The Wellspring of Eternity
In the beginning, there was the photograph, and the photograph was still and without life. And the people lined up for portraits saying, “Behold, these photographs are flat and lifeless. We want three realistic dimensions!”
And so two photographs of the same scene from slightly different angles were caused to be placed in a diaphanoscope, and lo! objects looked real and the images had depth. But the people were not satisfied and cried out as one for motion in their pictures.
Then stacks of slightly different photographs were arranged and flipped to create the illusion of motion, and the nickelodeon was given unto the people. The people were sorely amazed and demanded feature-length versions that told stories.
And so images were lined up on celluloid strips and run through a special lantern that projected the images on the wall, and they appeared to move as unto real life. But alas, there was no sound, and the people were vexed and despondent, and they spaketh a curse unto the wizards.
Until one day, a box came into the world that magically carried sound from distant lands and reproduced it in the people’s homes. The masses were dazzled and gathered round the boxes, listening to stories and news of far-off lands. “Behold!” they cried. “We can be transported to false worlds, and false worlds can invade our minds!”
But lo, the people were still not satisfied and demanded that the sounds have pictures, and the pictures have sounds that are synced together and can kill two hours on a Saturday afternoon.
And so the wizards gathered in their sacred labs and fiddled and puttered with lanterns and boxes until one day, a mira
Article from LewRockwell
LewRockwell.com is a libertarian website that publishes articles, essays, and blog posts advocating for minimal government, free markets, and individual liberty. The site was founded by Lew Rockwell, an American libertarian political commentator, activist, and former congressional staffer. The website often features content that is critical of mainstream politics, state intervention, and foreign policy, among other topics. It is a platform frequently used to disseminate Austrian economics, a school of economic thought that is popular among some libertarians.
