Interesting Thinkers: Derren Brown

I would love to write a Doctoral Thesis on Derren Brown. He fascinates me from all levels.

Who is Derren Brown, you say? Derren Brown is an enigma wrapped in the horror of human suggestibility, but with the coat of a magician. One feels that all will be alright when it ends, though the means, one is not sure. Now for specifics: Derren is blonde... or did you want to know that? He has done several BBC shows, as well as shows in front of live audiences, and what he does is to use the power of suggestion, subtle or strong, to get people to do things they would never imagine they'd do. That, or use his rather impressive intellect to get them to admit things they'd never admit. So much interesting stuff. Best of all, he tells you how he does it. I know, I know, the magician never reveals his tricks. Bollocks. The greatest magicians can, and one never ceases to wonder. Puny magicians, like puny thinkers, don't reveal their tricks, because anyone can do them.

Derren Brown fascinates because:

His abilities to influence by subtle suggestion raises all sorts of interesting questions in the realms of literature and philosophy.
His work could lead to such interesting cognitive science research.

There are clips of him on YouTube.