 · 29:25 · Episode 4
How Magicians Think: The Science of Magic
When you see a great magician, it all looks so smooth and elegant. It’s what you don’t see that fools you. Often magic is just science in disguise. Joshua speaks with Professor…
- Oct 24, 2021 · 35:13 · Episode 3
What Do You Believe?
There is a strange intersection between magic and belief. On one hand, magic requires a suspension of disbelief. On the other hand, magicians ought to know better than most that…
- Oct 17, 2021 · 32:26 · Episode 2
Magic in the Holocaust
Werner Reich was sixteen years old when his life was turned upside down. His father passed, his mother perished in a concentration camp, and he found himself in Auschwitz. His…
- Oct 11, 2021 · 28:09 · Episode 1
Magic in Prison
Rafiel Torre will spend the rest of his life in prison. David Garza is free after spending 12 years behind bars. Both came to magic after being sentenced for their crimes. Now…
- Sep 30, 2021 · 1:04Trailer
How Magicians Think Trailer
The How Magicians Think podcast is a fascinating deep dive into one of the most elusive and secretive performing arts: magic. Join Joshua Jay, one of the world's most…