When he was 14, Persi Diaconis ran away from home to become one of the world's great magicians. Now he's a world-class mathematician, and his two professions have more in common than you might think. Persi and I had a very entertaining conversation about his careers in show biz and academe, covering topics such as:

-His friendships with other magicians, including Ricky Jay, Randi and Dai Vernon

-Some surprisingly profound mathematical card tricks

-Why science needs statisticians

-Duping others and being duped himself

-Why he's so secretive about his magic