Rosemary Kirstein

Just a quick post, in case this is the only blog you read: The Schrödinger Sessions 2016 quantum physics workshop for Science Fiction writers is now accepting applications.  Here’s your chance!

This workshop will help your writing by:

1. giving you the real scoop on quantum physics, so you won’t make dope mistakes in your stories
2. giving you the chance to meet real scientists.  Surprise!  They are not smart-but-laughable misfits (looking at you, Big Bang Theory), but are actually amazingly cool people who love the same stuff you love, and get to do it for a living.
3. connecting you with fellow writers who actually care about the science in science fiction.

And did I mention that it’s free?  They house you in the dorms, feed you breakfast and lunch.  You have to arrange your own travel, pay for your parking (if you have a car on hand), and get yourself dinner (great excuse to hang with those other writers I mentioned).

I can’t say enough good things about my experience last year.   I’d try for it again this year, but my time for the summer is pretty much booked; and I think it would be good to spread this experience around to new people, instead of me trying to repeat it for myself.  Much as I’d love to.

Here are some inspirational images from last year:

The Cats, class of 2015

Bonus track:  Chad Orzel is one of the organizers and teachers at the Schrödinger Sessions, and last month he gave a presentation for the general public at the Jefferson Lab, on quantum physics as presented to his dog Emmy (as is his wont).   He graciously provided a link to the video:

Yah, situation has not much changed yet. Still in overtime, and now taking antibiotics for the whatevertheheck that has me coughing.

Cool thing seen recently: How your brain processes time! I’m absolutely fascinated by how the brain works, how the brain generates the mind, how consciousness operates. (Useful information in creating believeable aliens.)

David Eagleman is an excellent speaker and a cutie patootie really seems to know his stuff. Also the author of Incognito which is currently lurking on my Kindle, waiting for me to have some time to give it a reasonable portion of my attention.

Instead, I’ve been doing some serious comfort reading, by which I mean things I’m pretty sure ahead of time that I’ll like. For instance: Terry Pratchett’s latest — Snuff! If I had the time, I’d post an actual review, but I’ll just say that I was not disappointed, and that I believe I’ve come to like the Sam Vines thread of Discworld the best.

Also finished listening to the audiobook version of Scott Westerfeld’s Goliath, the final volume of his steampunk YA trilogy that began with Leviathan and Behemoth. Damn, I wish there had been books like these around when I was of the YA target age! Still, fortunately, I’m perfectly capable of getting swept away by a good YA, and Westerfeld is a favorite of mine.

Ack! I’m still at the office, and I’d better get to that #$##@#@# stack of work…