{"671298":{"#nid":"671298","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Mathematician, Magician Matt Baker to Appear on \u2018Penn \u0026 Teller: Fool Us\u2019 ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pennandteller.com\/\u0022\u003EPenn \u0026amp; Teller\u003C\/a\u003E are famous magicians who have mixed comedy with their magic since they first started performing in the late 1970s. They\u2019ve appeared on talk shows, sitcoms, Broadway, and broadcast and cable television specials, with Penn Jillette as the taller, more gregarious partner, while Raymond Teller usually remains silent as their act delights audiences.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019ve watched and admired Penn \u0026amp; Teller since I was a teenager,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.google.com\/view\/mattbakermath\/home\u0022\u003EMatt Baker\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/math.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Mathematics\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech and an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/mattbakermagic.com\/\u0022\u003Eaward-winning magician\u003C\/a\u003E, who found inspiration in their approach. \u201cAs an educator, I\u2019ve used magic to make my classes more fun and interesting, and in some cases, even more educational.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBaker got the chance to show Penn \u0026amp; Teller the latest math-based tricks up his sleeve in person, when he was invited this August to tape a segment of the duo\u2019s CW show, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cwtv.com\/shows\/penn-teller-fool-us\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EPenn \u0026amp; Teller: Fool Us\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow to tune in\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBaker\u2019s taping, from the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas, is set to air at \u003Cstrong\u003E8 p.m. EST Friday, December 1\u003C\/strong\u003E. In Atlanta, you can watch it on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.peachtreetv.com\/\u0022\u003EPeachtree TV (WCPH)\u003C\/a\u003E, channel 17. \u003Cstrong\u003EOnline streaming will be available Saturday, December 2\u003C\/strong\u003E, at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cwtv.com\/shows\/penn-teller-fool-us\/\u0022\u003Ecwtv.com\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe series episode, titled \u201cThe Bill in Penn\u2019s Head Trick,\u201d will feature Baker showing off his skills among four magicians.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs a magician, it\u2019s clear why the opportunity to appear on \u003Cem\u003EFool Us\u003C\/em\u003E was exciting to me \u2014 it\u2019s the longest-running and most-watched magic show on television, and it\u2019s considered the most prestigious gig in the magic business,\u201d Baker says.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019ve put a lot of thought and effort into designing original magic tricks which utilize mathematical principles in new and interesting ways,\u201d Baker added. \u201cI think the routine I\u2019m performing on \u003Cem\u003EFool Us\u003C\/em\u003E is a great example of this.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFool Us\u003C\/em\u003E has invited aspiring magicians to Las Vegas to appear on the show since it premiered in the U.S. in 2014. If the hosts can\u2019t guess how the trick was done, or they guess wrong, the magician receives a \u003Cem\u003EFool Us\u003C\/em\u003E trophy and a chance to return to Las Vegas for an appearance at one of Penn \u0026amp; Teller\u2019s shows.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA successful audition\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBaker sent an audition tape of a magic trick \u2014 less than five minutes, one continuous shot with no edits \u2014 to the show\u2019s producers in April. He heard back within a week that he had been selected for the trip to Las Vegas to perform in front of a live studio audience.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt was truly an unforgettable experience,\u201d Baker says. \u201cIt\u2019s easy to get so stressed out about appearing on television, or performing in front of Penn \u0026amp; Teller, that you don\u2019t actually enjoy the experience at the moment, but I didn\u2019t have that problem. I had a lot of fun on stage. And I did exactly what I set out to do, performance-wise; I didn\u2019t drop any lines or fumble my props, and I think I remembered to look at the camera and smile.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFooling the magicians\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBaker can\u2019t talk about whether or not he successfully fooled Penn \u0026amp; Teller, but said the show\u2019s producers make it clear that stumping the duo is a secondary consideration.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAccording to Penn \u0026amp; Teller themselves, the purpose of the show is to highlight good magicians and good magic tricks, and the reality TV aspect of making it into a competition is just a gimmick to get people to watch and to keep the show on the air,\u201d Baker said. \u201cThe producers make a big point of saying that if you appear on the show, you\u2019ve already won. Fooling Penn \u0026amp; Teller is just a bonus.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Matt Baker\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBaker, who is currently on sabbatical through a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/matt-baker-elected-simons-foundation-fellow\u0022\u003ESimons Foundation Fellowship\u003C\/a\u003E, served as associate dean for Faculty Development in the College of Sciences for five years. In that role, Baker helped develop programs that enhanced the instructional, research, and career opportunities for faculty, with a focus on hiring, mentoring, retention, diversity, and inclusion.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBaker\u2019s academic 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 an earlier \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.simonsfoundation.org\/grant\/simons-fellows-in-mathematics\/\u0022\u003ESimons Fellowship in Mathematics\u003C\/a\u003E in 2017. Baker 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.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat affinity also earned him accolades: the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.google.com\/view\/samassembly30\/home\u0022\u003EAtlanta Society of Magicians\u003C\/a\u003E named Baker Greater Atlanta Magician of the Year in 2015 and 2019.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Matt Baker is a Georgia Tech School of Mathematics professor and award-winning magician. This week, he\u2019ll appear on the CW television series Penn \u0026 Teller: Fool Us, airing Friday, December 1 and streaming Saturday, December 2. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMatt Baker is a Georgia Tech School of Mathematics professor and award-winning magician. This week, he\u2019ll appear on the CW television series \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EPenn \u0026amp; Teller: Fool Us\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, airing Friday, December 1 and streaming Saturday, December 2.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Matt Baker is a Georgia Tech School of Mathematics professor and award-winning magician. This week, he\u2019ll appear on the CW television series Penn \u0026 Teller: Fool Us, airing Friday, December 1 and streaming Saturday, December 2. "}],"uid":"34434","created_gmt":"2023-11-29 15:12:48","changed_gmt":"2024-06-07 21:01:53","author":"Renay San Miguel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-11-29T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2023-11-29T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"672468":{"id":"672468","type":"image","title":"Matt Baker, math professor and magician","body":"\u003Cp\u003EMatt Baker, math professor and magician\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1701270784","gmt_created":"2023-11-29 15:13:04","changed":"1701270784","gmt_changed":"2023-11-29 15:13:04","alt":"Matt Baker, math professor and magician","file":{"fid":"255707","name":"Matt Baker, math professor and magician.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/11\/29\/Matt%20Baker%2C%20math%20professor%20and%20magician.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/11\/29\/Matt%20Baker%2C%20math%20professor%20and%20magician.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":960792,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/11\/29\/Matt%20Baker%2C%20math%20professor%20and%20magician.jpeg?itok=XZ9JCzr1"}},"672469":{"id":"672469","type":"image","title":"Matt Baker in Las Vegas","body":"\u003Cp\u003EMatt Baker in Las Vegas\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1701270868","gmt_created":"2023-11-29 15:14:28","changed":"1701270868","gmt_changed":"2023-11-29 15:14:28","alt":"Matt Baker in Las Vegas","file":{"fid":"255708","name":"Matt Baker in Las Vegas.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/11\/29\/Matt%20Baker%20in%20Las%20Vegas.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/11\/29\/Matt%20Baker%20in%20Las%20Vegas.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2834885,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/11\/29\/Matt%20Baker%20in%20Las%20Vegas.jpeg?itok=dPRJa9Js"}},"672470":{"id":"672470","type":"image","title":"Matt Baker behind the scenes in Las Vegas","body":"\u003Cp\u003EMatt Baker behind the scenes in Las Vegas\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1701270953","gmt_created":"2023-11-29 15:15:53","changed":"1701270953","gmt_changed":"2023-11-29 15:15:53","alt":"Matt Baker behind the scenes in Las Vegas","file":{"fid":"255709","name":"Matt Baker behind the scenes in Las Vegas.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/11\/29\/Matt%20Baker%20behind%20the%20scenes%20in%20Las%20Vegas.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/11\/29\/Matt%20Baker%20behind%20the%20scenes%20in%20Las%20Vegas.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":653656,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/11\/29\/Matt%20Baker%20behind%20the%20scenes%20in%20Las%20Vegas.jpeg?itok=di5p6XaQ"}}},"media_ids":["672468","672469","672470"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/college-sciences-administrator-makes-major-magicians-award-appear","title":"College of Sciences Administrator Makes Major Magician\u0027s Award Appear"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/matthew-baker-named-associate-dean-faculty-development","title":"Matthew Baker Named Associate Dean for Faculty Development"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/matt-baker-elected-simons-foundation-fellow","title":"Matt Baker Elected Simons Foundation Fellow"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1279","name":"School of Mathematics"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"42931","name":"Performances"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"173647","name":"_for_math_site_"},{"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":"193314","name":"Penn \u0026 Teller: Fool Us"},{"id":"193315","name":"CW Television Network"},{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"}],"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\u003EWriter: Renay San Miguel\u003Cbr\u003ECommunications Officer II\/Science Writer\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003Cbr\u003E404-894-5209\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEditor: Jess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["renay.san@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}