Exploring the Science of Deception - Live!

Why do smart people get fooled? The answer has surprisingly little to do with intelligence and a great deal to do with how the human mind makes sense of an incomplete, noisy, and fast-moving world.

In this highly interactive session, Perry Carpenter combines cognitive science, behavioral psychology, professional mentalism, and the methods of con artists to explore the mechanics of deception. Live demonstrations allow the audience to experience principles such as misdirection, expectation, choice architecture, cognitive bias, and the power of narrative before examining the science that makes each effect possible.

The result is a practical tour of the human side of deception. Attendees discover how perception can be guided, why confidence and context shape judgment, and how seemingly small details influence what people notice, remember, and believe. Understanding these mechanisms provides a powerful foundation for recognizing manipulation in everyday life, scams, social engineering, and other situations where someone is trying to steer a decision.