Thanks to everyone for their comments and advice! I ended up with the worst insomnia of several years last night, unable to let go of thoughts about my past and what I want for my family's future, and consequently saw dawn this morning from the wrong side of wakefulness. My wife called me in sick, so I'm just getting going for the day now.

Hey, I learned what dark energy was, Thursday. Trying to convince Sean Carroll to write a book explaining things like GR and why an assload of physicists don't believe in God to a general audience through essays.

Thus far, I still don't get it.

Okay. So. As of 9 minutes ago, I have an interview tomorrow morning.

I don't think I have anything to wear to an interview. This is a problem.

maybe quantum if he can figure out how to do that without confusing the hell out of everyone

I think Brian Greene did a pretty decent overview of quantum mechanics in his NOVA series.

I was gonna say. Brian Greene's books set the standard. They're very readable.

Yeah, I mentioned that one to him.

Allyson, convince him! I'm a broken record on the need for scientists to be good at communicating science to a general audience. It's important, damnit!

Plus general relativity is cool!

Brian Greene did a pretty decent overview of quantum mechanics

I read this as Brian Austin Green and it made me laugh and laugh and laugh!

I feel like unto I am going to die. I payed hooky, and have been cleaning my apartment. Since 7:30 am with little break. I am no where near finished. My bedroom was already done. I have cleaned most of the livingrroom and most of the kitchen, but a lot of this was by moving 3 million things into the hall. It is very discouraging. I am doing things like cleaning the radiators and steaming spots out of my carpet, and washing the kitchen floor that is a) huge and b) probably was not washed in a year. But still, I wish I was further along.

Corwood! (links fingers): Weng mai, bunk. Sorry about all that. You know, I bet we could talk for an hour without being comprehensible to anyone else..

I know! There's great anecdotes in his blog that I think melt easily into explanation, like how he went to an ESPN sports pub to watch a game, ended up in a conversation with a group of women celebrating a birthday. Asked what he does, he explains he's a theoretical physicist, and tries to explain what his job means to them...Not really working out, but one of the women, a high school science teacher leans in and says, "Because the world is not magic." And it described in such a succinct way what a gaggle of physicists weren't able to descibe without employing thousands of words in a mess of jargon.

Which to me, screamed the beginning of a title essay. It's a gorgeous and elegant explanation.

But then, I'm an essay fan, so I could be pushing in a foolish direction.