Brian Greene, author of The Elegant Universe and professor of math and physics at Columbia University, has written a work of fiction called, Icarus at the Edge of Time. It’s a retelling of the Greek myth, except in this version, Icarus flies too close to a black hole and what seems like minutes for him has been centuries in the rest of the universe.
It’s an unusual format, kind of a board book for adults, with images from the Hubble Space Telescope creating a sense of Icarus’ journey through space and time.
So, what does this cautionary tale say to me? Don’t try to get too close to the sun, or former suns, or anything star related? No way! I want my own personal black hole to slow things down a little bit. Give me time to have at least one coherent thought and perhaps finish one project.
So then I see in the Plain Dealer an article about the Large Hadron Collider in France and Switzerland (yes, it’s that big) and their plans to create black holes. Apparently these won’t be the “planet-eating kind” of black holes but just itsy-bitsy, manageable ones. That’s perfect! I’m off to write those scientists and see how many I can have. If anyone else wants to go in on some, that will help with shipping…
—Julie
Read it or Weep 