THERE鈥橲 more to ventriloquism than keeping your lips shut. The secret, says
Jean Vroomen, is to distract the audience with well-timed dummy movements.
Vroomen and his team at Tilburg University in the Netherlands and at the Free
University of Brussels say this exploits a reflex brain reaction, where we think
a sound comes from a source of movement. In an experiment to mimic the effect,
they played a noise directly in front of a volunteer while a flash of light
appeared from the side. Most subjects thought the sound came from the direction
of the light (Acta Psychologica, vol 108, p 21).
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Technology
Test moderators use AI-generated writing to judge literacy standards
News
Mind
THC in cannabis may reduce nightmares in people with PTSD
News
Environment
Fishers detonate a bomb every hour on one Indonesian coral reef
News
Environment
How bad is the UK drought and how long will it continue?
News
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles