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plutherusLast weekend was Norwescon.
I'm almost recovered.
Some notes:
This year marked the beginning of the return of the Belter Party, which I and my friend Erik (and, originally, his former girlfriend/my cousin) used to run every year. Low-key this year, but fun. Due to new hotel regulations, we served no alcohol this year. I think we might next year, but that will require me getting an event license. Which, from what I understand of Washington rules, shouldn't be that hard.
No decorations this year, either. Or signs, except for three hand-written ones tacked up hours before the party started. The mythology was fun, though. By next year, I'm planning on actually reading some of Ted Butler's Belt Republic books, as well as finishing the Window I've been working on for the last few years. (OK, not working very hard on it, but still.)
Still a lot of fun, as various people wandered in and out, and conversations drifted from quantum physics, nuclear energy, NASA, Star Trek, and the occasional bit of politics. (Most of the political talk centered around making fun of Fox News' astroturf teabagging parties.)
We were the last of the parties to close down for the night, which was kinda cool. (Ending a little after 2:30am)
Old friends showed up again - always good to see them. (Missed![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
rhonan. Were you there this year?)
Aside from the new President and especially his energy policy (new energy secretary conveniently announced shortly before the convention), the major topic of conversation involved quantum mechanics. Specifically, what happens when you do the two-slit experiment by measuring the position of a quantum-entangled pair of particles. Which is trickier than it sounds. Especially when you then delay transmission of one of the pair. There seems to be good evidence that information in that case is being transmitted faster than light. Which, of course, means that you're sending a signal back in time. The experiment E brought to my attention had a delay of about 50 microseconds, which isn't long enough to react to with the equipment they had. Still, the implications are fascinating to say the least. Even if it turns out to mean that quantum entanglement isn't what we thought it was.
So they're going to be doing it with a longer delay and faster equipment and see what happens when you send a signal back in time, then reply to it before you get it.
There's a web site that explains this much better than I can, and I'll post the URL once I find it. (It's in my notes somewhere...)
I also made it to half a dozen panels (notes from them to be posted later), and bought a large number of $1.00 books. (And one $15.00 book that isn't out yet.)
I'm almost recovered.
Some notes:
This year marked the beginning of the return of the Belter Party, which I and my friend Erik (and, originally, his former girlfriend/my cousin) used to run every year. Low-key this year, but fun. Due to new hotel regulations, we served no alcohol this year. I think we might next year, but that will require me getting an event license. Which, from what I understand of Washington rules, shouldn't be that hard.
No decorations this year, either. Or signs, except for three hand-written ones tacked up hours before the party started. The mythology was fun, though. By next year, I'm planning on actually reading some of Ted Butler's Belt Republic books, as well as finishing the Window I've been working on for the last few years. (OK, not working very hard on it, but still.)
Still a lot of fun, as various people wandered in and out, and conversations drifted from quantum physics, nuclear energy, NASA, Star Trek, and the occasional bit of politics. (Most of the political talk centered around making fun of Fox News' astroturf teabagging parties.)
We were the last of the parties to close down for the night, which was kinda cool. (Ending a little after 2:30am)
Old friends showed up again - always good to see them. (Missed
rhonan. Were you there this year?)Aside from the new President and especially his energy policy (new energy secretary conveniently announced shortly before the convention), the major topic of conversation involved quantum mechanics. Specifically, what happens when you do the two-slit experiment by measuring the position of a quantum-entangled pair of particles. Which is trickier than it sounds. Especially when you then delay transmission of one of the pair. There seems to be good evidence that information in that case is being transmitted faster than light. Which, of course, means that you're sending a signal back in time. The experiment E brought to my attention had a delay of about 50 microseconds, which isn't long enough to react to with the equipment they had. Still, the implications are fascinating to say the least. Even if it turns out to mean that quantum entanglement isn't what we thought it was.
So they're going to be doing it with a longer delay and faster equipment and see what happens when you send a signal back in time, then reply to it before you get it.
There's a web site that explains this much better than I can, and I'll post the URL once I find it. (It's in my notes somewhere...)
I also made it to half a dozen panels (notes from them to be posted later), and bought a large number of $1.00 books. (And one $15.00 book that isn't out yet.)
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Date: 2009-04-17 03:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-17 04:22 am (UTC)