Dr. Alice Pailhès
Revealing the illusions that shape our reality
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Revealing the illusions that shape our reality
I’m Alice Pailhès — a psychological scientist, speaker, and author exploring the hidden forces that shape our choices, beliefs, and behaviors.
By blending the rigor of psychology with the art of illusion, I reveal what our minds often conceal from us and how understanding those blindspots can unlock clarity, change, and awe.
I’m one of the few researchers in the world to specialize in the psychology of magic — a field that uses magic as a lens to explore how we perceive, decide, remember, believe, and make sense of the world around us.
Through bespoke keynotes, transformative workshops, and my WonderLab, I make complex science experiential. I help audiences and organizations spot their cognitive biases, understand the illusion of free will, learn how perception can be shaped, shifted, and how to regain some control over this.
Whether I’m on stage, on screen, or in the lab, my mission is simple:
To unveil the magic of our minds and inspire people to see the world (and themselves) differently.
TED talk: What magic tricks can reveal about free will
Biography
Dr Alice Pailhès’ research has pioneered the scientific study of magicians’ mind control techniques — subtle ways to influence choices without people realising it. Her work has been published in top-tier journals such as PNAS, JEP: General, and Trends in Cognitive Sciences, and featured in TED, BBC, The Financial Times, and WIRED.
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Highlights:
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Author of The Psychology of Magic and The Art of Being Fooled (MIT Press, 2026)
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Keynote speaker at science festivals, corporate innovation summits, and global conferences
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Committee member of the Science of Magic Association
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What I offer
Talks & Keynotes – Engaging, interactive talks that challenge assumptions and inspire new ways of thinking.
Workshops – Hands-on experiences exploring decision-making, perception, beliefs and cognitive biases.
Creative Consulting – Helping media, museums, theatre, and brands design immersive experiences grounded in science (and magic!).
What's Next?
I'm currently writing my first trade book, The Art of Being Fooled (working title, MIT Press), which explores how the psychological principles behind magic tricks can help us understand and reshape our everyday thoughts, behaviors, and beliefs. The book is scheduled for release in 2026.
Alongside the book, I’m launching Alice's WonderLab — an interactive space on this site where you can participate in live psychological experiments, contribute to real research, and see what your mind might be hiding from you.
I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be speaking at New Scientist Live 2025 in London – the world’s greatest festival of ideas and discoveries!
I’ll be giving two talks: one for the general public and one for Schools’ Day, diving into the fascinating psychology behind the illusion of free will and how our decisions can be subtly influenced without us even realizing it. Expect mentalism, mind-bending experiments, and surprising insights from the science of magic.
