Sep
Saturday Salon: 1.21 Gigawatts!
I get a little giddy about science, sometimes. It wasn’t my favorite subject in school. Biology was okay for me. Hated Chemistry, especially lab stuff. But Physics? I’ve always loved physics. At least, the layperson’s version of it. Because I am a person who likes to ponder “Why?” questions, and Physics is all about the whys of our universe. ”Why does a ball fall to the ground when I drop it?” ”Why does the earth orbit the sun?” Etc. etc.
Until as recently as this week, physicists generally accepted Einstein’s theory that nothing in the universe can move faster than light. However, researchers at CERN unveiled findings a few days ago that they have observed these little particles called neutrinos moving faster than light speed. Which, if true, would apparently re-write physics and change the way scientists understand the universe.
Tessa, you might say, that’s all very well and good. But why are you writing about this on The Ballroom Blog? What can this possibly have to do with historical romance?
And I would reply, read on:
Jeff Forshaw, a professor of particle physics at Britain’s Manchester University, told Reuters the results if confirmed would mean it would be possible in theory to “send information into the past”. “In other words, time travel into the past would become possible…(though) that does not mean we’ll be building time-machines anytime soon.”
Did you hear that? Soon or not–we are one step closer to time travel.
So, for the all-important question:
When the time machines are ready, when and where are YOU going? Back to the Regency? To a different historical era? What are you taking with you? Which sights are you most interested in seeing?
And what model car should we use? Deloreans are so 1985.
Sep 24, 2011
2:10 am
Very interesting, Tessa. Well, after some consideration, I’ve decided that I would like to travel back to the latter part of the 1500′s. I’d like to be a time traveler who could essentially play the ‘fly on the wall’ and follow the life of Christopher Marlowe. I would travel with him throughout England beginning in Canterbury, on to Cambridge and then to London where he wrote his plays … then there’d be a stint in Newgate Prison after being charged with murder and then subsequently acquitted. A quick trip to the Netherlands where he was eventually deported for criminal activities would bring us back to England. There, we would become entangled in some intrigue involving some work for Queen Elisabeth I. But most importantly, I would be there to witness the events at the tavern in Deptford as they played out and would finally know the truth of his death or perhaps his continued life? I would take nothing with me for as time travelers we will be observers and not wish to change anything which might cause a paradox. As for the vehicle – I think we’ll be beyond using such a dated mode of transportation instead, we’ll step through a swirling window in time. Goodness, my imagination is turning and spinning. Might have to make notes on this one. Thanks Tessa … enjoyed this immensely … had to put the old thinking cap on. Have a great weekend.
Sep 24, 2011
11:10 am
Wow, Amy! What great ideas! The Elizabethan era must have been full of pageantry and intrigue. And I love the idea of going back in time to solve a historical mystery. Historians would become true adventurers! We could finally learn just how the pyramids were built, for example. Archeology would be a whole new field.
And wow, what implications this could have for crime-solving. CSI: Time Travel.
Sep 24, 2011
1:20 pm
Omg. CSI: Time Travel. That’s awesome and they should just do that now. I mean it can be fiction, not documentary!
Sep 24, 2011
9:47 am
First Lady Dare, I’d love to stop by March 1973 and see my Dad before he died in April.
Next, I’d love to go to the Regency period. Just to be able to attend a true crush of a ball. Maybe even go to Almack’s (sp?). I want to see all of London. Too greedy? Perhaps but I feel so at home in that time period. I think it would be such fun.
Sep 24, 2011
11:12 am
Aww, Melanie! So sorry about your Dad. What a lovely idea.
I, too, would love to check out the Regency period — As a writer, I’d love to be able to see just how accurate our historical understanding and fictional depictions of the era are. As a girl, I’d just love to attend a real ball.
I think might need to build my time machine from a barouche.
Sep 24, 2011
10:53 am
Tessa, oh, goodness, I admire you. Physics was a great challenge to me in school, undoubtedly because one of the cutest guys in my grade was in my lab group and he used to sketch on my notebook cover lines from romantic songs. Naturally I had a very hard time concentrating on the assignments.
I love time travel! In fact, echoing Gaelen’s comment about romances set in Italy from the other day, I don’t know why there aren’t more time travel romances these days. But I absolutely could *not* choose one time or place to visit, I’m afraid. My first would probably be Regency England, because of all the wonderful reasons we all write and read about it. But I’d also like to go to medieval Paris and the countryside around Toulouse, and Renaissance Rome and Venice, and ancient Rome during the Republic, and Athens in the time of Aristotle, and Egypt during the era of the pyramids, and ancient Persia, and to the building of the Great Wall in China, and to the Old West, and Damascus in the golden age of Islamic culture, and … oh, gosh, the list goes on and on! I’d use a Mustang convertible for my time machine, because it’s powerful and fast but the leather bucket seats are very comfy for a nap.
Sep 24, 2011
11:16 am
Katharine, I would have had a hard time concentrating in physics too! No cute boys ever doodled on my notebooks.
I hope you’re onto something with the time travel romances. Let’s have a resurgence! The talk of actual time machines is, of course, just the crust of so many pies-in-the-sky. But I am excited to see how the news of this discovery will play out in books, movies, TV, and so forth. It would be great if we could see more time travel romances again.
I love the idea of a Mustang time machine! And totally want to go along on all those trips. I’d love to be able to see some of the world’s great buildings and works of art before they fell into ruin. Or ancient forests before they were touched by man.
Sep 24, 2011
10:58 am
What a fascinating question, Tessa! First of all, I know what car I would use-a red Mustang convertible. It is my dream car. The red is important, lol.
As to where I want to go, of course I would have to drop in on the Regency since I am such a fan of Regency romances. Would love to meet a room of Dukes, Earls, Marquesses, Viscounts, etc and dance with them at a ball.
I have also always been fascinated with the Italian Renaissance, so would have to go back there too. Would love to meet all those wonderful artists, the Medicis, and just soak in the explosion of art, culture, humanism, and politics. My last would be the WWII era, which has been one of my favorite areas of study, because of its lasting impact and how it laid the foundation for our international global society.
And you are a stronger woman that I am Tessa. Science was never my strong suit, and the only part I liked about biology was the genetics unit, and when we got to do the Punnett Squares. That was fun. Chemistry experiments with the Bunsen burner were cool, but I have totally forgotten just about everything I’ve ever learned. As for physics, I took that my senior year of high school, and had it first period. Talking and calculating velocity, mass, motion, and energy at 7:25 in the morning just didn’t work for me, lol.
Sep 24, 2011
11:22 am
Ooh, the Renaissance! How amazing would it be to go back watch Michaelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel? Or to sneak a peek into Leonardo’s studio?
My success in science was directly correlated to how interested I was in the topic. Chemistry just never appealed to me at all–too much nitty gritty, balancing those equations. For whatever reason, physics, astronomy, and parts of biology did. The ideas of them anyway, if not the practice.
Sep 24, 2011
11:31 am
What fascinating answers so far!
To give my own answer… Hopeless meddler that I am, I think I would first have to restrain the urge to go back in time and prevent some catastrophe. However, as so many books and films have taught us, this never works out well.
So to go back just as an observer…
The Regency goes without saying.
Maybe a summer internship in the Great Library of Alexandria?
I’ll have to keep thinking about it…
as for vehicles, my dream car is a restored 1960s VW Bug convertible in robin’s egg blue. It’s already a time machine of sorts!
Sep 24, 2011
2:42 pm
If we’re only observing, does this mean I won’t be able to dance with the Dukes, Marquesses, Earls, and Viscounts? ::Sigh:: Well, I guess I have to be willing to make the sacrafice, since I don’t want to be responsible for any disasterous alterations to the course of history. lol.
Sep 24, 2011
5:32 pm
Well, see – the problem is that the dukes, marquesses, earls, and viscounts will naturally all fall madly in love with you, Lisa. And then they might not marry the people they were meant to marry. The course of history would be irrevocably altered. You’re just that enchanting.
Sep 24, 2011
10:07 pm
Aawww. Thank you Tessa!
That’s very kind and sweet of you to say! And right back at you-I’m sure all those distinguished lords and gentlemen would all be anxiously waiting in line to fill out your dance card! *hugs*
An intership at the Great Library of Alexandria would be awesome! Sorry-forgot to mention that earlier!
Sep 24, 2011
1:02 pm
Hi Tessa
Great post! Some very interesting answers so far. I would, of course, love to go back to the Regency just to experience what it was really like. I’d go to a ball at Carlton House just to see it, the artifacts that remain are so amazing, it must have been amazing in actuality. i’d have to meet Prinny, we read so much about him and his spendthrift ways, I’d like to see what he was really like as a person.
I’d also love to meet Henry VIII, ( maybe not meet actually, maybe just watch from a discreet distance, I like my head where it is) but I would like to experience the real tudor court.
I think my time machine will have to be a Ferrari.
Sep 24, 2011
5:40 pm
A Ferrari! Now we’re talking. I think those things approach light speed already, don’t they?
Henry VIII, hmm? You are a brave woman!
Is anyone daring enough to go back to the dark ages? Personally, I think I’d be wary about most of Europe from 400-1400. Plague! Barbarians!
Sep 24, 2011
1:30 pm
Oh, I love the whole idea of time travelling. On of my favorite cartoons, Time Squad, had that theme. The characters travelled to the past to solve various cases, where historical events/figures did something wrong, in order to set history back on its course. The show had Christopher Columbus selling hot dogs at the docks, instead of sailing, and Beethoven fighting as a pugilist, instead of composing….among others lol.
I think I would obviously travel to the Regency period and hope to run into some famous people. I’d also like to visit the Edwardian period…..I hear they had great food. lol
Sep 24, 2011
5:42 pm
I never saw Time Squad, but that sounds so cute! It make me think of a favorite book I read as a kid: Time Cat by Lloyd Alexander, in which a boy’s cat has nine lives and takes him to all these different times and places in history – Ancient Egypt, the Italian Renaissance, the Salem Witch Trials, etc.
Sep 24, 2011
1:59 pm
Wow! This blog is creating some very good story ideas just itching to tease the imagination. I hope everyone is making notes … I am!! LOL!!
I’m curious – would anyone want to travel to the future and how far into the future would you want to go?
Melanie, I love your idea about traveling back to see your father while he was still alive … I think he would enjoy meeting you as you are now and be very proud to see the adult you’ve become. So for those of you with children, perhaps you’d like to go just far enough into the future to see them as parents with grown children. : )
Sep 24, 2011
5:30 pm
Isn’t it great inspiration, Amy? I know I’ve been dreaming up time travel stories all week.
As for seeing the future… that is an enticing prospect. But it’s hard to see how glimpsing your own future wouldn’t change it, you know?
Sep 25, 2011
12:09 am
I suppose that’s true, Tessa, but then it’s always been the perplexing question surrounding time travel. It’s always been supposed that by our nature we might not be able to ignore the temptation to correct a wrong or give aid to someone who otherwise would perish so I suppose the same issue might exist if we were to travel forward in time. If we saw something that we knew turned out wrong, at least in our eyes, we might be tempted to return to the present with the idea of changing the situations leading up to the event we saw as an unjustice. However, some have said that since the future has yet to happen and that’s it’s forever changing that traveling to the future is safer than traveling to the past. This might be true but I think traveling to the past would be a whole lot more fun. Perhaps if we were invisible when we traveled then we would be true observers without being an influence on past actions or deeds. As to the future, every decision we make at every moment of the day has an effect on the future so would we really be changing it? Interesting premises make for interesting story telling, don’t you think? : )
Sep 26, 2011
2:43 am
Yes! Time travel does origami on my brain, it’s so confusing. But it’s so interesting to think through all the possibilities and ramifications. It makes for great storytelling. Terminator, Outlander, you name it.
Sep 24, 2011
2:35 pm
I am thinking about people I would like to meet. Like Eleanor of Aquitaine, Llywelyn Fawr, or Richard III. I would go back to the Georgian era and meet my xx time grandmother, and find out if she really had George III ‘s bastard and are we really descended from him? As the historical record says nothing of a bastard child; because it has been the accepted version of our family history. I would like to meet my grandfather, as he died before I was born. I would also like to meet John and William Marshall. I’d like to meet Thomas Jefferson, and party with Ben Franklin. I’d like to meet Charles II and John Wilmont. I think it would be like meeting the 17th century versions of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. As for a time machine, it would have to be portable and completely mundane so that no one would take it from you.
Sep 24, 2011
5:27 pm
Wow, Jerelyn! You’re from royal lineage? How exciting.
You have quite the VIP list assembled there! And I think your ideas on the time machine are quite smart. Deloreans are rather hard to hide.
Sep 24, 2011
7:31 pm
Well that’s the story and we’re sticking to it.
My ancestor was Margaret Shelton Talbot, her husband was the younger son of the Earl of Shrewsbury. Her son was christened George Talbot, but changed his name to John Stuart Talbot at some point (it is a long story) but he immigrated to S. Africa in 1820 at the age of 47. That was the year George III died and Prinny actually became king. The story is that George IV forced him to leave England.
But I saw a program on TV and it’s not unusual to be related to royalty.
Sep 26, 2011
2:48 am
Those royals did spread their seed, didn’t they? I heard that Genghis Khan had so many illegitimate children, something like 1 in 200 people on Earth are descended from his line.
Sep 24, 2011
6:44 pm
oooh….excellent question!
Assuming that we can come back (I definitely want to come back!), I’d start with a quick trip to 1995 to have a stern conversation with 16 year old Sarah. Once that chore is out of the way (as 16 year old Sarah was pretty annoying), I’m headed to turn of the 20th C. New York City. I want to see my hometown in its heyday.
Honestly? I’m definitely steering clear of the Regency, as I’m certain my fantasies are better than any reality possible.
As for the car? A Volkswagen Thing. Obvs.
Sep 26, 2011
2:46 am
Yay, VW!
Now would you really talk sense into your 16-year-old self? You might not be the interesting, fascinating, wiser person you are today, if you did.
Ooh, NYC in the age of Wharton. Would Daniel-Day Lewis be there?
Sep 25, 2011
4:52 pm
I think for this one, I’d have to travel to a time for which we don’t have very good historical records, even if it isn’t a time that I would ever write about. So I think I’d like to go to some of time of some of the biblical stories and see what historically happened. Oh and I’d love to see the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
As for vehicle…I like the compact and discreet idea.
Sep 26, 2011
2:49 am
Great choices, Sabrina! Biblical times would be fascinating to me, for so many reasons.