So we go to McDonalds to get Jake a Happy Meal yesterday. While we are almost done eating when a man and his son sit down right next to us. Jake wants to say hi to the boy who although is a full head taller seems about Jakes age... (He gets that outgoing personality from his mother.) We find out the boys name is Tycho. I asked if Tycho was a family name and the father says no-he is named after the 16th century astronomer. As a way of apology he quickly adds that the name was also that of the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Of course I add I remember that from the movie (I didn’t really) and my wife’s niece is married to an astronomer at the University of Wyoming and science fiction writer named Mike Brotherton. Of course the guy claims to know Mike and to have read his books. He looks at Dura and me with a new respect and starts talking to us about astronomy and science. It is obvious he wants to get know us and continue talking about his favorite subject. I nodded my head a few times smiled politely-gathered up our trash and fled the scene as quickly as possible. Leaving our new acquaintance still talking to himself as we fled I am a college graduate with an interest in physics just a little but my major was communications and I never looked at a single book about astronomy (sorry Mike-too math intensive for a dyslexic high volume talker with a small attention span). The longer I stayed the quicker he would know I was not a part of that intelligentsia. I grapple with issues of the day and try to be semi intelligent about most things but science people can be scary once they get going-almost as bad as the people asking if you found Jesus-unrelenting and smug! I get the same feeling from both camps-I am not engaged enough and don’t know the vocabulary enough so they fear I missing the message. Sometimes a hasty retreat is the best option!
Posted on: Sat, 24 Aug 2013 04:28:26 +0000
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