Ghosts of Studies Past

-


The only trouble with college physics was its computational and conceptual complexity. If not for the math and the mind-bending concepts, it would have been a perfectly lovely subject, like anthropology. I don't recall what other courses I took along with physics, but suffice to say that my second calculus class convinced me that I had studied enough math in my lifetime.
So I gave physics the required attention during the semester, but then the subject was resoundingly neglected.

Imagine my surprise then, when I found that what I know about physics would be important to me as a novelist. It is a bit like opening the fridge and finding a chipmunk snacking on a slice of provolone. One thinks, roughly, "where did that come from?"

I am doing research on astronomy for some books I plan to write. The earth's magnetic fields, the gravitational pull between planets, and a number of other concepts smack of Physics 101. So as I take notes and recall formulas, I think...the university was right; I do need to know this information. All I had to do was become a writer for it to be important again.

Comments

Kimberly Frost said…
Particles that get trapped in the Earth's magnetic fields bounce around until they collide with our atmosphere, creating brightly colored light.

I had heard of the northern lights, but had not known before what caused them. Thanks to NASA for the beautiful picture.
November 16, 2007 at 1:16 PM
Anonymous said…
Actually, I think that picture is the Southern Lights, which is the exact same thing as the Northern Lights, just in the Southern Hemisphere. ;)

Rick
November 16, 2007 at 2:35 PM
Kimberly Frost said…
Rick,

Thanks! I had not actually looked closely to see which pole was in the picture and was speaking more generally about the lights, but it's good to have the clarification.

My sense of direction is not always what I would like it to be. I couldn't be an astronaut. I can just see me piloting the space shuttle... Oops, wrong turn Polaris. We'll have to crash land in Antartica... ;)
November 17, 2007 at 3:37 AM
Diane said…
I laughed out loud regarding senses of direction, as I have a genetic defect of having no sense of direction at all! The photo of the Southern Lights was beautiful.
November 18, 2007 at 7:24 PM
Gavin said…
"Where did that come from" is a rather mild response when discovering a chipmunk in the refrigerator. I suspect I'd scream, slam the fridge door, back away several steps and yell "rodents! I have rodents! Eating all my provolone!" Perhaps after a minute I might calm down enough to think "Hmm, that was a cute, harmless chipmunk." But I doubt it.
November 22, 2007 at 3:06 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PARAPALOOZA - Day 1

-
Image
Southern Witch series - Quote of the Day: "I'd never kill anyone with hair that fabulous." ~ Rollie the vampire * * * Gerry Bartlett writes a terrific humorous paranormal series featuring a beautiful full-figured vampire. Here's what Gerry has to say about becoming one of the undead herself... Since you write about vampires, if you had the choice, would you want to be one? "Lots to consider here. First, my heroine, Glory St. Clair, was turned when she had a few extra pounds to lose and then she was stuck like that. So first, I’d have to diet down to a perfect weight. And that’s obviously not going to happen. I have the self-control of a mosquito in a nudist colony. Then there’s the whole liquid diet thing. Sorry, but I love my food too much to give it up. What fun is it to live forever without steak and a baked potato? Not to mention chocolate truffles. I have to have crunch in my diet too, just like my heroine. She suffers just to taste the occasional Cheeto. O...
Read more

PARAPALOOZA - Day 2

-
Image
Southern Witch series - Quote of the Day: "I don't know why people pay for rental cars when so many friends and family members just leave their keys lying around unattended." ~ Tammy Jo Trask, whose car is often misplaced. * * * NYT bestselling author Nina Bangs writes awesome sexy, funny paranormal romances, but she didn't always know that she would become a writer. When asked in an interview what she wanted to be when she grew up, she said: "I wasn't so practical when I was young. I wanted to ride horses. I wasn't too clear on the concept of how I'd manage that, but I was open to suggestions." Don't you just love that? Amazingly, she went on to raise and show Arabians for a few years. So apparently Nina's good at turning all kinds of dreams into reality. I'm taking notes! (To learn more about Nina's terrific books, visit her site - www.NinaBangs.com ) * * * Another author whose work I love is Alyssa Day. She writes about the l...
Read more

PARAPALOOZA - Day 5

-
Image
Southern Witch series - Quote of the Day "And how come the Glenfiddle workers remembered me splashing them with the passionflower potion? Weren't these potions supposed to cause at least a little bit of amnesia? I mean how was a witch supposed to spell-cast without getting caught?" ~ Tammy Jo, realizing that when she rescues people from monsters, she needs to be sneaky about it. Life as a witch is so complicated! * * * Maria Lima is a terrific cyber-friend that I met at my friend Nancy Pickard's blog awhile ago. Maria writes a wonderful series of paranormal books (the Blood Lines series) that are set in Texas and are packed with mystery. How could I not love them? Here's the first line from Matters of the Blood : "I know the dead, and the dead know me. Not a personal choice, mind you, just the result of being born into a family of necromancers." Maria hooked me with that opening and pulled me through the rest of her story, which is just as great. Recent...
Read more