Philip Asselyn
Durham, ME
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Dr. Schmidt:
I'm trying not to feel stupid, but in the absolutely wonderful story “Enigma” in the January/February 2011 issue of Analog I ran across the statement, “Think about it. Pi times a radius of two light-years cubed is over twenty-five cubic light years."
If I recall from classes long, long ago, the formula for the volume of a sphere is 4/3 times pi times the radius cubed.
Have I lost what little might be remaining of my mind? I refuse to Google this thing to resolve the issue.
Very truly yours,
Robert Taylor
—
Touché! We all should have caught this, and none of us did. The difference isn't huge, but it's there.
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Dear Dr. Schmidt,
Re: The March 2011 editorial.
Am I to suppose it an adjective's fault if its user makes sense with it in private but not in public? Why must an adjective “ad-ject” only to something it modifies that is inherent in it? Your editorial was “great!” Wait—don't publish that statement, unless you want to convey the illogical impression that “greatness” is intrinsic in editorials or whoever writes them, even!
I am glad to see in the letters you print in Brass Tacks that at least several readers like Dan Sakers’ columns. They're great, too! His erudition is indeed broad and sometimes informative in a way I find usable. It has yet to inspire me to ask a question, however, and therefore I still struggle, and often fail, to wade through it. His observation-reporting (his own) approach seems, itself, to impede my asking questions, as a price extracted for traversing his generously shared knowledge. I feel “no questions, no science fiction,” elaborate and eloquent answers galore notwithstanding.
Certainly, I desire language to represent culture. I like tools and instruments and want language to serve as both a tool and an instrument. We are factious beings. I want language to show it. I want “relating” to language to convey it. It is hard to formulate universals, and I want that to stay prize-worthy.
If some alien culture were to remove factiousness from the structure of language, and force its explicit, laborious articulation, it would probably worship us humans for saving its dependents from short-term annihilation by the commitment of their helpless, hapless selves to it. But educators, particularly language educators, had, I think, better not reduce language to its subject matter!
Joe Quittner
Cleveland Heights, OH
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Dear Stan,
I found myself smiling and nodding as I read Edward M. Lerner's Science Fact article in the March 2011 issue. I can't begin to tell you how many times I have been in a remote region of the world and overheard a conversation (in an obscure native language) that was peppered with an occasional “coca-cola” or some other recent addition to their language.
I find myself “hitch-hiking” on two of Lerner's points. Regarding telepathy, if the information exchange was primarily raw images, would not the communication barrier between species be somewhat minimized (assuming compatible thought/reasoning processes)?
Regarding SETI, I have been saying for years that the English language will not be recognizable in half a century. We can thank text messaging for that! I suddenly imagined a far-flung alien intelligence that intercepts our signals, “deciphers” English, and sends off a reply. Many years later, we receive the reply, but can't make heads or tails of it. Back to square one.
Keep up the great work!
Best Regards,
Warren Miller
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Stan,
Regarding Edward Lerner's March 2011 article about language:
I ran across an example of how language can change over time, even in fiction. Lindsey Davis writes a series of books about Marcus Didius Falco, a private detective in First Century AD Rome. In one of her latest books, she has a character asking if someone is “lawyered-up,” and has another man described as a “silver fox.” A book reviewer criticized her for using anachronisms, but if Lindsey had used the Latin equivalents, how many of her readers would have understood what she was talking about?
Brian Cary
Seattle WA
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Reader's Department: UPCOMING EVENTS by Anthony Lewis
27-30 May 2011
BALTICON 45 (Baltimore area SF conference) at Marriott's Hunt Valley Inn, Hunt Valley, MD. Guest of Honor: Dr. Benjamin Bova; Artist Guest of Honor: Vincent Di Fate; Music/Filk Guests of Honor: Bill and Brenda Sutton; Special Guest of Honor: Steve Geppi. Membership: TBA. Info: www.balticon.org/; [email protected]; Balticon, PO Box 686, Baltimore, MD 21203.
3-5 June 2011
SOONERCON 20 (Oklahoma SF, Fantasy, and Gaming conference) at Sheraton Downtown, Oklahoma City, OK. Writer Guest of Honor: Tim Powers; Artist Guest of Honor: Darrell K. Sweet; TM: Selina Rosen. Memberships: check website. Info: www.soonercon.com/; +1.405.310.9255; SoonerCon Syndicate, 1848 Hemingway Drive, Edmond, OK 73013.
24-26 June 2011
APOLLOCON 2011 (Houston SF, Fantasy, and Horror Convention) at DoubleTree Houston Intercontinental Airport, Houston, TX. Editor Guest of Honor: Ann VanderMeer; Fan Guest of Honor: Jeanne Gomoll. Memberships: Friday $20, Saturday $25, Sunday $20. Full memberships to be announced—see website. Info: www.apollocon.org; [email protected]; PO Box 541822, Houston, TX 77254.
17-21 August 2011
RENOVATION (69th World Science Fiction Convention) at Reno-Sparks Convention Center, Reno, NV. Guests of Honor: Ellen Asher, Charles N. Brown, Tim Powers, Boris Vallejo. Membership from 1 October 2010 until some later date (see website for latest details): Attending-Adult: $180; Attending-17 to 21: $100; Attending-0 to 16: $75; Supporting: $50. [Ages as of 17 August 2011]. This is the SF universe's annual get-together. Professionals and readers from all over the world will be in attendance. Talks, panels, films, fancy dress competition—the works. Nominate and vote for the Hugos. Info: www.renovationsf.org/, [email protected], PO Box 13278, Portland, OR 97213-0278. Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Renovation-The-69th-World-Science-Fiction-Convention/112169025477179?ref=ts; LiveJournal: community.livejournal.com/renovationsf/
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Running a convention? If your convention has a telephone or fax number, e-mail address, or web page, please let us know so that we can publish this information. We must have your information in hand SIX months before the date of your convention.
Attending a convention? When calling conventions for information, do not call collect and do not call too late in the evening. It is best to include a S.A.S.E. when requesting information; include an International Reply Coupon if the convention is in a different country.n
Copyright © 2011 Anthony Lewis
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Analog Science Fiction and Fact (Astounding), Vol. CXXXI, No. 5, May 2011. ISSN 1059-2113, USPS 488-910, GST#123054108. Published monthly except for combined January/February and July/August double issues by Dell Magazines, a division of Crosstown Publications. One-year subscription $55.90 in the United States and possessions, in all other countries $65.90 (GST included in Canada), payable in advance in U.S. funds. First copy of new subscription will be mailed within eight weeks of receipt of order. When reporting change of address allow 6 to 8 weeks and give new address as well as the old address as it appears on the last label. Periodical postage paid at Norwalk, CT and additional mailing offices. Canadian postage paid at Montreal, Quebec, Canada Post International Publications Mail, Product Sales Agreement No. 40012460. (c) 2011 by Dell Magazines, a division of Crosstown Publications, all rights reserved. Dell is a trademark registered in the U.S. Patent Office. Protection secured under the Universal Copyright Convention. Reproduction or use of editorial or pictorial content in any manner without express permission is prohibited. All stories in this magazine are fiction. No actual persons are designated by name or character. Any similarity is coinciden
tal. All submissions must be accompanied by a stamped self-addressed envelope, the publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or artwork.
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Visit www.analogsf.com for information on additional titles by this and other authors.
Analog SFF, May 2011 Page 22