Woah!
You see that picture?
That makes me go “woah”. Every single time I look at it. “Woah”.
Want to know why?
It’s a picture of the Earth*. Taken from the edge of the solar system by a space probe as it waved its last goodbye before hurtling into deep space.
Look again. Here it is a bit bigger.
Want to know why else I like it? Because I’m on it. As are you**. This is a picture of me and you together. And everyone else in the world for that matter.
And that makes me go “woah”.
I remember when I was first shown this picture. (Thanks Brian Cox), and I remember going “woah”. And I remember showing it people and experiencing them go “woah” too.
That’s all well and good I hear you say, but you don’t get to be the 16th best magic blog on the internet*** by talking about astrophysics. What’s this got to do with magic?
Everything! Abso-freaking-lutely everything!
You see, astrophysics isn’t about lenses and mirrors in the same way that magic isn’t about sleights and marked decks****. They’re about wonder, awe, wide eyed amazement. And going “woah”.
Going “woah” is brilliant. Making other people do it is even better.
* as in our home planet. Not soil. Or the stripey wire in a plug.
** Assuming you were born prior to 1990. Otherwise you aren’t.
*** Yes, I know. I find it hard to believe too. Here’s proof.
**** Marked decks are for cheats and charlatans. I don’t use them. At least, I don’t tell people I use them.