Restless Universe

OK - It's a bad title - it should really say 'Restless Me', but that doesn't sound half as interesting. But then everything is restless if we get down to the dimension of atoms - everything is just a jiggling mess with no apparent structure.

Anyway, back at the human dimension, I am restless. I've registered, I have my desk organised, I have almost planned my time. But the course (sorry, 'Module' - new Open University terminology - must get used to that) doesn't start for another TWO MONTHS. And that's why I'm restless.

To fill the late evening void I still have my habit of reading - although I'm now directing that in the direction of science and future studies. I picked up Stephen Hawking's new book yesterday ("The Grand Design") and am enjoying that. It sits on my shelf next to his other famous book 'A Brief History Of Time' - which I had trouble getting hold of when it was first published. Being an avid Radio Four listener for years, I used to listen to the Sceince programmes whenever I could and make notes (sad, isn't it). On one broadcast they reviewed a new book 'A Brief History...'. I hadn't heard of the book (nor had anyone else apparently) but I was familiar with the work of its author, Hawking, having read articles about him and his research in the Omni Magazine that I used to read in the late 1970's. So the following day I went to my local bookshop and asked for a copy. They hadn't heard of it either, but they did order a copy from the publisher for me. And I read it. I won't claim to have understood it all - and there were some pretty wild concepts to get the head around, but I did find it fascinating. The book later found itself in the Times Bestseller list for quite some time, so I dare say that there must have many other people who also found it fascinating. But it's still there on my shelf a first print run from the first edition. I'm not sure, but I'll guess that the publishers did not expect it to sell a huge amount and probably that first print run was not that big.

Tonight I'll read a bit more. I already know that Philosophy is dead - Stephen Hawking told me that yesterday in his book. It's been replaced by science.