Nov 12 2007
Quote of the Day: Sunday
Journalist: Mr. Berkeley…
Catastrophe: Doctor. Bar-keley. Doctor Barkeley.
Journalist: Well, if you have just a momen–
Catastrophe: Doctor Barkeley.
Journalist: Doctor Barkeley, if you have a moment–
Catastrophe: We’ve met before, haven’t we?
Journalist: Yes. Believe me when I say it was an unforgettable experience… one that won’t soon be forgotten, anyway.
Catastrophe: Ah. Was it the lecture on the relational degree of freedom in quantum mechanics? I’ve also done work in noncommutative dynamics and I’ve been branching out into mathematics…
Journalist: As fascinating as those undoubtedly are, I can’t remember what the topic of your lecture was. But I’m pretty sure that you were a non-purple human at the time. I think that I probably would remember if that had not been the case.
Catastrophe: …and my thesis on combinatorial mathematics– I suppose the more accepted term is ‘combinatorics’– is coming along quite nicely. Peer view has been favorable. Do you need help spelling ‘combinatorics?’
Journalist: Unless it has something to do with you taking on a startling resemblance to a cartoon character, no.
Catastrophe: Well, there was, uhh… an unfortunate incident with a wizard. He cursed me.
Journalist: I can’t print that!
Catastrophe: Fine. Fine! I had been contracted to help produce a sunscreen that would permanently make skin more resistant to solar radiation. Or so I had thought! I discovered, to my chagrin, that the “sunscreen” was actually a weapons-grade mutagen.
Journalist: How did you determine that?
Catastrophe: An esteemed colleague threw me in it.
Journalist: …
Journalist: …
Journalist: …
Journalist: What’s the name of this wizard, again?