Your guitar.
It sounds so sweet and clear.

But you’re not really there.
It’s just the radio.

Via the First Things blog an excellent review in the New Yorker of two books arguing against string theory.

I’ve been reading a lot—a lot—about particle physics lately, and the unreconciled differences between Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. The First Things post talks about the self-revealing beauty of good Physical theories. A comparison to music is made, and I think this is apt for Einstein’s Relativity. But Quantum Mechanics—Quantum Mechanics holds nothing but unease for me.

The founding experiment—the paradigmatic demonstration of this—is the infamous (no, really, infamous) double slit experiment. Here’s an illustrative, if slightly too enthusiastic, video:

How to describe this concept—this “collapse of the waveform” by the mere presence of an observer? Oh, I know: Horrifying. Eldritch.

It has been giving me nightmares. Endless processions of single photons hesitating before the double slits. Who will Observe them, who will choose among their myriad probabilities and Manifest the waking world? This is when the Old Ones appear, burbling out of the muck, slouching their assent to passage.

Something irrational lies at the core of our waking world.

Love kids. Love their funny haircuts, bright colors, overalls, squeaky voices, squeals of excitement, precocious words, big excited eyes, big bewildered eyes, little droopy tired eyes, wild gesticulations, running around, hands above the head, sound effects, toys everywhere, big hugs, hiding in closets, making forts, playing house, tagging along, sucking on juice, eating candy, balloons, cartoons, songs, big picture books, baby teeth, birthdays, obstacle courses, bikes, tricycles, sticking out their tongue, big toothy smiles.

Love kids.

Love teething, rashes, flus, crying, waking up in the middle of the night, having to use the bathroom right now, fits, tantrums, screaming, yelling, pinching, poking, smelly diapers, skinned knees, stubbornness, hanging on your leg, torturing the dog, worrying about their school, doctors, dentists, trying to shop, stepping on legos, eating everything, throwing up, the phone ringing just when you might get to take a nap.

Holding them in your arms.

Love kids.