Alice Pailhès

Psychological Scientist & Magician
Dr Alice Pailhès is a psychological scientist, magician, author and international speaker.

A specialist in the psychology of magic, Alice has spent more than a decade exploring the cognitive illusions that shape our decisions, perceptions and beliefs. Her research has been published in leading international scientific journals and featured by media including the Financial Times, Wired and the BBC.

She is the author of the bestselling The Psychology of Magic and the forthcoming The Art of Being Fooled, to be published by MIT Press in 2027. A TED and TEDx speaker, she combines scientific research with live magic to create immersive experiences that reveal how easily our minds can be influenced—often without us noticing.

Through her work, Alice helps leaders and organisations better understand the hidden forces behind human judgement, from unconscious bias and first impressions to choice architecture and AI-supported decisions.