I.B.M. Member Profile

Anthony Barnhart

About Anthony Barnhart

Anthony "Magic Tony" Barnhart is an Associate Professor  of Psychological Science at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin.  He received his Ph.D. in Cognitive Science from Arizona State University, where he began his graduate career with the intention of being a language researcher. To this end, he has published research examining the processes underlying handwritten word perception, a domain that has been largely ignored by psychologists. However, Tony is also a part-time professional magician with over 20 years of performing experience. His research trajectory changed in 2010 with the publication of the book Sleights of Mind: What the Neuroscience of Magic Reveals about our Everyday Deceptions, in which he was featured as a consultant and teacher on the science of stage magic. The scientific interest that the book garnered motivated Tony to shift his focus toward the interface of science and magic. His work on the science of magic has been featured in Science News For Kids as well as in national and international television appearances and documentaries, most recently appearing in the CBC's long-running "The Nature of Things" program.