Quarky behaviour

Let's be honest, if this isn't our first blogpost you are reading, the word 'nerd' must already have crossed your mind. On several occasions, I guess. Not that either one of the Freds considers this to be an insult. As a matter of fact, 'writings having a touch of nerdiness' was more or less what we had in mind when we came up with the idea to start a blog. Right from the beginning.

But does anyone know what a nerd really is? My dictionary says: an unstylish, unattractive or socially inept person, slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits. I cannot speak for myself, but I can definitely say that the other Fred does not qualify as a genuine nerd if this is the definition. Don't get me wrong, he enjoys intellectual and academic pursuits, but that's it.

The thing with definitions is that they are like wedding shoes' laces: way too rigid to be useful. It might be easier to think of a list of easy questions which may help you to determine your degree of nerdiness.

Who is your idol?

Now this would definitely be my giveaway. Albert Einstein. I do have a back-up answer, every once in a while it's just easier to say Mike Patton, but my idol is a physicist. I read more books on Einstein than an average family can handle in a lifetime, I sign my emails with one of his quotes and I have at least one ex-girlfriend who will happily admit she fell in love with me the day I (successfully) explained to her what the special theory of relativity exactly says.

Why am I sharing this? Well, I guess you all saw the news this week. An international team of scientists said on Thursday they have recorded sub-atomic particles travelling faster than light. Neutrinos, to be more precise, arriving 60 nanoseconds earlier than predicted. A nanosecond, people, that is one billionth of a second. Compared to this unit of time, a blink of an eye takes ages. And yet, according to connoisseurs, this is a finding that could overturn one of Einstein's long-accepted fundamental laws of the universe.

Just in case you feel this burning desire to send Fred (or Fred) an email, with the question 'How do you feel about this discovery, that could imply that Einstein was wrong?', here's an answer: this will not affect my adoration. Fred makes mistakes too. Usually having effects lasting a wee bit longer.

Too bad they focused on neutrinos by the way. I would have loved to see my train arrive a few nanoseconds earlier than expected. Although I am not sure I would have noticed, I'd probably be blinking my eyes...