Sublime
An inspiration engine for ideas
the idea of self-ownership, consistently applied, has implications that only an ardent libertarian can love—an unfettered market without a safety net for those who fall behind; a minimal state that rules out most measures to ease inequality and promote the common good; and a celebration of consent so complete that it permits self-inflicted affronts
... See moreMichael J. Sandel • Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?
Some highlights have been hidden or truncated due to export limits.
Teller Jim Steinmeyer • Hiding the Elephant: How Magicians Invented the Impossible and Learned to Disappear
oday George Melies is renowned as the originator of special effects for films, the creator of a new kind of magic for a new medium, but we've forgotten that he did it through his own vocabulary of a Victorian magic show.
Teller Jim Steinmeyer • Hiding the Elephant: How Magicians Invented the Impossible and Learned to Disappear
Penn spoke in one continuous stream. I said maybe six words the entire hour we were with him. He told stories about performers who inspired him, including Billy the Mime, who is known for his sociopolitical-themed performances, as well as Johnny Thompson, a legendary Polish magician. Penn also confided in us that he is not allowed into London’s Mag
... See moreIan Frisch • Magic Is Dead: My Journey into the World's Most Secretive Society of Magicians
the case of Bill Watterson, the creator of the beloved comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, who had made a pact to produce daily strips that resonated deeply with readers. He enjoyed the work and had no plans of stopping. However, as the popularity of his work grew, he faced mounting pressure to capitalize on its success by expanding into other forms of
... See moreAnne-Laure Le Cunff • Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World
Writing is easy. Writing well is difficult.
John Cleese • Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide
His show was never about such delicate conjuring. Kellar worked hard to bring his audiences the finest magic from around the world. He had paid Charles Morritt handsomely for the secret of silent thought reading and developed the principle into an impressive act with his wife, Eva Medley Kellar. He performed his own version of the Davenport rope ti
... See moreTeller Jim Steinmeyer • Hiding the Elephant: How Magicians Invented the Impossible and Learned to Disappear
The Maskelyne mechanical cash box was no more popular. Probably his most popular commercial invention was a coin-operated lock that was especially simple and durable; it was used for decades on pay toilets in London.
Teller Jim Steinmeyer • Hiding the Elephant: How Magicians Invented the Impossible and Learned to Disappear
Had Mr. Dircks's [original] patent agent, in his searches after patents, ever come across the toy invented in Paris? Because it is substantially [the same as] the ghost apparatus and produced that illusion.Pepper never received an answer to these questions, but thedifficulty in obtaining their patent had convinced him that if Dircks didn't know of
... See more