Life — November 27, 1913 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Explanation for Modern Readers This page from *Life* magazine contains two distinct satirical pieces: **"Sanctum Talks"** (top): A dialogue between "Life" (personified) and "Sir Oliver Lodge" (a real spiritualist/physicist) about afterlife and immortality. Lodge was a prominent figure in early 20th-century spiritualism who publicly advocated for communicating with the dead. The satire mocks his claims by having "Life" challenge his assumptions about personal experience and immortality—essentially questioning the validity of spiritualist beliefs through witty debate. **"Visitors' Day (On a Submarine)"** and **"How It Feels to Be a Baby"** (bottom): These are humorous illustrations with brief comedic captions, typical of *Life*'s satirical humor. The final joke about "Briggs" and sense of loss following surgery makes a dark joke about unexpected medical bills.