{"631746":{"#nid":"631746","#data":{"type":"news","title":"College of Sciences Administrator Makes Major Magician\u0027s Award Appear ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/people.math.gatech.edu\/~mbaker\/\u0022\u003EMatt Baker\u003C\/a\u003E, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gamagicclub.com\/magician-of-the-year\u0022\u003E2019 Greater Atlanta Magician of the Year\u003C\/a\u003E, has been fascinated by feats of magic since he was a toddler. Because Baker is also a professor in the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/math.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E School of Mathematics\u003C\/a\u003E, he has proof.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThere he is, in a photo from his fourth birthday party, watching a magician entertain the youngsters. The photo is in his 2019 book about magic,\u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.vanishingincmagic.com\/magic\/magic-books\/the-buena-vista-shuffle-club\/\u0022\u003E The Buena Vista Shuffle Club.\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/em\u003E\u0026ldquo;I\u0026rsquo;m the kid with his mouth agape,\u0026rdquo; Baker writes in the introduction.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe book\u0026rsquo;s title, a play on the name of a famous group of Cuban musicians, describes his love of card tricks, the enduring appeal of magic, and how it followed him into adulthood. His \u0026ldquo;shuffle club\u0026rdquo; is a fictional group of magicians providing running commentary throughout the book.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;For some reason that I can\u0026rsquo;t fully explain, I\u0026rsquo;m passionate about magic and have been since I was a little kid,\u0026rdquo; Baker says in his book. \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s not always clear to me how magic fits in, or should fit in, my already frenetic life. Even with the demands of family and a busy professional life, magic is where my mind always wants to go out to play. I\u0026rsquo;m unable to shake it, even when I try.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EJust how frenetic is Baker\u0026rsquo;s life? In addition to teaching math classes in some challenging topics like algebraic and arithmetic geometry, he is the College of Science\u0026rsquo;s first Associate Dean for Faculty Development. Named to the role in 2018, Baker helps develop programs that enhance the instructional, research, and career opportunities for faculty, with a focus on hiring, mentoring, retention, diversity, and inclusion.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBaker has published many mathematics research papers, and his accomplishments have won him numerous awards and honors, including his election as a Fellow of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ams.org\/home\/page\u0022\u003EAmerican Mathematical Society\u003C\/a\u003E in 2012, and selection for the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.simonsfoundation.org\/grant\/simons-fellows-in-mathematics\/\u0022\u003ESimons Fellowship in Mathematics\u003C\/a\u003E in 2017.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBaker has also edited or written four books, but only his most recent one, \u003Cem\u003EThe Buena Vista Shuffle Club\u003C\/em\u003E, is about his magic obsession. In this arena, Baker has earned his share of honors as well. He previously won the Greater Atlanta Magician of the Year award in 2015, and has now been crowned with the honor for a second time.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s a big honor to win the Greater Atlanta Magician of the Year award, especially given that we have so many amazing magicians in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gamagicclub.com\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Magic Club\u003C\/a\u003E, including a number of full-time professionals,\u0026rdquo; he says.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E2019\u0026rsquo;s good year for Baker not only included publishing his first book on magic. He also recorded a two-hour video lecture for magicians through \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.murphysmagic.com\/\u0022\u003EMurphy\u0026rsquo;s Magic\u003C\/a\u003E, and gave an invited lecture at the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.magician.org\/\u0022\u003E International Brotherhood of Magicians\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026rsquo; National Convention in Scottsdale, Arizona.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOn its website, the IBM calls itself \u0026ldquo;the world\u0026rsquo;s largest organization for the magical arts.\u0026rdquo; Baker belongs to the Atlanta branch, known as Ring 9, or the Georgia Magic Club. Ring 9 offers services for those who are wannabe Houdinis, or those who are making a living as a magician. The \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.magicsam.com\/\u0022\u003ESociety of American Magicians \u003C\/a\u003E(SAM) is the other major magic organization in the U.S., and it offers similar resources. Both have local chapters all around the country, including the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlantamagicclub.com\/\u0022\u003EAtlanta Society of Magicians\u003C\/a\u003E. Baker is a member of both organizations, and the Magician of the Year Award is a joint effort of the two groups.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA mathematician who moonlights as a working magician might make some think of one of Arthur C. Clarke\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;three laws\u0026rdquo; dealing with science, discovery, and the future. \u0026nbsp;The famed science fiction author, who wrote the original story that director Stanley Kubrick turned into \u003Cem\u003E2001: A Space Odyssey\u003C\/em\u003E, addressed magic in his third law:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAny sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. \u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Definitely there are lots of connections between science and magic, and also between math and magic,\u0026rdquo; says Baker. \u0026ldquo;For example, there are many interesting magic tricks -- especially card tricks -- which are based on clever and intriguing mathematical principles.\u0026rdquo; Baker cites two books on this subject: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Magical-Mathematics-Mathematical-Animate-Tricks\/dp\/0691169772\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMagical Mathematics: The Mathematical Ideas That Animate Great Magic Tricks\u003C\/em\u003E,\u003C\/a\u003E by Persi Diaconis and Ronald Graham, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Mathematical-Card-Magic-Fifty-Two-Effects\/dp\/1466509767\/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_2\/141-4077782-5395569?_encoding=UTF8\u0026amp;pd_rd_i=1466509767\u0026amp;pd_rd_r=7bd38a8a-ef53-4055-8940-b94b70f7d0ba\u0026amp;pd_rd_w=9gd2f\u0026amp;pd_rd_wg=7WV72\u0026amp;pf_rd_p=5cfcfe89-300f-47d2-b1ad-a4e27203a02a\u0026amp;pf_rd_r=20W5BJCMJ28D9TJDVH67\u0026amp;psc=1\u0026amp;refRID=20W5BJCMJ28D9TJDVH67\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMathematical Card Magic: Fifty-Two New Effects\u003C\/em\u003E, \u003C\/a\u003Eby Spelman College professor Colm Mulcahy.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"With nothing up his sleeves, School of Math\u2019s Matt Baker caps 2019 with honor, new magic book "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECollege of Sciences administrator Matt Baker, who is also a professor in the School of Mathematics, has received a major honor for his hobby, performing magic: He\u0026#39;s the 2019 Greater Atlanta Magician of the Year.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"With nothing up his sleeves, School of Math\u2019s Matt Baker caps 2019 with honor, new magic book "}],"uid":"34434","created_gmt":"2020-01-28 14:47:10","changed_gmt":"2020-02-06 15:48:21","author":"Renay San Miguel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-01-28T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2020-01-28T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"631756":{"id":"631756","type":"image","title":"(Left to right) Mike Dunagan, president of the Georgia Magic Club, Matt Baker, and Merritt Ambrose, president of the Atlanta Society of Magicians (Photo: Atlanta Society of Magicians)","body":null,"created":"1580229487","gmt_created":"2020-01-28 16:38:07","changed":"1580328099","gmt_changed":"2020-01-29 20:01:39","alt":"","file":{"fid":"240368","name":"Magician of the Year Award.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Magician%20of%20the%20Year%20Award.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Magician%20of%20the%20Year%20Award.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":73306,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Magician%20of%20the%20Year%20Award.jpg?itok=Lsi8YZ-W"}},"631758":{"id":"631758","type":"image","title":"Matt Baker ","body":null,"created":"1580229697","gmt_created":"2020-01-28 16:41:37","changed":"1580229697","gmt_changed":"2020-01-28 16:41:37","alt":"","file":{"fid":"240369","name":"Matt Baker Headshot tall.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Matt%20Baker%20Headshot%20tall.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Matt%20Baker%20Headshot%20tall.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":71843,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Matt%20Baker%20Headshot%20tall.jpg?itok=SXR_aHDu"}}},"media_ids":["631756","631758"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.mattbakermagic.com\/","title":"Matt Baker Magic website"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.news.gatech.edu\/2016\/02\/01\/professor-excels-mathematics-and-magic","title":"Professor Excels in Mathematics and Magic "},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/matthew-baker-named-associate-dean-faculty-development","title":"Matthew Baker Named Associate Dean for Faculty Development"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1279","name":"School of Mathematics"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"168854","name":"School of Mathematics"},{"id":"170129","name":"matt baker"},{"id":"183730","name":"magician"},{"id":"183731","name":"Greater Atlanta Magician of the Year"},{"id":"8867","name":"magic"},{"id":"173647","name":"_for_math_site_"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERenay San Miguel\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications Officer\/Science Writer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n404-894-5209\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["renay.san@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}