Cats, Summer, and Future

Today, I needed some inspiration. And when this happens, I go home, I mean, I read science fiction.

I re-opened Heinlein's "The Door into Summer" - and once again realised that I am anything but a separate being. Of course, I read it when I was young, of course, I am longing for an eternal summer.
"...that unpleasant white stuff" - do I ever call snow anything else?
Of course, I make cats their own doors and, of course, they still bully me into opening mines. How predictable...
Sometimes, I read a novel and my life painfully re-appears in front of my eyes: predicted by someone who never knew me. Or - wait, am I just their imagination?

Image stolen from "Simon's Cat" (TM)

How to Explain your Research Topic to an Academic

I find it generally easy to explain my research to the common folks: there's always something that a person knows and that I build on to lead her or him to my research topic. At the very least, up until now anyone who had any interest in my studies, could talk. And talking is close enough to my topic.
But when it comes to academics, the story is totally different. Academics know too much in a surprisingly limited slice of the world. And fairly enough, my research is also a very thin slice of the reality (Of course, I have to leave some work for other aspiring Ph.D.s to do. Grin).

That is how the conversation goes. - So tell me, what is the topic of your research?
- Well, there's a 4th planet in the 267th dwarf solar system of the Messier 82 of the M81 group system..
- Ah, so you are using the galactical theory of dwarf planets!
- No, wait. on that planet..
- Ah, so why don't you use the theory of on external galactical surfaces?
- uhm, well, it's not exactly what I am looking at. On that surface, there are different species..
- So why don't you just use cosmobiology?
- Well, it's ...yeah, it is cosmobiology, but these species are called stones
- I don't understand..
- yes, so these stones are actually carbon-based living creatures
- I knew it! You are researching the carbon-based theory of life!
- No. These creatures are distinguished by colour: blue and yellow stones..
- Wait, so you are into the spectral analysis?
- Noooo, not at all. The thing is these colours are actually the attributes of time. The same stone is visible on that planet by an observer, but when its colour is blue, it is not actually present, it is its temporal shadow..
- I have never heard of such theory. You must read "Time and Astronomy", it explains everything about what you are trying to do...
That being said, my research has nothing to do with forms of life or colours (well, almost nothing) but a colourful metaphor makes my burden lighter (despite the stones). I am not complaining, after all, I am interested in communication.


P.S. The whole conversation is totally made up. Of course.