tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post2917846991989986568..comments2023-05-14T21:11:23.699-04:00Comments on CHEESEBURGER BROWN: Story Wallah: The Secret Mathematic - Chapter SixCheeseburger Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384136287767500794noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-8873507933852167322008-01-30T10:37:00.000-05:002008-01-30T10:37:00.000-05:00Boy, I'm forgetful today.Isn't an aneurism a dilat...Boy, I'm forgetful today.<BR/><BR/>Isn't an aneurism a dilation/weakening of a blood vessel, as opposed to a clot which is a blockage formed by coagulated blood?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-62173004650091923122008-01-30T09:40:00.000-05:002008-01-30T09:40:00.000-05:00oops; looks like I forgot to replace the google al...oops; looks like I forgot to replace the google alias that I was required to register with for something or other.<BR/><BR/>Brian: that's usually how all the great new successful business ideas get going... not from new technology, but from somebody putting it together the right way (usually with flair for marketing as well).<BR/><BR/>CBB, I found a typo:<BR/><BR/><I>What I must bear high my mind...</I>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-57484439742511656062008-01-30T06:51:00.000-05:002008-01-30T06:51:00.000-05:00I'm not sure about this quibble. The term 'progra...I'm not sure about this quibble. The term 'program'/'programming' wasn't always in usage. I think it might have become common a bit after Einstein.<BR/>It leaped out at me... so I figured I'd mention it. Some quick googling didn't provide an answer though.<BR/><BR/>I have a physics prof who is always going on and on about Einstein supposedly having stolen everything, and that it was all Poinecare' (sp).<BR/>Whatever... I'm not going to debate Einstein's mathematical prowess, but he clearly was the guy who connected the math of Maxwell (JC)/Lorentz to the real world. It's weird how amazing discoveries can come from 'the math is right, yer just thinking about it wrongly'. :)fooburgerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00598732577922981025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-8965469498025585052008-01-29T21:06:00.000-05:002008-01-29T21:06:00.000-05:00The assassination of Herr Einstein, eh? Interesti...The assassination of Herr Einstein, eh? Interesting.<BR/><BR/>The contrast in chapters keeps me intrigued, and I think it would do the same were I reading them without a week between.<BR/><BR/>Good backstory, indeed.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08722639974320971726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-71784273953525005612008-01-29T08:35:00.000-05:002008-01-29T08:35:00.000-05:00Thanks, CBB; I was thrown because she's only refer...Thanks, CBB; I was thrown because she's only referred to as "Nicole" in TFF, but of course he would call her something a bit more... eastern-sounding (particularly since she appears to have roots in that area as well).<BR/><BR/>Congratulations on maintaining your lead!Shadowphonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18057272303269328647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-65159560816280831502008-01-29T02:44:00.000-05:002008-01-29T02:44:00.000-05:00p.s. I'm still keen to get some stickersp.s. I'm still keen to get some stickersTolomeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16384928311920896699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-33246307644109997862008-01-29T01:47:00.000-05:002008-01-29T01:47:00.000-05:00\o/ my lulu order has arrived and after only 3 1/2...\o/ my lulu order has arrived and after only 3 1/2 months<BR/><BR/>although in fairness I do live in an obscure third world country (australia) and they did replace the first shipment after it became apparent that it was a lost cause<BR/><BR/>anyway \o/ now I ownz it allTolomeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16384928311920896699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-69183480751670290692008-01-28T16:53:00.000-05:002008-01-28T16:53:00.000-05:00Presumably Sheik is referring to Nikolai Tesla and...Presumably Sheik is referring to Nikolai Tesla and you did mention that he would have a part.Tolomeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16384928311920896699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-23492872445998064242008-01-28T16:22:00.000-05:002008-01-28T16:22:00.000-05:00Dear Sheik,Get well!I follow you now. Nikola as i...Dear Sheik,<BR/><BR/>Get well!<BR/><BR/>I follow you now. Nikola as in Tesla I get. Indeed, Tesla won't be a character in this tale, but certain affairs of his which have bearing on the plot will be touched upon, at least (that's not a promise though...I have a habit of changing my mind about references like that if they don't pan out or fit right).<BR/><BR/>Nicola, of course, is the girl who will become Drago's wife. In Paris he saved her life with a watermelon, and in Montreal they dine together and fall in love. Like Mike, she has a spaceship named in her honour, so I expect that relationship will stand the test of time.<BR/><BR/>I'm glad you're enjoying the ride. Myself I'm stoked that, provided my kids go to bed smoothly tonight, I should get some time to make some progress on Chapter 9.<BR/><BR/>Chapter 7 should go public later this week, and Chapter 8 the week after that. Hopefully by the time we get there I'll still be maintaining my lead and be working diligently on Chapters 10, 11, 12 to stay ahead of the game and avoid having to ruin any of these posts by rushing.<BR/><BR/>The trick is to keep up on my reading, so I don't say too many obviously ignorant things about math or physics. Many thanks go to Brian, who's been helping me steer clear of some of the worst kinds of gaffs.<BR/><BR/>Love,<BR/>Cheeseburger BrownCheeseburger Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01384136287767500794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-88757576811598690252008-01-28T16:08:00.000-05:002008-01-28T16:08:00.000-05:00Dear CBB, Sorry, typo; that should be "Nikola" (...Dear CBB,<BR/><BR/> Sorry, typo; that should be "Nikola" (as in Tesla). Blame it on my cold-ravaged brain. Still wondering how that works its way into Drago's life, and who "Nicola" is...<BR/><BR/> Believe me, I'm enjoying the ride. The twists make it all the more fascinating (and besides, we get a nice rush when our speculation pans out, e.g. Sky's final destination).<BR/><BR/> Time to go and see if I can actually eat now...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-62303842848570113642008-01-28T14:56:00.000-05:002008-01-28T14:56:00.000-05:00Dear Simon,Ay, that's the rub. To be sure, I pers...Dear Simon,<BR/><BR/>Ay, that's the rub. To be sure, I personally believe that open collaboration is essential to the advancement of science. I agree with Albert and his pals in Berne.<BR/><BR/>However, a story where I agree personally with everything that goes on would be boring, in my opinion. At least it would be boring for me. I'd much rather have to work to bridge gaps of moral ambiguity from both sides than have bad guys dressed in black and good guys dressed in white.<BR/><BR/>Dear Sheik,<BR/><BR/>It could be argued that an equally effective way of telegraphing this plot would be to simply stick with a single storyline about the Shah (and his proteges), but ultimately I think that would be, so to speak, blowing the load all at once. I think it's better this way, spaced out between the biographies of Dr. Zoran and Mr. Mississauga, to heighten tension and lend context.<BR/><BR/>That's all part and parcel of saying that we're definitely going to become more intimately acquainted with how and why the Shah of Anwar runs his affairs in the chapters to come.<BR/><BR/>Um, you've lost me though with "Nikolai." I'm pretty sure, as is Google, that I've never referred to anyone by that name in my stories. Am I forgetting something? How embarrassing if so.<BR/><BR/>Adding ESP eeriness to confusion, in an earlier rough Ratko Zoranovic's name was "Nikola."<BR/><BR/>Love,<BR/>Cheeseburger BrownCheeseburger Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01384136287767500794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-34758795481872237282008-01-28T14:45:00.000-05:002008-01-28T14:45:00.000-05:00Simon: yeah, it had an ominious tone from the beg...Simon: yeah, it had an ominious tone from the beginning. The whole thing certainly sheds new light on the involvement of Anwar...<BR/><BR/>"<I>Albert falters. "He's still with us, your father?"<BR/><BR/>The Turk smirks. "Oh yes," he confirms. "The Shah is in splendid health."</I>"<BR/><BR/>Still waiting for the rest of this piece... also, the use of "protege" rather than "son" makes this more realistic in view of what we know of the reproductive limits of (what I like to refer to as) Lallokind.<BR/><BR/>RUNON ALERT... <BR/><BR/>So anyway, CBB, you continually surprise me. I was thinking that the senior Zoran would be Drago, but this I suppose makes a bit more sense...<BR/><BR/>Nikolai's role still intrigues me; I wonder if it's anything like Douglas MacArthur's role in the naming of Robert Shaftoe's son.<BR/><BR/>Hmm... maybe you and Neal Stephenson should consider a collaboration; THAT would get your name out there!<BR/><BR/>Thus concludes this ramble.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-15673284291478536012008-01-28T11:01:00.000-05:002008-01-28T11:01:00.000-05:00I had my suspicions as soon as the Turk mentioned ...I had my suspicions as soon as the Turk mentioned the TV interview. And then with his phrase "Civility first," I knew they were there to kill Albert.<BR/><BR/>What I really like best is Albert's unflagging insistence that science should not be kept secret. Even though that standpoint has been maintained to the detriment of many human lives in our history, the corresponding suppression of advancing information would be far worse, in my mind.<BR/><BR/>I see a correlation here between the secret math and the atomic badgers. What *would* human society have been like if the math had been allowed to run rampant in the hands of relative technological toddlers, especially considering how much more power it represents versus mere nuclear energy?<BR/><BR/>I think that story, certainly in relation to this one, nicely shows what *can* happen when the suppression of a technology isn't even an option and you have to live with it.Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06946639624660520997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-36777425211602055252008-01-28T10:32:00.000-05:002008-01-28T10:32:00.000-05:00Dear CodeWright,Be patient: Tesla's part will come...Dear CodeWright,<BR/><BR/>Be patient: Tesla's part will come, if only tangentally.<BR/><BR/>A kuro5hi'ite did notice another gaff, however: in Chapter 3 no one should've had any right to use an expression like "neutron ray" a quarter century before neutrons were "discovered." I'm going to have to go back and change that to "neutral cathode ray" or something like that. Does anyone have a better suggestion?<BR/><BR/>Dear Teddy,<BR/><BR/>Actually -- and here I speak out of plot for a moment -- TSM is actually secret from the start. The "active number sciences" employed by the Martians in <I>Tim, Destroyer of Worlds</I> is a subset of the math forcibly declassified by the military in an attempt to wrest control from the Zorannics.<BR/><BR/>The math they had access to is called "The Northern Body Math" (internally by Zorannics and allies) is, in fact, just one half of the theory. "The Southern Body Math", in contrast, is not even suspected to exist outside of the Zorannic inner circle.<BR/><BR/>So, we have secrets within secrets: what the Martian militarists believe is TSM is actually just the Northern Body. It is this subset of the math that is used to build their weapon.<BR/><BR/>Dear al,<BR/><BR/>Good. That was this chapter's function: to show where we're going with all this.<BR/><BR/>Dear Dan,<BR/><BR/>Thanks. This definitely isn't aimed at theoretical physicsts (because it would showcase my own ignorance too much), but I do hope it isn't <I>offensively</I> stupid for someone with a knowledge of maths and sciences to read.<BR/><BR/>Love,<BR/>Cheeseburger BrownCheeseburger Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01384136287767500794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-67719709206277213272008-01-28T10:14:00.000-05:002008-01-28T10:14:00.000-05:00I don't know much from theoretical physicists, but...I don't know much from theoretical physicists, but I do enjoy a good yarn. As usual I am enthralled with your writing, CBB.<BR/>Keep up the wonderful work.<BR/><BR/>Codewright: I believe Maxwell made his contributions almost a hundred yeas to early to fit with the Zoranic timeline. But again, I don't know from theoretical physicists.<BR/><BR/>THE DanimalDanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01657614872089173887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-20132622770270941982008-01-28T03:00:00.000-05:002008-01-28T03:00:00.000-05:00Nice. I liked this chapter the best. The first fiv...Nice. I liked this chapter the best. The first five chapters were like watching someone throw stones into the air. Now I see where they are landing.alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12330912850864917649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-62703109015384492252008-01-28T00:35:00.000-05:002008-01-28T00:35:00.000-05:00Actually, this is string and quantum theory, not r...Actually, this is string and quantum theory, not relativity. Interestingly, I recently heard a study on knots in vibrating pieces of string as a means of studying why DNA knots, with possible implications on string theory as well.<BR/><BR/>Interesting that Einstein was killed for his involvement...what will Zoran say when they want to keep him silent? He's young, more eager for funding, probably willing to stay quiet...although the secret math was not initially secret.<BR/><BR/>Interestingly, we did actually see the point at which it became "The Secret Math". All those redactions in Tim, Destroyer of worlds...I'd wager that was the first time secrets of the math were ever kept hidden.<BR/><BR/>TRHTeddyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06429915965397673079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-33983468455146265422008-01-27T21:04:00.000-05:002008-01-27T21:04:00.000-05:00I understand the appeal of Einstein -- he's a read...I understand the appeal of Einstein -- he's a ready made "character" in his own right.<BR/><BR/>Fleshing Maxwell would have been more daunting and certainly not have the immediate recognition of Einstein.<BR/><BR/>Historically, however, you've demonstrated an inclination toward the obscure, hence my slight surprise at Einstein instead of Maxwell.<BR/><BR/>In fact, Tesla might have been a good choice -- he cuts nearly the "peculiar character" swathe that Einstein does and, further, is "Balkan" for a Zoran tie-in... and was also an assiduous student of Maxwell.<BR/><BR/>Tesla's work was also, demonstrably, stolen and suppressed....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-51439627391041748512008-01-27T18:40:00.000-05:002008-01-27T18:40:00.000-05:00Dear CodeWright,In this instance the question was ...Dear CodeWright,<BR/><BR/>In this instance the question was which part is more important -- the <I>secret</I> or the <I>mathematic</I>. The decision I reached is that the secret is paramount, since this is a story, after all, and not a dissertation.<BR/><BR/>Thus, the figure of Albert Einstein served my purposes here better than anyone else could have, because of the popular awareness of his existence, the qualities of his public character, and the period in which he lived/died. These conspire to make him serve as an effective and (most importantly) a recognizable personage to illustrate some backstory for the Shah and Bahram.<BR/><BR/>Love,<BR/>Cheeseburger BrownCheeseburger Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01384136287767500794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-81207469859757368272008-01-27T14:23:00.000-05:002008-01-27T14:23:00.000-05:00Interesting that you chose to suggest Einstein as ...Interesting that you chose to suggest Einstein as the source of the Secret Mathematic (in combination with Zoran).<BR/><BR/>I would have alternatively suggested Maxwell, particularly given his characterization of scalar tensors. Those seem to be a far better match to your Secret Mathematic than relativistic relationships.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com