Neuroscientists Stephen Macknick and Susana Martinez-Conde use the science of magic tricks to illuminate how our brains work in everyday life.

Have you ever wondered how magic tricks work? How is it possible for objects to disappear into thin air, for people to be sawn in half and then put back together, or for a white rabbit to emerge from a hat?

Understanding the neurological processes occurring within our brains when confronted with seemingly impossible feats can lead us to a better knowledge of ourselves, and our responses to everything from advertising to love.

Stephen Macknick and Susana Martinez-Conde are writers and neuroscientists.

As founders of the new discipline of 'neuro-magic,' Macknick and Martinez-Conde explore the neural mechanisms behind how we experience magic tricks.

Sleights of Mind is a journey through magic, science, and perception that seeks to uncover the innermost workings of our brains.