Daniel Simons

Daniel Simons is a Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois. His first book, written with his long-time research collaborator Christopher Chabris, is titled "The Invisible Gorilla." Simons received his B.A. from Carleton College and his Ph.D. from Cornell University. He then spent five years on the faculty at Harvard University before moving to Illinois in 2002.

His scholarly research focuses on the limits of human perception, memory, and awareness, and he is best known for his research that showing people are far less aware of their visual surroundings than they think. In addition to a number of academic honors and awards, he and Chabris jointly received the 2004 Ig Nobel Prize in Psychology for showing that it's possible to hide a "gorilla" in plain sight (the "award" that recognizes research that first makes you laugh and then makes you think).

His work appears regularly in the popular media (and top scientific journals), and his studies and demonstrations have been exhibited in more than a dozen science museums worldwide.