Journal Entry #8 - Now You See Me

October 27th’s presentation was about the movie Now You See Me and how magic, deception, and psychology can work together. The presentation focused on the Four Horsemen, a group of four magicians who each had different specialties, including card tricks, mentalism, escape acts, and hustling. They used their abilities to perform elaborate tricks and carry out robberies while staying ahead of the FBI and other investigators. I thought it was interesting how their performances relied on more than just magic tricks. A lot of it involved a deep understanding how people think and react.

One concept that stood out to me was social engineering. This is when someone manipulates another person into giving up information or access to something. In the presentation, the Horsemen studied a man closely enough and asked the correct questions to be able to recreate his bank vault and figure out how to get the information they needed. This connects to real life because people can sometimes be easier to manipulate than technology itself. Someone might reveal personal information simply because they trust the person asking or do not realize what the information could be used for.

I also thought the movie's use of misdirection was interesting. The Horsemen controlled what people focused on, which allowed them to hide what was actually happening. I think this relates to everyday life because we often make assumptions based on what we see without questioning what might be happening behind the scenes. Overall, I think the biggest takeaway was that perception is not always reality. Understanding how people can be influenced makes it easier to recognize deception and be more cautious about what we believe.

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