Magic Squares and Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), a Founding Father of the United States, is known to have excelled in multiple studies. He was a recognized polymath and one of the most influential personalities of his time. But one of Franklin’s lesser celebrated accomplishments was his amusement in creating magic squares, and even magic …

The Sator Square

The most recognized word square, known as the Sator Square, contains a mysterious collection of letters. The five, five letter words, positioned inside a 5×5 grid, form a most impressive palindrome of SATOR AREPO TENET OPERA ROTAS.  A palindrome is a word/sentence which can be read both forward or backward.  …

The Magic Square and Ladder in Melencolia l by Albrecht Durer

Albrecht Durer (1471-1528), in his 1514 engraving entitled Melencolia I, proves that indeed, ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’.   Filled with alchemical and mystical objects, a viewer could become lost in the forest of meanings.  Each item holds numerous layers of interpretation and I certainly won’t even begin to …