Category Archives: fiction

Firebird – a thriller with high stakes and realistic physics

One of my intents was to write a story in which the science was essential; another was for it to be entertaining. Tony Rothman, (From the Author). Firebird is a mythological bird from the Slavic folklore. Sometimes it is large, … Continue reading

Posted in fiction, lab lit, physics, science fiction | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Waiting for a muse in a cafe…

The golden age of Prague café society was at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, when making an appearance at one of the elegant cafés was simply a social necessity. Surrounded by the aroma of good coffee and … Continue reading

Posted in fiction, literature, photos | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Forty-two

“Tell us!” “All right,” said Deep Thought. “The Answer to the Great Question…” “Yes..!” “Of Life, the Universe and Everything…” said Deep Thought. “Yes…!” “Is…” said Deep Thought, and paused. “Yes…!” “Is…” “Yes…!!!…?” “Forty-two,” said Deep Thought, with infinite majesty … Continue reading

Posted in academia, cosmology, fiction, mainstream fiction, physics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Raisin cake and the expanding universe

“Put a raisin cake in the oven, and it’s very small. Then you let it go, and the distance between the raisins is like the distance between the galaxies – it gets larger and larger with time.” Neta Bahacall, in … Continue reading

Posted in Big Bang, cosmology, fiction, literature, physics | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Old science-fiction and new research agree – paper is mightier than computer

“A paper computer?” said the general. He looked pained. “No, sir,” said Shuman patiently. “Not a paper computer. Simply a sheet of paper. General, would you be so kind to suggest a number?” “Seventeen,” said the general. “And you, Congressman?” … Continue reading

Posted in science fiction, writing | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fictional choices

“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” From conversation between Dumbledore and Harry, at the last chapter of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J. K. Rowling I recalled … Continue reading

Posted in fiction, literature, mainstream fiction, science fiction, writing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

CP Violation: what is it and when does it matter?

“Suppose the TV-news suddenly reported one evening that visitors from outer space were planning to land on Earth; that the space travellers have radioed a demand for immediate information about the composition of the Earth. Does it consist of Matter … Continue reading

Posted in cosmology, physics, science fiction | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

When does a hobbyist become a professional writer?

“You seem to want to write, so write… Even if only the people in your writing group read your memoirs or stories or novel, even if you only wrote your story so that one day your children would know what … Continue reading

Posted in fiction, literature, mainstream fiction, self-publishing, writing | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Accomplished toddlers primed for success

“No one can be really esteemed accomplished who does not greatly surpass what is usually met with.” Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice. It has been over two hundreds years since Miss Bingley made this snooty assertion, and yet her sentiments … Continue reading

Posted in fiction | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Shadow World – an unusual hero’s journey

“If this is about anything, it’s the boundary between creation and madness, art and science, the natural and the artifactual. Characters are fictional although some are inhabited by amalgamated aspects of real people. The science is factual but I insert … Continue reading

Posted in cosmology, fiction, literature, physics, science fiction | Tagged , | 3 Comments