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How a Physicist-Turned-Magician Uses Science to Make Magic Unbelievable at the Edinburgh Fringe

14 Jul 2025

Science and magic are closer than you might think, according to Kevin Quantum, physicist turned world-class entertainer. Here he writes about his Edinburgh Fringe show, which is designed specifically for those who don’t believe in magic – and even features a trick made possible by the equations of James Clerk Maxwell to put a million volts through his own body.

The deeper you go into science, the more it starts to sound like magic... It’s weird. It’s wonderful. And it’s all true

What I love about science – and magic – is that both begin with the same question: What if?

They’re not as far apart as people think. The deeper you go into science, the more it starts to sound like magic. Physicists routinely say things like, “The particle disappears here and reappears over there,” and no one bats an eyelid. Welcome to quantum mechanics – a realm where things can be two places at once, time can flow backwards, and observing something can change the outcome. It’s weird. It’s wonderful. And it’s all true.

Now imagine taking that weirdness … and turning it into a live theatre experience.

That’s what Unbelievable Magic for Non-Believers is. A high-voltage blend of science and illusion, designed for the sceptical, the curious, the fiercely logical, and even the occasional believer. It’s not about tricking you – it’s about showing you just how fragile your understanding of reality might be. And doing it with a smile.

I used to be a physicist. During that time I designed cockpits for fighter jets and made fancy 3D cameras for scene of crime investigations. I then walked away from a PhD to become a magician. That decision raised a few eyebrows (some of them were mine). But in truth, I didn’t leave science behind. I just found a new way to explore it. On stage. With a live audience. And preferably without setting anyone’s eyebrows on fire. Although there has been the odd singe over the years, especially with the electrical stuff.

In this show, you’ll see me harness over a million volts of electricity – an invention by Nikola Tesla, powered by equations written by Edinburgh’s own James Clerk Maxwell – to produce real, impossible moments. You’ll watch as objects vanish, minds are read, and probability takes a long holiday. I’ll use randomness, misdirection, and the secrets of human perception to reveal how easily reality can be reshaped. And I’ll end the night with “magic” that reportedly turned Einstein himself into a believer.

Throughout, you’ll be asked to choose: are you a Believer, or a Non-Believer? At the start of the show, you'll get a red or blue card – one for the sceptics, one for the faithful. That card stays with you until the end, when it becomes part of something much bigger. Something... you’ll have to see to believe.

Unbelievable Magic for Non-Believers is not just a magic show. It’s a challenge. To your instincts. To your intellect. To the part of you that’s desperate for things to make sense – and the part that secretly hopes they never quite do.

So, bring your logic. Bring your doubt. Bring that friend who “doesn’t believe in magic”. I made this show for them.

And if you leave not entirely sure what just happened – good. That means it worked.

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