M.J. Rose

Somehow these remind us of books…

From Colossal,

Secret Rooms Installed Inside Abandoned Manhole Covers on the Streets of Milan

by Christopher Jobson

“In this new series of outdoor installations artist Brian Coshock has turned abandoned manhole covers on the streets of Milan into cramped miniature rooms complete with hanging artwork, kitchen utencils, and tiled walls. Titled Borderlife, the artist says the admittedly humorous pieces are meant to draw attention to a more serious issue in Bucharest, where many hundreds of people now live underground in the sewer system…”

See more photos here.

You can learn more about these newest interventions on his website and on Facebook. (via StreetArtNews, “This Isn’t Happiness“)

What could be more mysterious than the discovery of a rare manuscript in a defunct magic shop’s collection?

The discovery of a rare manuscript created for Houdini, of course!

Enjoy…

Long-lost Lovecraft manuscript penned for Houdini found

by Bonnie Burton (cnet.com)

The man who brought us Cthulhu wrote a book for the man known to escape everything. But if you want to read the unfinished work, it’s going to cost you.

“Nothing could be more exciting to fans of legendary horror author H.P. Lovecraft than the discovery of a rare manuscript in a defunct magic shop’s collection.

But it gets better. “The Cancer of Superstition,” written by Lovecraft in 1926, was commissioned by magician Harry Houdini. A Houdini memorabilia collector found the book and is selling it to the public.

Anyone who wants to read the 31 typewritten pages for themselves can buy the work as part of a Houdini lot from Potter & Potter Auctions in Chicago on April 9.

Previously, most Lovecraft and Houdini scholars believed the book might exist only in outline form since the work was suspended soon after Houdini’s death in October of 1926.

The famous magician’s widow, Beatrice, did not want to pursue the completion of the work after his death…”

For the rest, click here.

Here is a story about a color, or rather, a color that is so dark that it is, in fact, the darkest material ever made:

Scientists Create A “New Black,” The Darkest Material Ever Made
Vantablack is the new black.

“According to experts, Vantablack is as close to a black hole imaginable, as it is so dark that the human eye struggles to discern its shape and dimension.

Created by Surrey NanoSystems, the material is ten times stronger than steel.

Surrey NanoSystems’ chief technical officer, Ben Jensen, pointed out how you would expect to see the foil’s crumpling underneath, but instead the human eye sees nothing…”

For the rest, click here.