THE SCIENCE CREATIVE QUARTERLY: A ONE YEAR RETROSPECTIVE SURVEY THROUGHOUT THE MULTIVERSE
Science Creative Quarterly has now been in existence for one year. For those of you, who like me, are not scientifically minded, that is 365 days! An impressive number indeed. The ancients believed 365 was a perfect number. But the ancients weren’t real bright, so we aren’t going to dwell on such superstitions.
After all, what strikes me is not so much the length of time which SCQ has been in existence, but how its existence has altered the fabric of the many different universes in which it exists. The discovery of multiple universes, or simply verses, [1] have challenged our understanding of reality. By looking at all of the manifestations of reality, we can learn more about what it is to be human. Moreover, knowing of the existence of the many universes increases our options for storing our knick knacks and such.
In evaluating the legacy of SCQ it would be foolish to limit our survey to this universe. Let us take a wider look at how SCQ has altered reality.
C.P.Snow’s classic work, The Two Cultures set off an unprecedented war between the scientists and the humanists. The scientists struck first, because, well, they had weapons. The artists were quickly decimated. From what we know, one of their few attempts at reacting to the war, consisted of painting a rather large canvas depicting the atrocities of war. A canvas whose centerpiece was the painter working on that very canvas being bombed.
Into this bleak wasteland of radioactivity and shredded canvases comes SCQ. Almost improbably, this journal works its magic combination of physicists and photographers, hematologists and humor writers. The artists frequently kidney punch the scientists, but once again, they are together.
The bleak wasteland is slowly growing into a pleasant utopia.
Here, it is not humans which are the most developed organism! Rather it is the Slinky! This parallel universe has more staircases than any other verse – more than all the other verses combined. This parallel universe also has rainbows made of smells. As well, the Cleveland Browns regularly win the super bowl. But none of that matters.
A lesser observer would stop to dwell on these bizarre contingencies. We will get right to the point. This is a parallel place where SCQ not only serves up a wide spectrum of science writing but is actually written, edited and published by slinkys. Never before have the slinkys achieved anything on this scale. SCQ is their greatest achievement and it adds to their collective sense of worth. They still can’t hold their heads up high, but that’s just because they are slinkys.
This is a place where iPods are gigantic, the latest models running something like 100 feet high. Although relatively speaking, these particular iPods are much smaller as the average music-listening being is nearly 3400 feet tall. Again, not really important.
In this universe, reside those who were one of the last to believe in the Multiverse phenomenon. A sad, sad, skeptical people. But into this bizarre universe came the SCQ bringing the news. You are not alone.
Issue Three included plans for a Multi-Verse Travel Unit. A group of devoted readers proclaim, ‘Now at last, we can save the world!’ The machine is built. The truth of the many verses is revealed. Once again SCQ brings enlightenment to a confused people – and the hundred foot iPod is seen across many verses and featured on Boingboing.net, Digg.com, and Slashdot.org
It’s a Quarterly! Issued Every Two Weeks! No wait, every day! The annual is on the horizon! How often will that be published? On the Hour? The minute?
Welcome to our universe.
Notes
1. This has been demonstrated in the work of J.L. Borges.
(Image from www.thursdaysclassroom.org)