top of page
Teacher's Resources
Search
The magic of manipulation at the Melbourne Magic Festival
I have hired a business coach. Her name is Jo Gilbert and she provides me with fantastic advice on how to connect with the business...
The shared secret of magic and car crashes
I got rear-ended last week. I stopped suddenly in slow moving traffic and a black BMW slammed into the back of me, destroying the back...
How To Win Monopoly In Just Four Turns
I don’t know why anyone would want to play monopoly let alone dedicate the time to learning how to play well enough to win. Monopoly is a...
Why so many Melbourne audiences are falling in love with close up magic
Every month, I run an evening of close up magic with four of my magician buddies at The Laneway Theatre in Northcote. And every month,...
All magicians are liars
It is true, I can’t deny it: All magicians are liars. What’s more, I am a magician. Therefore, I am a liar. But here is where things get...
The movie that every magician needs to watch
Can you guess what my favourite movie of all time is? The Prestige? Nope. The Illusionist? Not even close? Now You See Me? Don’t insult...
I have five books of illusions to give away…or do I!
Susana Martinez-Conde and Stephen Macknik’s new book of optical and other illusions culled from the Best Illusion of the Year Contest and...
What do you call an Irishman offering home repairs door-to-door? A con artist.
That is, at least, according to Victorian Consumer Affairs Minister Marlene Kairouz who this week said that “If anybody knocks on your...
Champions of Illusion: The Science Behind Mind-Boggling Images and Mystifying Brain Puzzles
Neuroscientists, magicians and friends of the podcast Susana Martinez-Conde and Stephen Macknik have a new book of optical illusions...
The second Sleight Night proves the magic show wasn’t a fluke
Fool you once, shame on me. Fool you twice and it might just be the second ever Sleight Night. I’m absolutely loving producing and...
Sleight Night opening night brings a little magic to Melbourne
Its take years of planning, procrastinating and prestidigitation but, on 20 September, Sleight Night finally arrived at The Laneway...
Your password is bad and you should feel bad
We all have regrets. Dong Nguyen regrets creating the mind numbingly addictive game Flappy Bird. John Sylvan feels responsible for the...
46 – Women In Magic with Carisa Hendrix
I have always assumed that it must be hard to be a woman in magic. It’s an industry dominated by men and populated by old guys with...
45 – The Ethics of Mentalism with Jon Archer
What’s the difference between a con artist and a magician? A great magician tells you they’re about to lie you. They admit it out right....
44 – The Doctor Will See You Now with Vyom Sharma
How do working GPs deal with alternative medicine? These frontline healthcare practitioners have to deal with constant red tape, constant...
Become a professional con artist at Melbourne Magic Festival
In case you haven’t figured out yet, I love the world of the professional con artist. After close to three decades learning the tricks...
The Melbourne Magic Festival Turns 10
What do cheese, salami, drag queens and Game of Thrones themed wine tasting have in common? They all have Melbourne festivals dedicated...
A Gripe About Gripe Water
I have a new baby which is great for me because I happen to love babies. Particularly babies that I made myself. Unfortunately, this baby...
43 – OzLockCon and Lockpicking with Topaz
OzLockCon is Australia’s first conference dedicated to locksport and physical security. From the amateur lockpicker to the professional...
Episode 42 – The Gullibility Test with Alessa Teunisse
Why, given the constant need for people to measure everything from their personalities to their intellect, is there no test for...
Here you'll find resources for teaching and promoting critical thinking, scam protection, and deception education. Many are linked to his school incursions while others are just for fun.
Make sure you subscribe to Nicholas's podcast. Scamapalooza. He interviews psychologists, authors, and researchers about why people are so easy to fool.
bottom of page