David Kwong — a magician and NYT crossword puzzle constructor — explores our natural urge to solve.

(via TED)

In order of how much they do and how hard they should be to learn.

(via DesignTAXI)

RELATED: The Punctuation Therapy Group

Walter White demonstrates the advantages of “Oxygen Action” in a hemorrhoid cream.

(via Mandatory)

(via TED)

How we tell stories seems to be a mysterious process that millions around the world want to be able to do, but 99.9% effectively fail. Why is it so hard for storyteller and audience to be one? What we communicate can change the lives of the writer and the audience. However, why stories matter and how to tell them better may not be as mysterious as it seems. Julian Friedmann (an agent) has worked with writers for over 40 years; he believes understanding that storytelling is more about the audience than the writer will result in better storytelling.

While this makes for a fairly effective conversation starter at a party, I still can’t imagine a scenario where I’d have a refrigerator magnet and change handy, but no bottle opener.

A multi-part lecture on Douglas Hofstadter’s manifesto Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid.