0:00:00.865,0:00:03.898
Do you think it's possible[br]to control someone's attention?

0:00:05.664,0:00:08.665
Even more than that,[br]what about predicting human behavior?

0:00:10.157,0:00:12.012
I think those are interesting ideas.

0:00:12.036,0:00:14.235
For me, that would be[br]the perfect superpower,

0:00:14.259,0:00:16.592
actually kind of an evil[br]way of approaching it.

0:00:16.616,0:00:19.719
But for myself, in the past,[br]I've spent the last 20 years

0:00:19.743,0:00:23.221
studying human behavior[br]from a rather unorthodox way:

0:00:23.245,0:00:24.541
picking pockets.

0:00:25.201,0:00:26.717
When we think of misdirection,

0:00:26.741,0:00:29.082
we think of something[br]as looking off to the side,

0:00:29.106,0:00:31.331
when actually the things[br]right in front of us

0:00:31.355,0:00:32.954
are often the hardest to see,

0:00:32.978,0:00:35.917
the things that you look at every day[br]that you're blinded to.

0:00:35.941,0:00:39.692
For example, how many of you still have[br]your cell phones on you right now?

0:00:40.671,0:00:41.888
Great. Double-check.

0:00:41.912,0:00:43.465
Make sure you still have them.

0:00:43.489,0:00:45.171
I was doing some shopping before.

0:00:45.195,0:00:46.250
(Laughter)

0:00:46.274,0:00:48.192
You've looked at them a few times today,

0:00:48.216,0:00:49.566
but I'll ask you a question.

0:00:49.590,0:00:51.443
Without looking at it directly yet,

0:00:51.467,0:00:54.617
can you remember the icon[br]in the bottom right corner?

0:00:55.950,0:00:58.615
Bring them out, check, and see[br]how accurate you were.

0:01:02.382,0:01:03.421
How'd you do?

0:01:03.445,0:01:04.944
Show of hands. Did we get it?

0:01:06.140,0:01:08.097
Now that you're done, close them down.

0:01:08.121,0:01:09.854
Every phone has something in common.

0:01:09.878,0:01:11.919
No matter how you organize the icons,

0:01:11.943,0:01:13.679
you still have a clock on the front.

0:01:13.703,0:01:16.735
So, without looking at your phone,[br]what time was it?

0:01:17.449,0:01:19.449
You just looked at your clock, right?

0:01:19.473,0:01:20.539
Interesting idea.

0:01:20.563,0:01:23.023
Let's take that a step further[br]with a game of trust.

0:01:23.047,0:01:24.060
Close your eyes.

0:01:24.966,0:01:27.608
I realize I'm asking you to do[br]that while you just heard

0:01:27.632,0:01:30.164
there's a pickpocket in the room,[br]but close your eyes.

0:01:30.655,0:01:33.715
Now, you've been watching me[br]for about 30 seconds.

0:01:34.303,0:01:36.644
With your eyes closed, what am I wearing?

0:01:37.742,0:01:39.139
Make your best guess.

0:01:39.163,0:01:41.919
What color is my shirt?[br]What color is my tie?

0:01:42.671,0:01:44.022
Now open your eyes.

0:01:44.046,0:01:45.628
Show of hands, were you right?

0:01:46.666,0:01:47.815
Interesting, isn't it?

0:01:47.839,0:01:50.943
Some of us are a little bit[br]more perceptive than others, it seems.

0:01:50.967,0:01:54.031
But I have a different theory[br]about that model of attention.

0:01:54.055,0:01:57.590
They have fancy models of attention,[br]Posner's trinity model of attention.

0:01:57.614,0:02:00.948
For me, I like to think of it very[br]simple, like a surveillance system.

0:02:00.972,0:02:03.739
It's kind of like you have[br]all these fancy sensors,

0:02:03.763,0:02:06.097
and inside your brain[br]is a little security guard.

0:02:06.121,0:02:07.895
For me, I like to call him Frank.

0:02:08.532,0:02:10.488
So Frank is sitting at a desk.

0:02:10.512,0:02:12.851
He's got lots of cool[br]information in front of him,

0:02:12.875,0:02:14.725
high-tech equipment, he's got cameras,

0:02:14.749,0:02:17.855
he's got a little phone[br]that he can pick up, listen to the ears,

0:02:17.879,0:02:20.020
all these senses, all these perceptions.

0:02:20.354,0:02:22.899
But attention is what steers[br]your perceptions,

0:02:22.923,0:02:24.693
it's what controls your reality.

0:02:24.717,0:02:26.552
It's the gateway to the mind.

0:02:26.576,0:02:29.387
If you don't attend to something,[br]you can't be aware of it.

0:02:29.411,0:02:32.898
But ironically, you can attend[br]to something without being aware of it.

0:02:32.922,0:02:34.564
For example, the cocktail effect:

0:02:34.588,0:02:37.068
You're in a party, having[br]conversations with someone,

0:02:37.092,0:02:38.775
and yet you can recognize your name

0:02:38.799,0:02:40.952
without realizing[br]you were listening to that.

0:02:40.976,0:02:44.026
Now, for my job, I have to play[br]with techniques to exploit this,

0:02:44.050,0:02:46.895
to play with your attention[br]as a limited resource.

0:02:46.919,0:02:50.030
So if I could control[br]how you spend your attention,

0:02:50.054,0:02:53.063
if I could maybe steal your attention[br]through a distraction.

0:02:53.087,0:02:55.847
Now, instead of doing it like misdirection

0:02:55.871,0:02:57.395
and throwing it off to the side,

0:02:57.419,0:02:59.879
instead, what I choose[br]to focus on is Frank,

0:02:59.903,0:03:02.450
to be able to play[br]with the Frank inside your head,

0:03:02.474,0:03:03.507
your security guard,

0:03:03.531,0:03:06.456
and get you, instead of focusing[br]on your external senses,

0:03:06.480,0:03:09.341
just to go internal for a second.

0:03:09.365,0:03:12.551
So if I ask you to access[br]a memory, like, what is that?

0:03:12.575,0:03:14.528
What just happened? Do you have a wallet?

0:03:14.552,0:03:16.791
Do you have an American Express[br]in your wallet?

0:03:16.815,0:03:18.983
And when I do that,[br]your Frank turns around.

0:03:19.850,0:03:22.136
He accesses the file.[br]He has to rewind the tape.

0:03:22.160,0:03:24.359
What's interesting is,[br]he can't rewind the tape

0:03:24.383,0:03:26.913
at the same time that he's trying[br]to process new data.

0:03:27.263,0:03:28.765
This sounds like a good theory,

0:03:28.789,0:03:31.540
but I could talk for a long time,[br]tell you lots of things,

0:03:31.564,0:03:33.270
and a portion of them may be true,

0:03:33.294,0:03:36.354
but I think it's better if I tried[br]to show that to you here live.

0:03:36.378,0:03:38.917
If I come down, I'm going[br]to do a bit of shopping.

0:03:38.941,0:03:40.455
Just hold still where you are.

0:03:43.503,0:03:46.187
Hello, how are you?[br]It's lovely to see you.

0:03:46.211,0:03:47.282
Wonderful job onstage.

0:03:47.306,0:03:49.369
Lovely watch, it doesn't[br]come off very well.

0:03:49.393,0:03:50.694
Do you have a ring as well?

0:03:50.718,0:03:53.060
Good. Just taking inventory.[br]You're like a buffet.

0:03:53.084,0:03:55.741
Hard to tell where to start,[br]so many great things.

0:03:55.765,0:03:57.425
Hi, how are you? Good to see you.

0:03:57.449,0:04:00.362
Hi, sir, could you stand up, please?[br]Just right where you are.

0:04:00.386,0:04:02.406
You're married,[br]you follow directions well.

0:04:02.430,0:04:03.492
Nice to meet you, sir.

0:04:03.516,0:04:06.204
You don't have a lot in your pockets.[br]Anything down here?

0:04:07.288,0:04:10.256
Hopefully so. Have a seat. There you go.[br]You're doing well.

0:04:10.280,0:04:11.470
Hi, sir, how are you?

0:04:11.494,0:04:13.715
Good to see you, sir.[br]You have a ring, a watch.

0:04:13.739,0:04:15.815
Do you have a wallet on you? Joe: I don't.

0:04:15.839,0:04:17.143
AR: We'll find one for you.

0:04:17.167,0:04:18.384
Come on up this way, Joe.

0:04:18.408,0:04:19.789
Give Joe a round of applause.

0:04:19.813,0:04:21.469
Come on up Joe. Let's play a game.

0:04:21.493,0:04:24.561
(Applause)

0:04:26.437,0:04:27.917
AR: Pardon me.

0:04:28.535,0:04:30.627
I don't think I need this clicker anymore.

0:04:30.651,0:04:32.579
Thank you very much. I appreciate that.

0:04:32.603,0:04:35.413
Come on up to the stage, Joe.[br]Let's play a little game now.

0:04:35.437,0:04:37.226
Anything in your front pockets?

0:04:37.250,0:04:38.251
J: Money.

0:04:38.275,0:04:40.321
AR: Money! All right, let's try that.

0:04:40.345,0:04:42.702
Can you stand right over this way for me?

0:04:43.130,0:04:44.433
Turn around and, let's see,

0:04:44.457,0:04:46.505
if I give you something[br]that belongs to me,

0:04:46.529,0:04:48.927
this is just something I have,

0:04:48.951,0:04:49.952
a poker chip.

0:04:49.976,0:04:51.267
Hold out your hand for me.

0:04:51.926,0:04:53.060
Watch it closely.

0:04:53.084,0:04:54.901
This is a task for you to focus on.

0:04:55.320,0:04:57.574
You have your money in your front pocket?

0:04:57.598,0:04:58.599
J: Yup.[br]AR: Good.

0:04:58.623,0:05:00.320
I won't put my hand in your pocket.

0:05:00.344,0:05:02.355
I'm not ready for that kind of commitment.

0:05:02.379,0:05:04.172
Once a guy had a hole in his pocket,

0:05:04.196,0:05:06.131
and that was rather traumatizing for me.

0:05:06.155,0:05:08.196
I wanted his wallet,[br]he gave me his number.

0:05:08.220,0:05:09.396
Big miscommunication.

0:05:09.420,0:05:10.448
(Laughter)

0:05:10.472,0:05:12.654
Let's do this simply.[br]Squeeze your hand tight.

0:05:12.678,0:05:14.642
Do you feel the poker chip in your hand?

0:05:14.666,0:05:15.713
J: I do.

0:05:15.737,0:05:18.054
AR: Would you be surprised[br]if I took it? Say yes.

0:05:18.078,0:05:19.085
J: Very.[br]AR: Good.

0:05:19.109,0:05:21.010
Open your hand. Thank you very much.

0:05:21.034,0:05:22.701
I'll cheat if you give me a chance.

0:05:22.725,0:05:24.822
Make it harder for me. Just use your hand.

0:05:24.846,0:05:26.817
Grab my wrist, but squeeze, squeeze firm.

0:05:26.841,0:05:28.029
Did you see it go?

0:05:28.053,0:05:29.585
Joe: No.[br]AR: No, it's not here.

0:05:29.609,0:05:30.631
Open your hand.

0:05:30.655,0:05:32.204
While we're focused on the hand,

0:05:32.228,0:05:33.687
it's sitting on your shoulder.

0:05:34.933,0:05:36.542
Go ahead and take it off.

0:05:36.566,0:05:38.014
Now, let's try that again.

0:05:38.038,0:05:39.944
Hold your hand out flat. Open it up.

0:05:39.968,0:05:42.785
Put your hand up a little bit higher,[br]but watch it close.

0:05:42.809,0:05:44.934
If I did it slowly,[br]it'd be on your shoulder.

0:05:45.983,0:05:47.399
(Laughter)

0:05:47.423,0:05:49.995
Joe, we're going to keep doing[br]this till you catch it.

0:05:50.019,0:05:52.193
You'll get it eventually.[br]I have faith in you.

0:05:52.217,0:05:54.307
Squeeze firm.[br]You're human, you're not slow.

0:05:54.331,0:05:55.629
It's back on your shoulder.

0:05:56.241,0:05:58.439
You were focused on your hand, distracted.

0:05:58.463,0:06:01.329
While you were watching,[br]I couldn't get your watch off.

0:06:01.353,0:06:03.592
Yet you had something inside your pocket.

0:06:03.616,0:06:05.028
Do you remember what it was?

0:06:05.269,0:06:06.293
Joe: Money.

0:06:06.317,0:06:08.637
AR: Check your pocket. Is it still there?

0:06:08.661,0:06:09.662
(Laughter)

0:06:09.686,0:06:11.440
Oh, there it was. Put it away.

0:06:11.464,0:06:12.496
We're just shopping.

0:06:12.520,0:06:14.257
This trick's more about the timing.

0:06:14.281,0:06:16.386
I'm going to try to push it[br]inside your hand.

0:06:16.410,0:06:18.362
Put your other hand on top, would you?

0:06:18.774,0:06:20.544
It's amazingly obvious now, isn't it?

0:06:20.568,0:06:23.201
It looks a lot like the watch[br]I was wearing, doesn't it?

0:06:23.225,0:06:24.526
(Laughter) (Applause)

0:06:24.550,0:06:26.916
J: That's pretty good.[br]AR: Oh, thanks.

0:06:26.940,0:06:29.202
(Applause)

0:06:29.226,0:06:32.106
But it's only a start.[br]Let's try it a little bit differently.

0:06:32.130,0:06:34.480
Hold your hands together.[br]Your other hand on top.

0:06:34.504,0:06:36.276
If you're watching this little token,

0:06:36.300,0:06:39.248
this obviously has become a little target,[br]like a red herring.

0:06:39.272,0:06:42.049
If we watch this kind of close,[br]it looks like it goes away.

0:06:42.073,0:06:43.649
It's not back on your shoulder.

0:06:43.673,0:06:46.245
It falls out of the air,[br]lands right back in the hand.

0:06:46.269,0:06:47.326
Did you see it go?

0:06:48.173,0:06:51.570
Yeah, funny. We've got a little guy.[br]He's union, works up there all day.

0:06:51.594,0:06:55.083
Slowly, if it goes straight away,[br]it lands down by your pocket.

0:06:55.107,0:06:56.122
This pocket, sir?

0:06:56.146,0:06:58.610
Don't reach in your pocket.[br]That's a different show.

0:06:58.634,0:06:59.693
(Squeaking)

0:06:59.717,0:07:02.061
That's rather strange.[br]They have shots for that.

0:07:02.085,0:07:04.576
Can I show them? Rather bizarre.[br]Is this yours, sir?

0:07:04.600,0:07:07.366
I have no idea how that works.[br]We'll send that over there.

0:07:07.390,0:07:09.050
I need help with this one.

0:07:09.074,0:07:10.343
Step over this way.

0:07:10.367,0:07:13.215
Don't run away. You had something[br]down by your pants pocket.

0:07:13.239,0:07:15.492
I was checking mine.[br]I couldn't find everything,

0:07:15.516,0:07:16.984
but I you have something here.

0:07:17.008,0:07:19.188
Can I feel the outside for a moment?

0:07:19.212,0:07:21.974
Down here I noticed this.[br]Is this something of yours, sir?

0:07:22.450,0:07:24.010
I have no idea. That's a shrimp.

0:07:24.034,0:07:26.136
J: Yeah. I'm saving it for later.

0:07:26.160,0:07:29.184
AR: You've entertained[br]all of these people in a wonderful way,

0:07:29.208,0:07:30.349
better than you know.

0:07:30.373,0:07:33.401
So we'd love to give you this[br]lovely watch as a gift.

0:07:33.425,0:07:34.426
(Laughter)

0:07:34.450,0:07:35.948
Hopefully it matches his taste.

0:07:35.972,0:07:37.635
We have a couple of other things,

0:07:37.659,0:07:38.775
a little bit of cash.

0:07:39.373,0:07:40.464
A few other things.

0:07:40.488,0:07:41.897
These all belong to you,

0:07:41.921,0:07:44.590
along with a big round of applause[br]from all your friends.

0:07:44.614,0:07:45.615
(Applause)

0:07:45.639,0:07:46.944
Joe, thank you very much.

0:07:46.968,0:07:49.968
(Applause)

0:07:51.913,0:07:53.093
(Applause ends)

0:07:53.863,0:07:56.363
So, same question I asked you before,

0:07:56.387,0:07:58.715
but this time you don't have[br]to close your eyes.

0:07:59.866,0:08:01.141
What am I wearing?

0:08:01.611,0:08:02.612
Audience: Oh!

0:08:02.636,0:08:04.715
(Laughter)

0:08:04.739,0:08:07.538
(Hesitant applause)

0:08:09.522,0:08:10.950
(Applause ends)

0:08:10.974,0:08:12.875
Attention is a powerful thing.

0:08:12.899,0:08:15.384
Like I said, it shapes your reality.

0:08:15.860,0:08:18.295
So, I guess I'd like to pose[br]that question to you.

0:08:18.319,0:08:20.319
If you could control somebody's attention,

0:08:20.343,0:08:21.614
what would you do with it?

0:08:22.531,0:08:23.595
Thank you.

0:08:23.619,0:08:26.622
(Applause)