The History of Magic: From Ancient Scams to Las Vegas | Mental Floss

Stage magic has a fantastically interesting history. From ancient Egyptians to Harry Houdini to David Blaine, magic has been blowing people's minds for thousands of years. Let's take a look at the who, where, and why of it all. In this episode of The History of Fun, Justin (@juddtoday) explores the interesting history of board stage magic, with a little help from Dr. Gustav Kuhn, expert on the psychology of magic, from the University of London, Goldsmiths. Make sure to subscribe to stay up to date on new episodes of this show. And leave a comment letting us know what topics you'd like to see covered next! Special thanks to Dr. Kuhn! If you'd like to check out his work, including the Magic Lab, follow this link: https://www.magicresearchlab.com Fake YouTube magician: Nick Cox Don't miss a video! Subscribe NOW:    / @mentalfloss   About Mental Floss: Mental Floss is where curious people come for trivia-tastic information. Mental Floss produces lists of fun facts, debunks common misconceptions, and tells untold stories from history, science, culture and more. Website: http://www.mentalfloss.com Twitter:   / mental_floss   Facebook:   / mentalflossmagazine   Copyright Notice: This video and YouTube channel contain dialog, music, and images that are property of Mental Floss. You are authorized to share the video link and channel, and embed this video in your website or others as long as a link back to this YouTube Channel is provided. © 2025 Mental Floss The History of Magic: From Ancient Scams to Las Vegas | Mental Floss    / @mentalfloss