 Image via Wikipedia |
| It's not just me who thinks we live in a warped universe. ;) |
In honor of Rachael Harrie's First Crusader Challenge , I'm including the following about myself in today's post:
· one lie
· one interesting quirk
· one annoying habit
· one of my best character traits
· one of my favourite things in the whole world.
It's her fault for the bloviating/ fuliguline business, btw. :)
So, in 300 words or less, allow me to bloviate with my reasoning behind our hop into the rabbit hole of quantum physics:
I've been doing a bunch of reading lately about the multiverse, the many-worlds interpretation, M theory, and even dream analysis...because I'm linking it all to the fortunetelling aspect of my gipsy/djinn characters. However, reading the experts only gives me a headache, trying to unravel what they're explaining. I decided on reading some fiction instead.
To start, I picked up Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith and Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card. Both books were enough to keep me puzzled for a couple of days, pondering time paradoxes and parallel universes. Equally engrossing plotlines kept things rolling through though, with bite sized bits of how the theories work laced into the chapters.
Here’s my sci-fi/fantasy secret: I find these books enjoyable because they help me think outside the box, instead of following the norm in fuliguline fashion. One of my favorite things in the world is a book with a premise that makes me think. I have a habit of analyzing things for days after I put them down. I examine the individual blade of grass, and how it fits into the grand scheme, instead of just looking at the big picture. Ask my kids – it’s annoying – and yet they’re right there with me, watching Stargate for the millionth time, postulating how other myths might work in the series. Perhaps I’ve stumbled onto my best character trait, infectious curiosity… Now if I could pass on the quirk of rolling a toothpast tube properly, I'd be a happy woman indeed. :)
Unrelated celebrating:
The Science Channel has purchased the rights to Firefly! Read what Nathan Fillion says about that here.
And the winner of a signed copy of Across the Universe by Beth Revis is...
...with Harput castle! So Friday's post will be about her castle.
Congrats!
Related Articles:
- Sarah Fine - Marbury Lens: The Bounds of the Real
- Matthew Rush - Andrew Smith Interview
- Is Relativity Hard? (blogs.discovermagazine.com)
- The Multiverse, Quantum Immortality and the Meaning of Life (scitechexplained.com)
I tried to read about dreams once, like you gave me a headache. Maybe if Sci-Fi picks up Firefly I will get to see what the hoopla is about :)
ReplyDeleteJules @ Trying To Get Over The Rainbow
I enjoy the audiobook versions of Hawking's The Universe in a Nutshell, and A Brief History of Time, though certainly not specifically about M-Theory, slightly related.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the link!
Oh I love me some parallel universes and time loop holes. Fun stuff! (although, yes, it does make my brain go 'whoa there nelly')
ReplyDeleteAnd in related news, in a recent interview Fillion said if he won a lottery he'd buy the rights to the series, as a result, inevitably a bunch of browncoat fans decided to raise money for that to happen. (cf: http://helpnathanbuyfirefly.com/?page_id=2) : p
ReplyDeleteI love time travel stories...
There's a great scene in idocracy in which the main character (depicted as an average person) is trying to untangle time travel and paradoxes.
Also have to mention PKD!
I'll drink to mind exercising Science fiction stories! Cheers! : j
Parallel universes are so cool! And those types of books usually keep me intrigued. =)
ReplyDeleteI think the lie might be the toothpaste tube? Although I bet there is a parallel universe where efficient toothpaste rolling is totally normal (beam me there :)).
ReplyDelete@Alesa, I read that re Firefly, so cool! "Let's get the captain his money" :)
wait. Am I supposed to be guessing what's what in that 'graph? I don't believe reading experts gives you a headache...
ReplyDeleteOh, and yesterday Catherine said fish gills were like ears, and what if we breathed through our ears? We decided we'd hear through our noses. ;p
Long may you infect all and sunder with your curiosity!!!!! :-)
ReplyDeleteMutliverses so ROCK!!!
Take care
x
Hey! How awesome-- I am thrilled to win this THANK YOU!
ReplyDeletemy email is insectwriter(at)gmail(dot)com
You've got to finish that book so I can read it! So cool.
ReplyDeleteFirefly. Sigh. Bought the DVD right after it was cancelled, saw how FOX killed the show by taking it out of order, not airing eps. Maybe it's time to pull out the DVDs again...
Ah yes, the mysteries of quantum physics - only politics is more baffling.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of which, it would be remiss of me not to say Happy (belated) Presidents Pets Day - the day after Presidents Day, as I like to call it. In the US, we love our presidents..... pets. See my blog if you’re in the mood for a good ol' irreverent howl.
Great post!
ReplyDeleteNew follower and fellow crusader! Nice to meet you!
Have you seen the movie What the Bleep Do We Know? It's about quantum physics and all that cool stuff that makes my head want to explode. I am thinking about showing it to my critical thinking class on Monday.
ReplyDelete