Richard Wiseman - Theatre of Science

Psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman started his working life as a professional magician and currently holds Britain's only Professorship in the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. He frequently appears in the media, and has written over 60 academic articles and several books, including the best-selling The Luck Factor. Theatre of Science, his new show in collaboration with Dr. Simon Singh, is making its American debut with a run at the Theater for the New City in Manhattan as part of CFI's Science + Art festival, and is sponsored by Skeptical Inquirer magazine. Featuring lie detectors, bolts of lightning, backwards masking, and contortionist Delia Du Sol, this show revives a Victorian tradition in which audiences attended the theatre to see scientific demonstrations as entertainment. Theatre of Science previously played to sold-out audiences and rave reviews at the Soho Theatre, in London's West End. In this conversation with D.J. Grothe, Professor Wiseman discusses Theatre of Science, the intersection of science and art, and the role science plays in our society. He also explores strategies that science advocates can use to confront anti-science trends in our society. Also in this episode, Nathan Bupp explores a humanist answer to the question "Where are we going?"