#699: Apollo Robbins, The World’s Most Famous Pickpocket — Pickpocketing the Secret Service, Manipulating Attention, Famous Con Artists, The Psychology of Deception, Self-Defense Techniques, The Secret Language of Thieves, and More

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Apollo Robbins (@ApolloRobbins) is often
referred to as “The Gentleman Thief.” He first made national news
when he pick-pocketed the Secret Service while entertaining a
former U.S. President. Forbes has called Robbins “an
artful manipulator of awareness,” and Wired has written
that “he could steal the wallet of a man who knew he was going to
have his pocket picked.” 


Robbins’ entertainment credentials include the Warner Bros.
film Focus, with Will Smith and Margot Robbie, along with
appearances in Brooklyn 99, and the TNT
series Leverage. He was a producer and co-host for National
Geographic’s Brain Games, which was nominated for an Emmy
for Outstanding Informational Series. Robbins applies his
expertise in magic and misdirection beyond entertainment, pulling
back the curtain to show how the principles behind these
illusions can enhance strategic thinking and
decision-making. 


His contributions to attention and perception research have been
published in Scientific American Mind and Nature
Reviews Neuroscience. He has delivered lectures at Harvard
Kennedy School, MIT Sloan School of Management, and the Society
of Neuroscience. He has been profiled by The New
Yorker and featured in The New York Times, The
Atlantic, National Geographic, and The Wall Street
Journal. Robbins’ TED Talk, “The Art of Misdirection,” is ranked
in the 20 most-watched TED Talks of all time and has been hailed
by the TED editors as a revelation in the flaws of human
perception. 


Please enjoy!


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[07:51] Was Apollo a naturally dextrous wunderkind?


[10:26] The influence of Apollo’s blind minister father.


[14:10] Apollo’s slide toward agnosticism.


[17:24] Ben Stone enters the picture.


[21:08] Taking in orphaned animals as a youngster.


[23:31] An early lesson on the value of money.


[25:20] Bear in a box.


[28:19] Seeing magic as a ticket to the larger world.


[30:55] Shoplifting for fun, profit, and education.


[32:19] Equivoque magic and Jazz-based mentalism.


[38:09] A magic book club and a year-round Santa.


[44:10] Apollo’s first fateful trip to Vegas.


[52:14] A false accusation leads to a real job and a vampire
code.


[55:27] Jimmy Carter and the Secret Service.


[1:03:44] The pros and cons of becoming legendary.


[1:05:39] Academic accolades.


[1:08:01] A sauce less secret isn’t necessarily less rich.


[1:09:28] Recovering when the reps get rough.


[1:11:12] Sheet music versus jazz.


[1:14:10] The introduction to — and enduring influence of —
Apollo’s wife, Ava Do.


[1:22:27] Perception science perceived but not yet entered into
the lexicon.


[1:26:16] The significance of Apollo’s silver ring.


[1:27:01] Meeting (and stealing from) Penn Jillette.


[1:29:10] Demonstrating the confidence of a con man.


[1:33:03] Hallmarks that differentiate Apollo’s style.


[1:40:14] Who has the advantage with arguments in the Robbins
household?


[1:41:18] 40 Elephants in the modern world.


[1:42:52] Teaching kids about the cons — and pros — of deception.


[1:45:50] Paltering and puffery.


[1:49:14] Perceptual shaping and change raising.


[1:51:14] Slick re-thievery.


[1:54:01] Influential reading.


[1:56:38] Whiz Mob.


[1:59:22] How is a team of pickpockets organized?


[2:04:54] The pandemic of the Dunning-Kruger effect.


[2:08:37] Best practices to avoid becoming a target for theft.


[2:11:14] The Illusion of Knowledge Project.


[2:15:28] The Unsinkable Titanic Thompson and other noteworthy
charlatans.


[2:19:06] Rod the Hop, Kevin Mitnick, and Whizmob Inc.


[2:23:11] How one word can make a difference to an impressionable
child.


[2:26:38] Parting thoughts.


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