Chris Chabris

Christopher Chabris' keynotes on psychological findings of his have been widely cited and acclaimed within the field of psychology. His 'Gorilla Experiment' with fellow researcher Daniel Simons documented a unique phenomenon in psychology called 'Inattentional Blindness.' In the experiment, which rose both Chabris and Simons to fame within their field, people were given a task to follow the passes of a basketball while a gorilla, unbeknownst to them, walked across the screen.

Educated at Harvard University in Computer Science in 1988, and Carleton College in 1991 where he earned a B.A in psychology, Chabris went on to achieve a PhD from Cornell University in 1997 and a Post-doctoral Fellow from Harvard University in 2002. He has since taught at Harvard University, the University of Illinois and other distinguished educational facilities.

The 'Gorilla Experiment' earned both Chabris and Simons the Ig Nobel Prize parody award in 2004 for making "people laugh, and then [making] them think."