Miscellany by Marsha Ess

Leaving EWR en route to MCO.

A Reminder to Read

from The Expanse, "Paradigm Shift" (season 2, episode 6)

I've been rewatching The Expanse (again) and in the light of artificial intelligence and specifically generative AI, this quote is landing differently than when I first heard it.

The Science of Lightning and Thunder

TIL the reason we see lightning before we hear thunder is because light travels far more quickly than sound. Thunder is the sound made during a lightning discharge, but because the sound of the thunder moves much more slowly than light, thunder is heard after we see the discharge of light. I feel like I should have known this years ago—maybe I missed that lesson in class—but I'm glad I know about it now.

As a lover of historical fiction novels, I was extremely gratified to see Lisa See's The Island of Sea Women featured in The Good Trade's best beach reads list. The novel is a rich study of haenyo, Jeju's women divers, whose lives are marked as much by tradition as mysticism. It is also the story of a decades-long friendship born from deep mutual need, tempered by loss, and ultimately redeemed by understanding.

The Arrow/The Target

"So we must join hands in the dew coming coldly      There in the hush of the wood that reposes, And turn and go up to the open door boldly,      And knock to the echoes as beggars for roses."

Robert Frost (1874-1963)