My World: A story.

I have a pet. Loved by all in the family. Each one of us calls it by a different name.

I call it iPet.


iPet, we noticed, has suddenly started to roam around the bookshelves all over the house. Especially haunting the physics and mathematics sections of our library.


I am not one for discouraging anyone from learning or reading. iPet was no exception.

However, one day I found iPet sulking on a sofa cushion. Lost in thought. I observed iPet for sometime.


Then approached iPet and asked gently, what the issue was that seemed to be occupying so much of iPet's time.

I observed the stars on the roof, said iPet. And I heard music, iPet added.

I want to learn music, said iPet.

I became fascinated with the stars, continued iPet. What causes the stars to produce music?, asked iPet. I remained silent.


You know Fahim, said iPet thoughtfully, it took some hard thinking. I had to find out what made the stars sing..'tick' in your parlance, said iPet. So Fahim, I took to studying the physics of star formations.

Quantum Physics cropped up, said iPet. Not understanding mathematics or physics, I am stuck.

If I cannot understand maths, I shall fail to understand Physics. Fail to understand Physics, I shall fail to understand the ' thing ' that makes the stars ' sing '. If I fail to understand that, I shall fail to learn music. iPet looked at me with pleading eyes. Can you help me Fahim?

I know a friend, I told iPet. I shall introduce you to him. Maybe he can explain it to you.


to be continued....

Hi, Fahim,

What a wonderful story. I look forward to further stanzas.

Best regards,

Doug

Doug Kerr said:

Hi, Fahim,

What a wonderful story. I look forward to further stanzas.

Best regards,

Doug

Click to expand...

Thank you Doug.

I am busy devouring text as fast as I can. But it is heavy going. Bear with me. I shall report progress, after I have assimilated the contents of the following text...


Other than the fact that Fahim's friend, iStein, has mistaken me for a dog..there is value contained in the book's pages.

Best.

iPet.

Strings; yes strings, said iPet one day. It is all about strings.

I know, I said. And wormholes, and things that go boom, shrink and then turn into something black.
Ipet went into a long discourse on things beyond me. My head was spinning..faster and faster as he went on.

Vibrations, I said. What? Ipet stopped.

Good vibrations, I completed. Ya, said iPet. I am beginning to get those, mused iPet.

I was referring to the song, I added. By the Beach Boys..1968 I completed.

Whatever, replied iPet. It is all about physics and mathematics, repeated iPet.

I stared at him..in astonishment. Music is about Physics?, I questioned in surprise. And Mathematics, said iPet.

Here, said iPet. Dig into this, he added. Maybe you shall appreciate what I talk about, said ipet.

He handed me a book. This is a collaborative effort, iPet explained.


But what about the..I was interrupted rudely by iPet.

Hush, said iPet. Listen to the experts, he said. In there is wisdom.

But what about chemistry and bio-chemistry, I asked. That too, iPet responded. But I wanted to keep it simple for you, said iPet rather pompously.

fahim mohammed said:

...
But what about chemistry and bio-chemistry, I asked. That too, iPet responded. But I wanted to keep it simple for you, said iPet rather pompously.

Click to expand...

I'm thinking it's all about polymers and alloys.

Chris Heilman said:

I'm thinking it's all about polymers and alloys.

Click to expand...

Hello Chris.

You might very well be right.

I had a talk with another friend of mine..iOwl. Lives the other side of the room:


Ummm, said iOwl in a gruff voice. Chris is on the right track. But you know iPet, all these fancy things are just subsets.

Subsets of what, I asked iOwl. Of Physics, mathematics, chemistry...fancy names they have given them nowadays..micro/macro molecular chemistry and what not. Ummm, said iOwl. They just put all the knowledge from the three basic sciences; apply a bit of engineering, and the special brew and poof....they have to give it a new fangled name.

Anyways, iOwl wanted to return to sleep; he started snoring. It was daytime. Fahim, too was asleep, snoring..

Thank you Chris.
Your friend.
iPet.

All that is left are the memories and some images. iPet was laid to rest this morning.

iPet just stopped working…android infarction they said. He would have said it was simple mathematics..probability turning into certainty.

I was called in to the ER late night. iPet was in the ICU.
With him was his friend of many many years iCu2.


iPet was loved by one and all and scorned for the scientific knowledge iPet possessed by one and all too. Simultaneously.

After many decades, I had once asked iPet if iPet had written, composed, played or published any music. Even deaf humans can compose music, iPet had replied. Nothing to talk about in that.

iPet rolled into laughter and into tantrums. Combined with anger.

iPet scorns

You demean me, I heard iPet say. Yes, yes, you demean iPet said iCu2. iPet does not need to write any music, compose, publish or play. iPet understands the very fabric of the universe’s music.

iPet can hear music all around him…the music of creation. You, Fahim, have to make an effort to even hear it!, said iCu2. Where you hear the same sound ad nauseam, iPet hears the rhythms of the Quasars and the Pulsars. It stops, the music maker dies, added iCu2. That is harmony. Music of the heavens.
iPet understands it all. And you ask if iPet can play music?, said iCu2 scornfully.

The dance of the photons..that is the tune we dance to iPet had once remarked. And that is music. The numbers and in the numbers.


The dance, the music, the mystery of music. The numbers, the physics, all the sciences of music were second nature to iPet. But no composition. No publication. Just numbers.

Time to end the story. I, too, am growing old. iCu2 drops by once in a while. we sit and chat. We shall forever remember iPet, not for iPet's music; but for iPet's friendship.


Be happy my friend, wherever you crunch your numbers nowadays.