The Pickpocket

Apollo Robbins first made national news as the man who relieved the Secret Service of their watches, wallets, and confidential itinerary, while entertaining the former President. Cognitive scientist Marisa Carrasco from NYU studies attention. Together they work toward an understanding of why we sometimes don’t pay attention to the things that matter. And allow our iPhone to be lifted without knowing it…
If you read the Adam Green article in The New Yorker this past January, the opening paragraph relates the encounter between Penn Jillette, of the act Penn and Teller, and the young Apollo Robbins. Jillette challenged the softspoken Robbins to a demonstration of his purloining ability, ready to be unimpressed.
Robbins managed to rob Jillette not of his pen, but of the cartridge from Jillette’s pen without the master magician knowing it was happening.

About the Speakers

Apollo Robbinsperformances utilize pick-pocketing and sleight-of-hand to demonstrate proximity manipulation, diversion techniques and attention control. This unique set of skills has led to several national television appearances as well as both corporate and academic speaking engagements. Known as “The Gentleman Thief” he handles his participants in a non-intrusive way, without embarrassing them, and, in his stage show, often giving his audience a behind-the-scenes view. Apollo’s trademark is his unique ability to tell his “target” that he is about to steal from them, before he does it, right under their nose.
Marisa Carrasco is Professor of Psychology and Neural Science at New York University. She conducts research in cognitive neuroscience, exploring the relation between the psychological and neural mechanisms involved in visual perception and attention, combining psychophysical and neuroimaging methods. Her interests include visual perception, attention, and perceptual learning. She obtained a Licentiate in Psychology from the National University of Mexico and her Ph.D. in Psychology from Princeton University. She has received prestigious awards, such as a National Young Investigator Award from the National Science Foundation, an American Association of University Women Fellowship, a Cattell Fellowship, and a Guggenheim Fellowship.

AboutBrainwave: Illusion

The Buddha said that everything is illusion. What did he mean by that? This sixth edition of Brainwave will enlist the aid of neuroscientists to help us understand how the perception of our world is shaped by the surprising adaptability of our brains. Brainwave includes talks, special film screenings followed by discussions, interactive workshops, and much more!
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Presenting Sponsor of Brainwave 2013

Apollo Robbins first made national news as the man who relieved the Secret Service of their watches, wallets, and confidential itinerary, while entertaining the former President. Neuropsychologist Marisa Carrasco from NYU studies attention. Together they work toward an understanding of why we sometimes don’t pay attention to the things that matter. And allow our iPhone to be lifted without knowing it…