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Latest Musing Pet Peeves: Absurd Sci Fi Films Division             Settle into my seat on a flight from Heathrow to JFK. Scan through movie options. Banshees of Inn... continue Books Fire & Flood Buy from Amazon Deep Past Buy from Amazon more info Articles by Category endangered animals rapid climate change global deforestation fragging Books The Ragged Edge of the World Winds of Change Buy from Amazon more info Afterword to the softbound edition. The Octopus and the Orangutan more info The Future In Plain Sight more info The Parrot's Lament more info Silent Partners more info Affluence and Discontent more info The Alms Race more info Apes, Men, & Language more info

THE LAWS OF PHYSICS FOR BABIES Friday June 23, 2006 [Since a number of friends have had babies in recent months, I thought I resurrect this musing on the unique physics of the baby world] THE LAWS OF PHYSICS FOR BABIES Close observation of babies has led me to believe that the infant universe is characterized by its own physics, quite distinct from particle physics or the Newtonian laws of motion. I welcome and will periodically post suggestions about additional laws of the baby universe. LAWS OF MOTION: 1) The Inflationary Universe: Obects tend to recede when you reach for them. 2) The Boomerang Effect: Once successfully grabbed, however, objects usually reappear after being thrown, with the special exception of objects made of glass or metal. 3) The Relativity of Gravity:        a) Gravity and Acoustics. Gravity can be temporarily reversed by generating noises, but only in the presence of other people. The speed of this reversal is directly proportional to the decibel level of the sounds generated.        b) Gravity and Context. Gravity spontaneously and unexpectedly reverses itself when approaching stairs, antiques, and the Thanksgiving dinner table. FLUID DYNAMICS: 1) Animal Spirits: Fluids have a vital forces that causes them to splash and spill unless contained in bottles and sippy cups. MATERIALS PHYSICS: 1) Conservation of Shape: Once broken or bent, objects tend to reappear in their original configutation. 2) Transformation: When reached for, shiny metal objects tend to recede and then become transformed into plastic or rubber. GRAND UNIFYING CONSTANT: The Attractive Pull of Mommy: the one universal force. contact Eugene Linden

Short Take Summer Evenings in July   I go out to my porch, drink in hand, as the gloaming fades. I sit on a very comfortable rocking chair, given -- maybe loaned; it’s unclear -- by a friend. My cat, Noodles, joins me, settling on the couch facing me. He tends to his grooming, and I wait for the fireflies to appear. There are less every year and this is disquieting on an otherwise perfect night. I want them to be fruitful and multiply -- if possible by the millions. That would be a sign that, perhaps, all is well. It’s warm, and to my west is a wall of green, dominated by a very tall Linden. Hello, fellow Linden! As the warm air stills around me, emotions rise. I feel – I’m sure the Germans have a long word for it, but I’m too lazy to search on google – I feel… Something deep and strong; something like love for the world. It gives me hope for another day. read more

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