Come to the website for Wired magazine Issue 17.5
View the video that introduces the issue to consumers. Spend the hour browsing the site. Settle on an article to read or a feature to experience. Describe, in a comment to this post:
1) What article/feature you chose and why
2) How it related to the theme of the magazine
3) Your reactions to the article/feature
Get this done by the end of class on Friday May 22.
I read the article Art Bell: Radio's Master of the Unexplained Explains Himself. I chose to read this one because it looked interesting and you had recommended it to the class. It related to the theme of the magazine because all Art Bell talks about are supernatural elements. The whole magazine issue is about the unknowns and mysteries in life. I found this article to be a bit alarming. It weirds me out that people actually believe in these things. And to that extent is what's really alarming. He goes into such enjoyment for the unknown and questions things such as ghosts and what not.
ReplyDeleteI chose JJ Abrams article, because he told me not to read it.
ReplyDeleteWell, it was all about mystery, and how you have to dig for the information to truly reap all of the benefits. The whole magazine was edited by Abrams, so it had a lot to do with the magazine.
I thought the article was funny, and easy to read, but in the end it was as pointless as Abrams stated it was in the first few paragraphs. However, I do think it had a solid message attached to it. Technology has become a huge shortcut for people trying to acquire knowledge, listen to a song, beat a game, etc. But what people are forgetting is that when you cheat, or use technology to your advantage, the prize doesn't hold as much value as it once did. Everyone probably knew this, but we still don't change the way we use technology to our advantage.
I read the "3 weird things about the moon" one...
ReplyDeleteIt was an unexpected article that I was not shocked to find in the Mystery issue, though their reasons for running such a spot, are a mystery.
I thought it was interesting to learn 3 things about the moon that I did not. Such as it is black, there are dust storms that exist without wind, and it is believed to be formerly of the Earth.
Art Bell: Radio's Master of the Unexplained Explains Himself is the article I chose to read. It seemed interesting that this man who worked 30 hours a week talking about politics just decided say "the hell with it." It's awesome that he went from boring talk about politics to talking about supernatural things. It relates back to the magazine article because they both are talking about mysterious things that really cant be solved. I liked that Art Bell said he believes in the Paranormal, and that there are some things our brains just cant understand, because I think he is right, even though he seems extremely odd.
ReplyDeleteI read, "Magic and the Brain: Teller Reveals the Neuroscience of Illusion." I read it because I enjoy Penn and Tellers TV show Bullshit. The way it relates to the magazine is through the discussion of how magic tricks are not really magic, but tricks being played on our minds. The idea of magic is to impress your audience by lying to them, when they know they are going to get lied to. I really enjoyed the article. It gave me background on the men who host Bullshit, as well as explaining how magic is demonstrating ones use of psychology and body reflexes. i found it really interesting that the duo performs tricks so the audience can see how they are done and people still are confused.
ReplyDeleteI read Musical Mystery: Messages Embedded into your favorite albums and I chose to read this just because I have heard of this before and I wanted to find out a little bit more. Also I wanted to see if there were possibly any messages in the kind of music or specific CD’s that I listen to.
ReplyDeleteThis feature relates the theme of the magazine because it is something mysterious that I'm sure everybody wonders about. The mystery of these hidden messages is very interesting and therefore belongs in the magazine.
I thought that it was cool to read this and find some of these things out. I could never see myself being someone who would try to figure out things like this like listening to a CD 10 minutes after the last song just so I can hear what there might be at the end. All though it was cool I was disappointed by the fact that it was really short and only gave a few examples of these hidden messages. I was kind of hoping that there would be more said about these messages like why these musicians choose to put these types of messages in their work.
I settled on a review/teaser of Vladimir Nabokov's posthumous work, The Original of Laura. The author of such works as Lolita and Pale Fire, deceased since 1977, wished his family to burn his last book after his death, but his son Dmitri has decided to release the book in November.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine that Wired has quite as many book reviews as other magazines, but if one book is worthy, it's this. Riddled with riddles, crammed with codes, and generally just full of hidden things to discover, The Original of Laura fits right in with the mystery motif of Wired's most recent issue, as well as with the general geek theme of the magazine as a whole.
The article made me at once excited and afraid of The Original of Laura. It certainly sounds like a hell of an interesting read, but sort of intimidating in that you know the riddles and mysteries would be on your mind long after you've cognized the combinations of characters on the pages. If I had the cerebral capacity for such a commitment, I'd certainly crack open a copy of the cypher-crowded codex and challenge my capacity for comprehension of codes.
I read the article about the stones in Georgia, because I was interested in what its significance was in relation to something like Stonehenge.
ReplyDeleteIt was all about the mystery of the stones, how the people who saw it constructed and others who have traveled to the stone to observe it are astounded by why it is here. It is the spawning point for conspiracies that it was made by a group of satanic worshippers who want to establish a new world order and leads into the whole theory that the world will end as we know it on 12/21/2012.
It was interesting and it's one of these articles that make you sort of wonder about the things beyond life and is this really all we have or is there something out there. As a Catholic I personally think that it makes your faith stronger to challenge it and question if it is true. That is what things like this do and it makes an interesting point about the universe and the supernatural. It was really good and I think it is one of those amazing mysteries of the world around us.
I chose to read "Magic of the Brain: Teller Reveals the Neuroscience of Illusion," as I've always been a fan of Penn and Teller, and magic in general, as well as the neurological impacts and components of stage magic. The article held with the theme of the Wired issue, as it focused upon the puzzles our brain attempts to figure out, but chooses instead to put off in favor of a simpler algorithm. I enjoyed the article, and felt that it explained the intrigue of magic, and why it is so appealing, yet so confusing the the general populace.
ReplyDeleteI decided to read the feature about Penn and Teller and how they have been developing a science behind tricking the human brain in their magic tricks. I’ve never really put thought into how magicians like Teller use a science to in order to pull off their tricks and fool the human brain.
ReplyDeleteSince this issue of Wired was about mystery, this mysterious science is a great topic for an article. For the average human, magic tricks are mysterious, but this article reveals that there is an exact science behind the magician’s tricks.
I absolutely loved reading this article. It was beyond interesting and really speaks to the combination of intelligence and skill of these high-scale magicians. The article portrays Teller and his trickery as outside of the realm of human comprehension. The fact that he comes up with these tricks that toy with the average human’s perception of reality is amazing. I really enjoyed Jonah Lehrer’s analogy comparing attention to a spotlight. It has a narrow beam of focus, and magicians redirect that spotlight to the wrong place and the right time so they can execute their trick and blow the minds of their audience. I found the pick pocketer’s trick with moving his hands in an arc to distract the movement of the eyes for mere milliseconds, during which he grabs the wallet.
I chose the article by Randall Sullivan, titled, American Stonehenge: Monumental Instruction for the Post-Apocalypse. I decided to read it because its title is very extreme, especially the fact that the American Stonehenge has defacement of spray-pained inscriptions about the end of the world. "The need for mystery, the role it plays in our lives, the reason why we enjoy it, and why we need it." The video and the magazine are very related to each other, and I think Wired does a great job at writing the series of articles based on magic and mystery. In my opinion, the article was very interesting and compelling. I have never heard of this monument before now, and its mystery to who commissioned it and to why and how it works are very compelling. From the eight languages the monument has engraved onto its sides, to the carvings for the sun's rays to pass through, and the pure mystery to what this monument actually represents, adds up for a fun article to read.
ReplyDeleteI read the article about Pen and Teller, usually i consider magic not worthwhile but Wired's investigation of illusions was surprisingly interesting. I think that often times people just see someone perform magic and then just as quickly dismiss it. The way the human brain perceives and interprets these illusions is what is interesting. It definitely linked to the general vibe of the issue. i thought it was great.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteI read the article Steven Levy on How Gadgets Lose Their Magic. I think it greatly pointed out how our society has become almost immune to the new technology advances. When I say immune I mean the wow factor isn't there. It's almost as if people expect it and therefore no longer are amazed with these truly incredible new gadgets. All these new technology advances have become "normal" to the consumers and while this brings about competition and the constant invention of new products, it also diminishes the "magic" in them. Five years ago, the Flip Mino HD camcorder would have been the source of jaw-dropping and now its just another gadget among the many available to consumers. I think Steven Levy's point about maybe taking away these gadgets is perfect because people would then understand how magical they really are.
ReplyDeleteI read the article "Steven Levy on How Gadgets Lose Their Magic" which describes how all of the gadgets that many of us have or want are just that-gadgets. Since so many people can obtain these things so easily, it has just become the norm. This is especially true for the kids and teens of this generation because he or she has grown up with these gadgets. The new technology mostly fascinates people from older generations seeing as he or she did not have anything like it while growing up.
ReplyDeleteThis article relates to the theme of the magazine because it is about gadgets and new technology. "Wired Magazine" has many unique themes inside each issue that center on wired ides. They are especially focused on technology, science, and new entertainment. Therefore, the article about the loss of magic in the new technology fits very well in "Wired Magazine."
I read "Mission Impossible: The Code Even the CIA Can't Crack," about Kryptos, the encrypted sculpture in Langley, Virginia. The wall has been the source of mystery as professional and amateur cryptographers alike have worked tirelessly to decode the message on the sculpture. James Sanborn, the creator of the sculpture, made it for the CIA in the late eighties after having been taught cryptography by a professional cryptographer. After more than seven years, cryptographers decoded three of the four sections. To this day, the last section remains encrypted. I decided to read this article because I enjoy cryptography and Kryptos is "the Everest of codes." The article ties in well with the magazine because most of the articles deal with topics of mystery that intrique people. Like many other mysteries, it is interesting to learn more about it like Stonehedge.
ReplyDeleteI chose to read the feature about Penn and Teller, magic and science. This was the one that first captured my attention because I have always really liked magic, magic tricks, magic shows, and magicians. Also, I saw other people looking at it and it seemed really cool.
ReplyDeleteIt relates to the theme of the Mystery Issue, because magic is inherently mysterious. I deal directly with people whose livelihood is based on the art of deception, secrets, and crazy awesomeness.
I thought it was a intriguing article that drew the reader in really easily and kept them hooked until the end. The videos definitely made it more effective because you actually got to watch the tricks yourself, instead of just having them described to you. That being said, I think the article was really well written. It was straightforward and you could not hear the voice of the journalist, which worked magically for this piece.
I read the Paul and Teller magic article. I've always had a fond fascination with magic, and have been an amateur magician for many years, so i know what the "basic principles" are. I am familiar with what they talk about. I do not, however, think about the intellectual level of such entertainment. The way people "people look at the world" is a very interesting and true statement. Even though we know that the impossible is in fact impossible, we see it happening, because for our entire lives we've been taught not to see the invisible. It's actually pretty logical, when i think about it. I find it very cool how a person would be able to 'slip past' your mind and thoughts and know what youre 'not' expecting. It's a very awesome skill to have. I never thought about the mental side of magic like this article tell about. Magic is not just an entertainment, there is a science to it! Thats awesome.
ReplyDeleteI learned something new reading this article.
I read "Magic of the Brain: Teller Reveals the Neuroscience of Illusion" which I chose to read because it looked interesting and I always find articles about neuroscience interesting for some reason and usually end up reading things about the brain. It appealed to the side of me that likes knowing how things work. I kept reading the article because I didn't really know much of what they were talking about and I liked learning new things. It was a fascinating subject.
ReplyDeleteI think the article tied in very well with the theme of magic, for the basic obvious reasons (it was about magicians), but also because it looked at something deeper. It looked at why we blind ourselves. The mind is a mysterious thing, so I think it was very fitting to have an article about neuroscience. The science of the brain fits perfectly with the theme of mystery.