7
General Relativity
7.1 Let’s Try It This Way 1
Sarah woke up with a headache, a foul temper, and an empty
bottle of chardonnay on the bedside table. A loud snore
emanated from the pile of bedclothes next to her.
The faculty colloquia didn’t usually end this way, but Jim had
brought home a group of friends last night to celebrate his
promotion. Associate Professorship, no less. The deal had been
clinched by his presentation: “Use of the Future Subjunctive
in Pre-Chaucerian Couplets, circa 1333.” Standing applause. All
that remained were a few formalities to be settled this morning.
She squinted at her out-of-focus watch. Ten past nine.
Suddenly she was wide awake. Jim’s appointment was for tenthirty. She grabbed his shoulder, and shook him. “Wake up!” she
shouted. “Come on. Wake up, you drunken slob!”.
“Huh!”.
“Ten-thirty. Your appointment.”
“So what?”.
“It’s ten past nine already.”
Now she had his attention. He sat bolt upright, and peered
at his own watch. Six-twelve. He reached his wrist across so that
1 According to Kurt Vonnegut, the last words spoken by the human race will be when one scientist
turns to his colleague and says, “Let’s try it this way…".
© The Author(s), under exclusive license
to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
R. Barrett and P. P. Delsanto, Don’t Be Afraid of Physics,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63409-4_7
119
General Relativity
7.1 Let’s Try It This Way 1
Sarah woke up with a headache, a foul temper, and an empty
bottle of chardonnay on the bedside table. A loud snore
emanated from the pile of bedclothes next to her.
The faculty colloquia didn’t usually end this way, but Jim had
brought home a group of friends last night to celebrate his
promotion. Associate Professorship, no less. The deal had been
clinched by his presentation: “Use of the Future Subjunctive
in Pre-Chaucerian Couplets, circa 1333.” Standing applause. All
that remained were a few formalities to be settled this morning.
She squinted at her out-of-focus watch. Ten past nine.
Suddenly she was wide awake. Jim’s appointment was for tenthirty. She grabbed his shoulder, and shook him. “Wake up!” she
shouted. “Come on. Wake up, you drunken slob!”.
“Huh!”.
“Ten-thirty. Your appointment.”
“So what?”.
“It’s ten past nine already.”
Now she had his attention. He sat bolt upright, and peered
at his own watch. Six-twelve. He reached his wrist across so that
1 According to Kurt Vonnegut, the last words spoken by the human race will be when one scientist
turns to his colleague and says, “Let’s try it this way…".
© The Author(s), under exclusive license
to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
R. Barrett and P. P. Delsanto, Don’t Be Afraid of Physics,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63409-4_7
119