M.J. Rose

From the ever-eclectic Atlas Obscura, comes a preview of a museum much like our own: A museum of mysteries. This attraction in Prague is suited for those of us (you too right?) particularly fascinated by the occult history of old Prague…

The Museum of Alchemists and Magicians of Old Prague

The history of occult science is turned into a creepshow at this sensational Prague attraction

Contributor: EricGrundhauser, Atlas Obscura)

“Prague is a city steeped in history both known and otherwise, and the darker side of the Czech capitol’s past is brought to light in evocative displays at The Museum of Alchemists and Magicians of Old Prague, which looks at some of the famous dabblers in the dark arts that have called the city home.

As king of much of eastern Europe and eventually Holy Roman Emperor during the 16th century, Rudolf II was not known as an especially effective ruler, but he is widely remembered for his interest and patronage of the occult arts. It was during his reign that he turned Prague into the unofficial capitol of the dark arts. Funding a number of alchemists and other so-called sorcerers, most notably the likes of Edward Kelley and John Dee, Rudolf created possibly the most active period of occult practice in history.

Whether or not his patrons were simply charlatans wrapped in mystery (which they probably were), or bold proto-scientists, the legacy of these magicians and madmen is remembered with a carnival flair at The Museum of Alchemists and Magicians of Old Prague…”

For the rest of the story, and beautiful interior photos of the museum, click here.

Here’s a mind-bending conundrum to baffle ourselves with as we enter a new year…

Is There a Parallel Universe That’s Moving Backwards in Time?

by Janet Fang (from our beloved IFL Science)

“Time, as we understand it, moves from the past to the future irreversibly. But now, an international trio of theoretical physicists is suggesting that there’s more than one future. Two parallel universes were produced by the Big Bang: ours, which moves forward in time (pictured above), and another where time moves backwards. These findings were published in Physical Review Letters in October.

In the 1920s, British astronomer Arthur Eddington coined the term “arrow of time” (sometimes “time’s arrow”), which describes the asymmetrical, one-way direction of time. Many physicists today accept that time moves in the direction of increasing entropy—or disorder, randomness, and even chaos—in an effort to approach some equilibrium among all of the things. According to this thermodynamic arrow of time, things increasingly fall apart. If that’s the case, then our universe must have began in a low-entropy, highly ordered initial state.

But why would there have been this rare moment of low entropy in our past? One century-old idea developed by Austrian physicist Ludwig Boltzmann is that our visible universe is a temporary, low-entropy statistical fluctuation that affects only a small portion of a much larger equilibrium system, APS Viewpoint explains…”

Click here for the rest.

Do you ever feel like you would be better off dancing the night away in a secret underwater ballroom? There is a place for you…

A Secret Ballroom Built In The 1800s Lies Under A Lake, Guarded By Neptune

“A giant statue of Neptune sits atop an underwater dome enclosing a secret room under the lake of the Witley Park in England…

The entire estate was drenched in opulence and extravagance. It was built in the late 1800s by Whitaker Wright, a shady businessman who was convicted of fraud after many years of floating bad loans and swindling investors. In 1904, he took his own life via cyanide pill on the day of his sentencing…”

Read more and see the stunning photos here.