The Real Magic Here
Today, I came across this article on Wired: I Want to Believe This Surprised Baboon Gets What Magic Is. Watch the video below and take note of your reaction.
https://babyanimalgifs.tumblr.com/post/141168125327
Now continue reading...
Just like Caitlin from Wired, I wanted to believe the baboon knows what magic is. Actually, at first, I was beside myself with disbelief. How could this baboon have a reaction that is so "human-like"? Is it really so hard to believe though? I don't ask this as if I'm someone who doesn't believe that other species can't have intelligent thoughts. Like aliens existing somewhere in the universe, I think it's definitely possible, maybe even likely. There is plenty of other evidence that I won't get into here because the point I'd like to make instead is:
The magic in this GIF isn't what you think it is.
Revisiting Caitlin's article:
Some jackball grandpa in a neon white cap shows her a card, and with a flourish, the card is gone. Wan Baboon loses it. Her eyebrows have leapt up before she can stop them, she is incredulous, and outraged. It's magic-and, you know, it's magic. - Caitlin, Wired
But that's not it. The magic isn't the sleight-of-hand card trick the person in the video is performing. The article goes on to interview Teller, of Penn and Teller, to get his take on the GIF. Teller points out that it's not even the most incredible magic trick. No, it's definitely not the card trick. The real magic here must be the baboon's reaction.
Think back to your gut reaction to the video. Mine was disbelief. Isn't that the same as the baboon's reaction to the card trick? It's more than a little meta. But something still doesn't feel right.
Caitlin interviewed a world-renowned primatologist, Frans de Waal, for her article (she really covered all of her bases). His reaction was different, but the takeaway for me was to second guess what's really happening in the video. Maybe this video was staged. Maybe there is even someone off-screen antagonizing the baboon. We can't know for sure. However, that would only lend more credence to my main point:
The magic isn't in the video, it is the video.
- Meant to entertain.
- Eliciting a response of disbelief.
- An illusion.