10 How the World Began
189
Later, back home again, Giuseppe was still disturbed by the
incident, and he decided to weigh his 5 kg fruits and vegetables.
All of them were now 5.2 kg. He was very confused, but cheered
up a little when he realised that at least now his profits would
increase. Something, however, was definitely not right.
The next morning, as soon as he got out of bed, Giuseppe felt
slightly uncomfortable. He seemed to require more of an effort
to move. His stomach rumbled, but that was usual before breakfast. On an impulse, he walked into the bathroom and stepped
onto the scales. Che Diavolo! He had gained 2 kg since yesterday
morning.
He was really puzzled now, as he entered the kitchen and
began to prepare his morning coffee, and warm up his cornetti.
He switched on the radio to his usual news station, and caught
the end of an item on a certain Mr Newton, and how experts
believed his constant might have suddenly begun to change.
“Stupido,” he proclaimed aloud. “If constants aren’t
constants, then I am not Giuseppe, and these eggplants are
pineapples.” Annoyed, he changed the station, but there was
more nonsense here as well. They also were talking about
changing weights, but this time the culprit was Mr Higgs and
some bosons he’d found. “What the hell are bosons, I wonder?”
he muttered.
Giuseppe returned to the bathroom and stepped onto the
scales again. His weight had already increased by one more
kilo. It seemed that a force greater than anything he could
muster was determined to make him gain weight. Well, so be
it. At least there were compensations. “When there’s nothing
to be done, it’s better not to resist” his father had once advised
him. He returned to the breakfast table, and placed two more
large cornetti on his plate. His saliva was already flowing as
he covered them in jam and cream, and took the first massive
bite of his breakfast. Whatever these bosons were, they clearly
wanted him heavier, and who was he to argue?
∗ ∗ ∗
As we shall see later in the next two Chapters, whether constants remain
constant is an important question in the study of cosmology, and one that it
is very difficult to answer.
189
Later, back home again, Giuseppe was still disturbed by the
incident, and he decided to weigh his 5 kg fruits and vegetables.
All of them were now 5.2 kg. He was very confused, but cheered
up a little when he realised that at least now his profits would
increase. Something, however, was definitely not right.
The next morning, as soon as he got out of bed, Giuseppe felt
slightly uncomfortable. He seemed to require more of an effort
to move. His stomach rumbled, but that was usual before breakfast. On an impulse, he walked into the bathroom and stepped
onto the scales. Che Diavolo! He had gained 2 kg since yesterday
morning.
He was really puzzled now, as he entered the kitchen and
began to prepare his morning coffee, and warm up his cornetti.
He switched on the radio to his usual news station, and caught
the end of an item on a certain Mr Newton, and how experts
believed his constant might have suddenly begun to change.
“Stupido,” he proclaimed aloud. “If constants aren’t
constants, then I am not Giuseppe, and these eggplants are
pineapples.” Annoyed, he changed the station, but there was
more nonsense here as well. They also were talking about
changing weights, but this time the culprit was Mr Higgs and
some bosons he’d found. “What the hell are bosons, I wonder?”
he muttered.
Giuseppe returned to the bathroom and stepped onto the
scales again. His weight had already increased by one more
kilo. It seemed that a force greater than anything he could
muster was determined to make him gain weight. Well, so be
it. At least there were compensations. “When there’s nothing
to be done, it’s better not to resist” his father had once advised
him. He returned to the breakfast table, and placed two more
large cornetti on his plate. His saliva was already flowing as
he covered them in jam and cream, and took the first massive
bite of his breakfast. Whatever these bosons were, they clearly
wanted him heavier, and who was he to argue?
∗ ∗ ∗
As we shall see later in the next two Chapters, whether constants remain
constant is an important question in the study of cosmology, and one that it
is very difficult to answer.