A Most Stupendous Podcast

If forced to name the greatest human named Stephen, Stephen Fry has to be somewhere near the top of the list. Eloquent and witty with an unparalleled love of of both language and learning. 

He has a new podcast called Great Leap Years - The Stories Behind Inventions. Specifically he's focused around inventions related to communication and information technology. It starts at the beginning with the development of language. If you're unfamiliar with the intense verbal tango that is listening to Stephen Fry, here's a sample of what you're in for:

“You may know that I’ve had a lifelong interest in technology but you should understand too, I am not a scientist, technologist, engineer of hardware or software by training nor talent. It takes me a long time to understand scientific ideas simply because they’re nearly always founded in the abstractions of mathematics and I, since childhood, had an attitude to numbers that approximates my attitude to tigers: they are, to be sure, beautiful beyond words, magnificent, strange, fascinating, powerful. But they fill me with awe, fear, a deep sense of inadequacy, and a presentiment that unless I run away, I will wet myself.”

— From Episode I - "When We Were Young"

The podcast is available through his website, but also through Apple Podcasts and quite free to enjoy. As far as I'm concerned, the episodes can't come out fast enough. 

h/t @pennjillette

Privacy Policy

We've updated our privacy policy. (Internet rejoice!)

That's not actually true. But if you're reading this far you've proven that you are insatiably curious with a sharp attention to detail and that deserves to be rewarded. So, with that in mind, we would like to offer you two free tickets to an upcoming performance of Magic & Martini. The show has been sold out for the past several months. We've just posted the dates for June and think you, delightfully clever as you are, should have the first crack at them. To claim your tickets, click the "Read More" button below before Sunday, June 3, 2018, choose the date you want and use the secret code privacy to gain access. 

This is something you deserve for actually bothering to read this. So don't tell anyone else about it. We can't wait to see you at the show!

If you're actually concerned about privacy, don't be. Magicians keep secrets for a living. James actually spends most of his show with duct tape on his face and doesn't know what's going on half the time anyway. So rest assured your secrets (which pretty much amount to your email address, and the names of any playing cards you may have picked during the show) are safe with us.

Decisions decisions

Good advice is always better when delivered in a British accent: 

The one bit of advice I particularly like is to seek out hidden information. That's essentially how all magic works; concealing by hook or by crook the information that would otherwise allow you to figure out what's really going on. It's not that you're not smart, it's that the information you want is actively being kept from you.

Wizardly Math Games

It's everything I love all in one place: 

A math game about Wizards (it's some kind of cross between Rock Paper Scissors and Dungeons and Dragons) where all the characters are named after physicists and the magic wands are named after mathematicians. 

#nerdheaven

Can you bend spoons with your mind?

I have quite a few friends who bend spoons in their shows. It's an incredibly powerful feat of magic, particularly if you happen to have owned the spoon prior to its being bent. In a conversation I had years ago with famed mentalist Richard Osterlind, he mentioned that bending metal was a magic trick so strong, magicians often didn't include it in their shows. Instead it became reserved for performers who would normally specialize in mindreading. 

I came across this video on "Psychokinesis" (within the field of magic, abbreviate as PK.) If you ever wondered what was going on when you saw cutlery bend, this may be of interest. In particular, they mention scientists who were able to acquire a spoon bent by the world-renowned magician Uri Geller* and subject it to testing, which I wasn't aware of:

Photos from Magic & Martini in Toronto

Thank you to everyone who attended our inaugural performance of Magic & Martini at Suite 114 in Toronto. We had a wonderful time and are well on the way to getting the show settled into its new home. 

Our next show is already sold out, but we have tickets available for May 26 with new dates coming soon. Readers can use the secret code olive for a discount on the price of tickets when booking online. 

Here are some photos from the show courtesy of Waled Hassanzay.