Rise in the air on a floating chair! Have famous mentalist Max Maven read your mind! Can your head live without your body? It can at the California Science Center's blockbuster exhibit, Magic: The Science of Illusion. This special exhibit explores the art and science of entertainment magic in a whole new way.

What is a magic exhibit doing in a science center?
On first glance, magic and science seem to be opposites—one seeks to explain, the other to mystify. Yet they're more alike than you might think. Through magic, we rekindle our childhood fascination with what we see and with what could be—if birds can fly, why can't we? That same wonder of the world excites many scientists in their pursuits. The Science Center's mission is to inspire everyone to appreciate that wonder and beauty as they explore the world around them. To that end, we present Magic: The Science of Illusion.

The exhibit began in 1996 as we explored topics for a major traveling exhibit. What interested us most in a magic exhibit was the possibility to connect magic's huge popularity to science learning. We then enlisted the help of advisors from the magic community as well as educators and scientists to balance the need to present important science concepts with magicians' natural concern for secrecy.

What we've developed is a balancing act. The exhibit features the art and science of historical illusions, or of illusions custom-made for us and not used by working magicians. We present the science backstage as simply one way to create the illusion. Just when visitors think they have it all figured out, they see video of comparable illusions done by other methods and left unexplained. We nurture the wonder and awe of magic while stimulating enthusiasm for science.

Magic: The Science of Illusion focuses on four main illusions—mind reading, levitation, transformation, and the disembodied head. In this unique exhibit, see original video presentations by professional magicians Penn & Teller, Goldfinger & Dove, Max Maven, and Jade. Then go backstage to put yourself in the illusion and experiment with hands-on science activities. See real artifacts and photographs as you're captivated by tales of famous magicians from the past. Learn some close-up magic to take home, and see a live magic show. Find out how basic science, math, psychology, culture and the art of performance come together in creating a successful illusion.

Come to Magic: The Science of Illusion, and learn that magic is more than a simple trick!