Tag: Wonder

A Free Ebook on Science Magic

I have mentioned fellow magician, science educator and “Curator of Wonder” Dr. Matt Pritchard here before. Featuring more than 130 interviews (as of this writing) with fascinating professionals from different fields, his Words on Wonder website remains a constant source of inspiration. But now he is also generously sharing a free ebook, Sparking Wonder, which is full of clever DIY science tricks for teachers and magicians alike, plus some notes on presenting them. It has 94 pages, and I enjoyed it a lot! Incidentally, the book contains a selfmade version of the optical arrow illusion I recently described here. The wonders of wonder…

The ebook and other free resources are available here.

Thank you for sharing these, Matt!

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Words and Thoughts on Wonder

Speaking of interviews, science magician and professional speaker Dr. Matt Pritchard from the UK runs a fine, scholarly website which I have been pointed to only very recently. In his own words, the site’s concept is quite simple:

I interview a host of creatives, magicians and scientists about their work and how they cultivate & share wonder. They are all people who have inspired me in my own work or just made me go “Wow!”

The 70+ interviews are a treasure trove of interesting people with fascinating ideas or areas of expertise. Advice: Do not only hunt for the magicians! (But make sure to read R. Paul Wilson.)

Highly recommended!

WoW
Website Screenshot

 

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Magic’s Biggest Wonder Needs Protection

MoonEarth

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of mankind‘s biggest achievement yet: „landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth“ (JFK):

You may disagree, but to me this famous NASA shot is the most amazing, most precious and most premonitory image produced so far.

It’s pure and natural, unambiguous and meaningful magic, appealing to everybody!

Yes, photos with happy or sad, new-born oder dying people do affect us more deeply; but when you look closely enough, each and every one of us–from those who came before us to those who will hopefully follow–is represented in this snapshot, too. It is a silent testimony of what man is able to do, in every respect.

Please help preserve “The Biggest and Most Amazing Wonder Show of the Universe” for hundreds of generations to come. Don’t let it fold. An “Abracadabra!” will have no effect. No other outs. Hiring helpers now!

 

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Well Said, Mr. Lamont!

Magic is not about fooling the audience. Magic depends on successful deception, but that is the means, not the end. Of course, the audience should not know how it is done, but this is a basic requirement, not the goal. The goal is not to provoke the experience of not knowing how it is done. The goal is not the experience of ignorance; it is the experience of magic. The audience are not the enemy; they are the people for whom we provide this experience. The goal of the magician is to create the effect that something happens that cannot happen. This is a paradox. It is a source of wonder. This is a profound and worthy goal.

Peter Lamont on “What is magic?”

 

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Words of Wisdom (7): Doug Henning

The art of a magician is to create wonder. If we live with a sense of wonder, our lives become filled with joy.
Doug Henning (1947-2000)
Addendum: For a fine biography of Henning, you may want to consider getting Spellbound: The Wonder-filled Life of Doug Henning (2009) by John Harrison at Amazon or elsewhere.
Addendum II: For more on this fine performer, see The Doug Henning Project website.
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