The art of misdirection | Apollo Robbins (2023)

Introduction

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Hailed as the greatest pickpocket in the world, Apollo Robbins studies the quirks of human behavior as he steals your watch. In a hilarious demonstration, Robbins samples the buffet of the TEDGlobal 2013 audience, showing how the flaws in our perception make it possible to swipe a wallet and leave it on its owner's shoulder while they remain clueless.

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Video

Do you think it's possible to control someone's attention, even more than that? What about predicting human behavior? I think those are interesting ideas.

If you could I mean for me, that'd be the perfect superpower actually kind of a evil way of approaching it.

But for myself in the past I've spent the last 20 years, setting human behavior from a rather unorthodox way picking pockets.

When we think of misdirection, we think if something is looking off to the side when actually it's often that things are right in front of us.

There are hardest things to see the things that you look at every day that you're blinded to for example, how many of you still have your cell phones on you right now? Great double check make sure you still have them on.

You always doing some shopping beforehand.

Now you've looked at and probably a few times a day.

But I'ma, ask you a question about it without looking at your cell phone directly yet, can you remember the icon in the bottom right corner? Bring them out check and see how accurate you were how'd? You do sure I hands.

Did we get it now that you're done looking at those close them down, because every phone has something in common, no matter how you organize the icons you still have a clock on the front.

So without looking at your phone, what time was it? You just looked at your clock, right? It's.

An interesting idea now I'll, ask you to take that step further with a game of trust, close your eyes, okay, I realize I'm asking you to do that while you just heard there's a pickpocket in the room, but close your eyes.

Now you've been watching me for about 30 seconds with your eyes closed.

What am I wearing make your best? Guess? What color is my shirt.

What color is my tie now open your eyes by showing hands where you write it's, interesting isn't, it.

Some of us are a little bit more perceptive than others.

It seems that way, but I have a different theory about that that model of attention.

They have fancy models of attention Posner, trendy model of attention for me I like to think of it very simple, like a surveillance system.

It's kind of like you have all these fancy sentries.

And inside your brain is a little security guard for me I like to call him Frank.

So Frank is sitting at a desk.

He's got all sorts of cool information in front of him, high-tech equipment.

He's got cameras, he's got a little phone.

They can pick up listen to the ears all these senses all these perceptions.

But attention is what steers your perceptions is what controls your reality it's, the Gateway to the mind.

If you don't attend to something you can't be aware of it, but ironically, you can attend to something without being aware of it that's.

Why there's the cocktail effect? We ran a party you're having conversations with someone.

And yet you can recognize your name.

And you didn't even realize you were listening to that.

Now for my job I have to play with techniques to exploit this to play with your attention as a limited resource.

So if I could control how you spend your attention, if I could maybe steal your attention through a distraction.

Now instead of doing it like misdirection and throwing off to the side instead, why choose a focus on is Frank to be able to play with the Frank inside your head, you're, a little security guard and get you instead of focusing on your external senses, just to go internal for a second.

So if I ask you to access a memory like what is that what just happened? Do you have a wallet you have an American Express in your wallet.

And when I do that, your Frank turns around, he accesses the file he has to rewind the tape and what's interesting is he can't rewind the tape at the same time they is trying to process new data, I mean, this sounds like a good theory, but I could talk for a long time and tell you lots of things.

And they may be true portion of them, but I think it's better.

If I try to show that to you here live.

So if I come down I'm gonna do a little bit of shopping just hold still where you are.

Hello.

How are you it's lovely to see you? You did a wonderful job on stage.

You have a lovely watch that doesn't come off very well.

Do you have your ring as well? Good just taking inventory you're like a buffet it's hard to tell where to start there's so many great things, hi, how are you good to see you? Alright, sir.

Could you stand up for me? Please just right where you are.

Yo, you're, married, your father directions, well, that's nice to meet you.

Sir, you don't have a whole lot inside your pockets anything down by the pocket over here.

Hopefully so have a seat there.

You go you're doing well, hi, sir, how are you good to see you? Sir you have a ring.

A watch.

Do you have a wallet on you? Well, we'll find one for you come on up this way, Joe give Joe a round of applause.

Come on up Joe mcquigg in pardon me don't think that he need this clicker anymore.

You can have that.

Thank you very much.

Appreciate that come on up to the stage Joe let's play a little game.

Now, do you have anything in your front pockets? Money? All right? Let's.

Try that can you stand right over this way for me, turn around and let's see if I give you something that belongs to me? This is just something uh, a half poker chip hold out your hand for me.

Watch it kind of close.

Now, this is a task for you to focus on.

Now you have your money in your front pocket here.

Good I'm, not gonna actually put my hand in your pocket I'm, not ready for that kind of commitment.

One time a guy had a hole in his pocket that was really traumatizing nice looking for his wallet.

He gave me his phone numbers, a big miscommunication.

So let's do this simply squeeze your hand squeeze it tight? Do you feel the poker chip in your hand? Would you be surprised if I could take it out of your hand say, yes, good open your hand.

Thank you very much.

I'll, cheat.

If you give me a chance make it harder for me, just use your hand, grab my wrist, but squeeze squeeze firm.

Did you see it go that was not here? Open your hand, see while we're focused on the hand, it's sitting on your shoulder, right now let's go and take it off.

Yeah, let's.

Try that again.

Hold your hand out flat open up all the way put your hand up a little bit higher.

But watch it close.

There Joe, see if I did slowly it'd be back on your shoulder, joke, we're gonna keep doing this.

So you catch it you're gonna get eventually here I have faith in you squeeze firm squeeze you're, human you're, not slow it's back on your shoulder, you're focused on your hand, that's.

Why you were distracted while you're watching this I couldn't quite get your watch off.

It was difficult yet.

You had something inside your front pocket.

Do you remember what it was check your pocket? See if it's still there is it still there? Oh that's where it was go ahead and put it away.

We're just shopping.

This tricks more about the timing really I'm.

Gonna try to push it inside your hand.

Put your other hand on top for me, would you it's amazingly obvious now, isn't, it looks like a lot like the watch I was wearing doesn't.

It Thanks it's only a start let's.

Try it again, a little bit differently.

Hold your hands together, put your other hand on top.

Now, if you're watching this little token, this obvious has become a little target it's like a red herring.

If we watch this kind of close, it looks like it goes away.

It's, not back on your shoulder.

It falls out of the air lands right? Back in the hand.

Did you see? It? Go it's.

Fine got a little guy, he's Union.

He works up there all day.

If I did slowly go straight away.

It lands down by your pocket.

I believe is it in this pocket.

Sir no don't reach in your pocket that's.

A different show, sorry is that's rather strange.

They have shots for that.

Yeah, sure, what that is this where they're bizarre is this yours, sir, you have no idea how that works we'll just send that over there.

That's great I need help with this one step over this way for me.

Now don't run away.

You had something down while your pants pocket I was checking mine, I couldn't, find everything, but I noticed you had something here, I feel the outside of your pocket for a moment down here.

I noticed.

This is this something of your serious I had no idea that's a shrimp.

You've entertained all these people in wonderful way better than you know.

So we'd love to give you this lovely, watch as a gift, hopefully matches his taste.

But also we have a couple of other things a little bit of cash.

And then we have a few other things.

These all belong to you along with a big round of applause from all your friends Joe.

Thank you very much.

So same question I asked you to be before, but this time you don't have to close your eyes.

What am I wearing attention is a powerful thing like I said, it shapes your reality.

So I guess I'd like to pose that question to you if you control somebody's attention, what would you do with it? Thank you.