Avoiding Fireworks

My serendipitous discussion of Richard Feynman, parallel universes, baby universes, the big bang, and branes

I've never been a fan of fireworks, or holidays associated with them. Hawaiians typically go nuts when they have the opportunity to set them off - it's tradition here. I'm not a fan of the noise or the smell, but it is better than in many states where people shoot their guns in the air. Apparently, these individuals are not aware of the fact that bullets are subject to gravity, and what goes up, must come down. Many people have been injured or killed by bullets fired in celebration.

Anyway, I spent the day with a friend at a Borders bookstore near where I live. It was very quiet, and we plunked down in the physics section, both of us with large iced lattes - fuel for the intellect. We browsed the physics books, and she pulled one out written by Richard Feynman.

"I've heard of this name before," she said.

"Yeah. I think Einstein is a little overrated. Feynman was probably the greatest 20th century physicist. I wish more people knew about him." That may be entirely subjective, but Feynman was inarguably a great teacher of physics. I proceeded to tell her lots of interesting Feynman facts, hoping to win a convert.

She also spotted a book on parallel universes, and her eyes lit up. Like many people, especially those not familiar with physics, she thinks the concept of parallel universes is incredibly intriguing. Indeed, the theories surrounding parallel universes are the current rock stars of science - edgy and weird, and threatening to turn our comfortable relationship with reality inside out. I told her about branes and what physicists now think happened before the big bang to make our universe, and how they think they might be able to produce a universe in the lab (if only for a short period of time before it pinches off to be in it's own spacetime - that would really put the last nail in the coffin for literal creationists). Our conversation ran heavily on the philosophical and speculative sides, but it did make me realize just how fertile a time this is for physics. Gosh, I can't wait to see what wondrous things unravel in the next fifty years!