h e i s hardly eve r home , preferrin g instea d t o spen d hi s tim e wit h hi s friend s rathe r tha n wit h hi s grizzle d parents . He hasn' t th e foggies t ide a wha t h e want s t o d o wit h hi s life.
Al l o f whic h lead s t o th e question : I s th e shap e o f th e individua l personalit y du e primaril y t o geneti c or t o environmenta l factors ? Afte r a grea t dea l o f experimentatio n an d debat e o n thi s critica l issue , the answe r i s fa r fro m clear . Al lI kno w i s that , despit e simila r background s an d geneti c makeup , m y four kid s ar e a s differen t fro m eac h othe r a s i s nigh t fro m day , winte r fro m summer.
Abby' s husban d Stev e i s a professo r o f astronomy , an d whil e th e steak s wer e sizzlin g o n th e gril l I mentione d t o hi m tha t ther e wa sa patien t a t th e hospita l wh o seeme d t o kno w somethin g abou t hi s field . I showe d hi m prot' s figure s o n th e constellatio n Lyr a an d th e doubl e sta r syste m Agap e an d Satori , around whic h travele da putativ e plane t th e patien t calle d "K-PAX. " Stev e studie d th e information , scratche d his reddis h beard , an d grunted , a s h e ofte n doe s whe n h e i s thinking . Suddenl y h e looke d u p wit h a_ ferociou s gri n an d drawled , "Charli e pu t yo u u p t o this , didn' t he?"
I assure d hi m tha t h e hadn't , tha tI didn' t eve n kno w wh o "Charlie " was.
H e said , "Terrifi c joke . A h lov e it. " M y grandso n Rai n wa s bangin g hi m wit h a Frisbe e now , tryin g to ge t hi m t o play , afte r failin g t o coa x Shast a Daisy , ou r neuroti c Dalmatian , ou t fro m unde r th e porch.
I swor e i t wa s n o jok e an d aske d hi m wh y h e though t so . I don' t recal l hi s exac t words , bu t they wen t somethin g like : "Thi s i s somethin ' Charli e Flyn n an d hi s student s hav e bee n workin ' o n fo r quit e a while . I t involve s a doubl e sta r i n th e constellatio n Lyra . Thi s doubl e show s certai n perturbation s i n its rotatio n patter n tha t indicat e th e possibilit y o f a larg e dar k body , prob'l y a planet , a s par t o f th e system. Lik e you r allege d patien t said , thi s plane t appear s t o trave l aroun d the m i n a n unusua l pattern-Charlie think s it' sa figur e eight . D o yo u se e wha t Ah' m sayin' ? Thi s i s unpublishe d work ! Excep t fo r on e o r two colleagues , Charli e hasn' t tol d anybod y abou t thi s yet ; h e wa s planmn ' t o repor t i t a t th e Astrophysics meetin g nex t month . Wher e doe s thi s `patient ' o f your s com e from ? Ho w lon g ha s h e bee n a t the hospital ? Hi s nam e id' n `Charlie, ' i s it? " H e stuffe d hi s mout h wit ha handfu l o f potat o chips.
W e dran k bee r an d chatte d abou t astronom y an d psychiatr y mos t o f th e afternoon , Abb y an d her mothe r naggin g u s no t t o tal k sho p an d t o pa y som e attentio n t o ou r sons/grandsons , wh o kep t throwing foo d a t Shast a an d eac h other . On e thin g I wante d t o kno w wa s hi s opinio n o n th e possibilit y o f light travel . "It' s not, " h e state d flatly , stil l no t convinced ,I think , tha tI wasn' t pullin g hi s leg . Bu t whe n I
Al l o f whic h lead s t o th e question : I s th e shap e o f th e individua l personalit y du e primaril y t o geneti c or t o environmenta l factors ? Afte r a grea t dea l o f experimentatio n an d debat e o n thi s critica l issue , the answe r i s fa r fro m clear . Al lI kno w i s that , despit e simila r background s an d geneti c makeup , m y four kid s ar e a s differen t fro m eac h othe r a s i s nigh t fro m day , winte r fro m summer.
Abby' s husban d Stev e i s a professo r o f astronomy , an d whil e th e steak s wer e sizzlin g o n th e gril l I mentione d t o hi m tha t ther e wa sa patien t a t th e hospita l wh o seeme d t o kno w somethin g abou t hi s field . I showe d hi m prot' s figure s o n th e constellatio n Lyr a an d th e doubl e sta r syste m Agap e an d Satori , around whic h travele da putativ e plane t th e patien t calle d "K-PAX. " Stev e studie d th e information , scratche d his reddis h beard , an d grunted , a s h e ofte n doe s whe n h e i s thinking . Suddenl y h e looke d u p wit h a_ ferociou s gri n an d drawled , "Charli e pu t yo u u p t o this , didn' t he?"
I assure d hi m tha t h e hadn't , tha tI didn' t eve n kno w wh o "Charlie " was.
H e said , "Terrifi c joke . A h lov e it. " M y grandso n Rai n wa s bangin g hi m wit h a Frisbe e now , tryin g to ge t hi m t o play , afte r failin g t o coa x Shast a Daisy , ou r neuroti c Dalmatian , ou t fro m unde r th e porch.
I swor e i t wa s n o jok e an d aske d hi m wh y h e though t so . I don' t recal l hi s exac t words , bu t they wen t somethin g like : "Thi s i s somethin ' Charli e Flyn n an d hi s student s hav e bee n workin ' o n fo r quit e a while . I t involve s a doubl e sta r i n th e constellatio n Lyra . Thi s doubl e show s certai n perturbation s i n its rotatio n patter n tha t indicat e th e possibilit y o f a larg e dar k body , prob'l y a planet , a s par t o f th e system. Lik e you r allege d patien t said , thi s plane t appear s t o trave l aroun d the m i n a n unusua l pattern-Charlie think s it' sa figur e eight . D o yo u se e wha t Ah' m sayin' ? Thi s i s unpublishe d work ! Excep t fo r on e o r two colleagues , Charli e hasn' t tol d anybod y abou t thi s yet ; h e wa s planmn ' t o repor t i t a t th e Astrophysics meetin g nex t month . Wher e doe s thi s `patient ' o f your s com e from ? Ho w lon g ha s h e bee n a t the hospital ? Hi s nam e id' n `Charlie, ' i s it? " H e stuffe d hi s mout h wit ha handfu l o f potat o chips.
W e dran k bee r an d chatte d abou t astronom y an d psychiatr y mos t o f th e afternoon , Abb y an d her mothe r naggin g u s no t t o tal k sho p an d t o pa y som e attentio n t o ou r sons/grandsons , wh o kep t throwing foo d a t Shast a an d eac h other . On e thin g I wante d t o kno w wa s hi s opinio n o n th e possibilit y o f light travel . "It' s not, " h e state d flatly , stil l no t convinced ,I think , tha tI wasn' t pullin g hi s leg . Bu t whe n I
Similar Books
