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In 1894, French psychologist Alfred Binet (1857-1911) published an article titled "The Psychology of Prestidigitation" that reported the results of a study conducted in collaboration with two of the best magicians of that period. By using a new method and new observation techniques, Binet was able to reveal some of the psychological mechanisms involved in magic tricks. Our article begins by presenting Binet's method and the principal professional magicians who participated in his studies. Next, we present the main psychological tools of magicians described by Binet and look at some recent studies dealing with those mechanisms. Finally, we take a look at the innovative technique used by Binet for his study on magic: the chronophotograph. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This note defines the concept of 'magic' and comments on the meaning of its various synonyms. Second, it suggests a typology of names based on 150 selected stage names or pseudonyms employed by magicians. Finally, it contains an appendix with a selected list of magicians' stage names and real names including birth and death dates (where available) and place of birth (where available). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]