Maggie Koerth-Baker wrote a fun little blog post in BoingBoing about a lighthouse spiral stairs in Sand Island, Wisconsin. The tour guide claimed that no one knows how these mystery stairs were built.

Since the stairs are built in a cylindrical masonry enclosure and aren’t attached to the walls, except at the two landings, they do appear to float in the space.

Of course, the mystery really only exists if you can’t imagine the center pole that each of the stair treads is slipped down over. An installation catalog illustrates the method.

I remember helping solve a similar problem with a friend who was building a castle (don’t ask). The intriguing thing to me is why tour guides so consistently lie. I understand the desire to make a good story…to keep it interesting. But to do so at the expense of the truth, that’s a big mistake.

As you struggle through your weeks in this tough market, don’t succumb to the temptation to lie. Keep telling the truth, there’s so much less to remember that way.