Dr. Livingston's phrase had many possible meanings but all were tied to his
confusion of magic and science. Dr. Livingston's fame and infamy arise from the same experiments in the late
1950s and 1960s with laser technology (Light Amplification by Stimulated
Emission of Radiation) as well as his life-long love for magic. Dr. Livingston worked his way through the distinguished and ivy-draped halls
of the country's finest schools. He was not from a wealthy family or noble
ancestry but relied upon the kindness of others for his housing, food and
supplies. In 1955, the then Mr. Livingston, took up work at the prestigious Bell
Labs whilst he considered the question of light's structure. Was light made up
of waves or particles? He supplemented his income by performing magic shows for co-workers and their
families in Murray Hill, New Jersey. He was known for his deft sleight-of-hand
and charisma. His show was billed as "lasts 20 minutes, more than an hour's
worth of magic, you'll remember for a lifetime." It was an old question. Prior to Sir Isaac Newton's corpuscular theory, light
was thought to be made up of particles. Newton demonstrated his wave theory by
showing light could be reflected and refracted with mirrors and prisms.
"Our focus is sharp, but our light faded," so wrote the famous, or perhaps
infamous scientist and magician Derek Livingston in 1965. The man commonly
associated with the dangers of quack-science or a magician's claims of
super-natural powers, was born on this day in 1936.
Continue reading "Magic & Mad Science - Dr. Derek Livingston" »









