Lumination Stacks

“Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn’t.” ― Mark Twain Conspiracy theories are like optical illusions—they twist everyday objects into symbols of hidden truth. Few ideas are as delightfully absurd as the Rubik’s Cube conspiracy theory. At first glance, it sounds like something out…

”Writing is thinking on paper.” — William Zinsser A Thoughtful Gift I have a fountain pen. My fiancé (girlfriend at the time) bought it for me for my birthday. It was an unusual gift for me for a few reasons. First, my handwriting is terrible—truly atrocious. I joke that I have a doctorate in handwriting because…

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” —Benjamin Franklin  We like to think we understand learning. It’s something we’ve all done, something we do every day, something as natural as breathing. And yet, beneath its apparent simplicity lies a paradox so fundamental that it shapes everything we…

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” — George Bernard Shaw The Language Paradox: Communication in Spite of Words Language exists for communication. That should be a simple statement. Obvious, even. Yet, the more we examine it, the more we see the cracks. Language—our most sophisticated tool for expressing…

The unchecked growth of disorder sends a message: no one cares, so anything goes. When I was a kid, I loved fire. Some of my fondest memories involve some kind of fire. Whether it was lighting the old dried-up Christmas tree on fire (dry pine needles burn rapidly), lighting so-called “Dino Fires” in the back…

My house is full of books. One particular book my dad had that always intrigued me was “Why don’t penguins feet freeze, and 114 other questions”. Another question was “Do androids dream of electric sheep?” As anyone who’s hung out around younger kids will know, the favorite question is often “Why?” As we get older,…

Kintsugi – the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the areas of breakage with urushi lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum Chasing perfection Our world is consumed by the pursuit of perfection. We strive for the ideal job, house, body, relationship, and life. While perfection isn’t inherently negative, it…