Hands on

Planets have gravity, sucking you into their orbit and keeping you from flying off into space. It turns out that LEGO bricks have the same forces of attraction.

When I first started my research, I noticed that adult fans of LEGO would always touch nearly every sculpture or MOC (my own creation) they were being shown. I meant to keep a respectful distance because I felt that touching a completed building was akin to smudging a painting in a museum with my greasy fingerprints.

Today, I have to restrain myself from handling every LEGO object I see. I've discovered my fingers are as valuable as my eyes at discovering building techniques and understanding the choices of a given builder. Plus, LEGO is meant to be handled- it is a tactile toy, one that screams out to be touched. The main thing that stops me is I know that I couldn't rebuild something if it were to come apart in my hands. But that might not be true in a few more months.

Photo by pirate johnny.