A day in the life of... an Academic Magician

If we asked you to imagine a magician’s place of work, it is unlikely you’d picture Imperial College London, a centre for science, research and education in engineering, medicine and business. However, that is exactly where Dr Will Houstoun does work, using his knowledge of conjuring to help surgeons, medics and students think about what they do and develop new skills.

In this Day in the Life event Will offers a peek behind the curtain into the traditionally secretive world of conjuring, and share some of the surprising ways he is using his skills and knowledge. And you may even get to see a piece of magic performed for you!

Will has a Master's degree in engineering and a PhD that explored a Victorian author's approach to teaching people magic. He currently works exploring the ways in which conjuring can be used as a tool in a variety of non-performance contexts. Whether working with medical researchers and students at Imperial, young people with physical disabilities, or actors in West End productions and Hollywood films, Will has found that the skills and approach of the magician can be usefully applied in surprising and innovative ways.