Who among these magicians is the best in mesmerizing the crowd with their theatrical presentations?
David Blaine
According to some press people, Blaine can claim a brand of wizardry that only himself is entitled to have. The magic he offers operates on an uncommonly personal level. He is the kind of magician that engages with his audience up close by getting physically near them on the streets and on everyday places where people converge and hang out. Unlike other magicians though, he doesn’t only rely on tricks but endurance performances as well. He is the magician who’s willing to punish himself, just to give his fans a truly spectacular viewing experience.
Real name: David Blaine White
Born: April 4, 1973
From: New York City, USA
Years active: 1997–present
Ricky Jay
While most magicians focus only on gaining knowledge on how to perform flawlessly, Ricky Jay has another passion apart from it, he studies extensively about the history of magic itself. As a proficient magician, he is regarded by some publishers as the best sleight of hand artist alive. He is a pioneer of many card tricks that are often performed by street magicians today. He is also known for his feats of memory and responsive speech which can make him appear as a theatrical mind-reader magician.
Real name: Richard Jay Potash
Born: 1948
From: Brooklyn, New York
Years active: 1953-present
Doug Henning
A magician with a knack for science and psychology, this guy might as well have chosen to become a scientist instead of immersing himself in magic. As a big fan of Houdini, he used to also perform escape acts and has even co-written a biography of the famed magician. During the rise of his career, his main objective was to bring magic into its ‘glory days.’ If we look back in history, it can be proven that he has achieved the goal, though he might not have fully witnessed it the way we do, as we continue to look up to great magicians in bewilderment these days.
Real name: Douglas James Henning
Born: May 3, 1947
Died: February 7, 2000 (aged 52)
From: Manitoba, Canada
Years active: 1961–1999
Harry Blackstone Sr.
Performing at theaters even up to the last days of his life, The Great Blackstone, as he was dubbed, was a radical magician in terms of onstage methods. Most magicians would cover their subjects as they perform levitation, but Harry wouldn’t do that, he prefers it uncovered. He was closely associated with the great inventor Thomas Edison, who designed his floating light bulb paraphernalia that he used for his signature act. It is believed that he was the one who popularized the bow tie and the coattails among magicians– an indication that he was both elegant and fancy in his performances, inasmuch as he is in his dress code.
Real name: Henry Boughton
Born: September 27, 1885
Died: November 16, 1965 (aged 80)
From: Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Years active: 1906 - 1965
Penn and Teller
Two heads are better than one, and if one magician can give an amazing show, how amazing would it be if there are two of them? Mixing magical showmanship with a dose of comedy, Penn and Teller are the type of magicians that could never fail. Why? Because when they can’t mesmerize you with their magic, they can certainly hook you up with laughter because of their humorous antics. On 2013, they received their Hollywood Walk of Fame star which is actually only a few steps away from Harry Houdini’s.
Real names: Penn Fraser Jillette, Raymond Joseph Teller
Born: March 5, 1955 (Penn), February 14, 1948 (Teller)
From: Nevada, USA
Years active: 1975–present
The following celebrities made science more digestible and not to mention, more lovable for people with average brainpower. Who among these brainiacs projects the best charisma in popularizing science?
Liz Bonnin
As an attractive woman, she was approached by FHM magazine but turned it down. Prior to that, she was a member of an all-girl pop group. She didn’t last long in such undertakings. Apparently, she loves what the natural world has given us, and she can’t afford to lose time in making people understand what she learned in her chosen scientific fields: Animal Biology and Biochemistry.
Most known for: Galapagos
Michio Kaku
He was mesmerized by Einstein’s popularity as a kid. Since then, he was obsessed with becoming what the scientist has achieved in his lifetime and even hoped to finish what Einstein couldn’t. Driven with the notion that science is not as hard and painstaking as what people think, he mastered his craft in lecturing and in making grand symposiums with the hopes that people will fall in love with science the way he did. While he may not be as top-notch as Kip Thorne or Stephen Hawking, he is an amazing lecturer and motivator. That’s his most suited niche, and on that aspect, he truly excels. About his credibility as a scientist, only true scientists can attest to it. It can be said however that he is a great science popularizer.
Most known for: Exploration
Neil deGrasse Tyson
He labels himself an agnostic, because he thinks that you can’t just accept matters of spirituality and mysticism just because many people say so. He isn’t just known for being an agnostic though, because he is a very famous scientist-celebrity as well. He is not all brainpower, for he was awarded by People Magazine as “The Sexiest Astrophysicist Alive.”
Most known for: Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey
Robert Winston
He is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. Does that make him a big shot? Very much so. The term can never be applied to you, if you don’t have the brainpower and scientific achievements to back it up. Immersing himself in a seemingly endless educational undertaking, he is very adamant in urging people to do practical science and to debate the issues that arise from science and technology.
Most known for: Your Life in Their Hands
Steve Irwin
He was given the nickname, “The Crocodile Hunter” due to his work on a TV show of the same name. As an Australian, he brought great honor to his country for popularizing science and for his discoveries in the field. On September 4, 2006, he died after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming an underwater documentary. The ship called My Steve Irwin was named in his honor.
Most known for: Ocean’s Deadliest
