I have just spent the last five days at the World Science Fiction Convention in Boston. Five thousand other folks 'n' fans did the same thing. We trudged, zipped, wheeled, and dodged our way through a crowded upscale shopping mall, hotel atriums, and the endless vast rectilinear halls of the Hynes Auditorium to do our annual Thing. It was a bit more like Work than Fun for me, though there were some really bright moments.

Being the ultra-serious person that I am, I decided to concentrate on the more academic and scientific panels rather than the lighter ones. This was also because I am far less of a science fiction/fantasy reader, moviegoer or TV watcher than most of the folk at the con, so I wouldn't know what they were talking about at lots of the "literary" or pop culture panels. Also, I'm interested in science writing. Someone might even consider some of the entries at this Weblog to be "science writing."

Therefore I sat and listened to properly serious talk about how science fiction can teach readers, especially young or ignorant ones, about Real Science. And I listened to more talk about the equivalence of science-fiction science to magic, and even real science to magic. On Monday, Sept. 6, the last day of the con, I sat in awe as a panel of astronomers and physics types talked about the most interesting discoveries of the last few years, including the mind-boggling concept of "frame dragging" in a fast-rotating supermassive collapsing star, in which time and space begin to go down the drain.

When I was not contemplating the end of the universe, I was socializing with numerous friends, including many readers of this Electron. I got my start in science fiction fandom in Boston, where I grew up and went to school, and I was astonished to meet again with many Boston fans whom I had not seen for more than 20 years. They were still there, and they still remembered me as well as I remembered them! I had so many blasts from the past that I felt shell-shocked. Perhaps I didn't drink enough. Fortunately my newer friends from all over the USA were there too, to give me a sense of perspective (as well as feeling Older).

I went to a "bloggers' party" at which I hoped to meet more of the blog tribe. Holding court among the tattooed youth with blue hair and incomprehensible LiveJournal blognames was Chad Orzel, the eloquent physicist of "Uncertain Principles," a blond giant who when seated was as tall as I am standing up. Next to him was one of the power couples of New York Blogville, Patrick Nielsen Hayden of "Electrolite" and his wife Teresa of "Making Light." This Electron had nothing worthwhile to say to the "Lights," so I didn't say anything. The party was too noisy anyway so I left.

My big moment came on Sunday night at the Masquerade, where I finally saw the result of three years of work. Back in '01 (back?? Is it really that far back?) the Master-ranked costumers Pierre and Sandy Pettinger came to me with the idea that they would like to do my four "Archangels of Modern Science" (see my Website's "Art Gallery") as costumes for a Worldcon masquerade costume show. I was only too happy to have them do this and I prepared highly detailed designs which adapted the "Futurikons" for use as costumes. The rest of the work was up to the Pettingers, as well as their fellow Masters Fr. John Blaker from California and Jeannette Holloman of Maryland. They did all of the work, making the costumes and props and presentation; I was just the designer and didn't wear or perform anything.

They were entry number 31 in a long, long costume show. The Four Archangels in their exquisite costumes, complete with wings made of hundreds of pieces of fabric and texture, appeared on stage to celestial dulcimer music. I almost cried, it was so beautiful. My own painted Archangels come to life! The audience loved it, too. After they floated off stage, I rushed away to capture their images with my camera, before they disassembled their costumes. As the designer I was allowed into the special press area where professional photographers were taking pictures. And in a thrilling minute of ego-bliss, I was invited to pose with the Angels themselves, as the Costume Designer behind it all whose paintings had inspired them. Golly, I was in heaven, surrounded by angels! All through the evening and even on Monday I got recognition and congratulation from friends and other folk who had seen my angel art and knew where those wondrous costumes had come from.

I'd like to say that Pettingers and company won Best in Show, but that went to another, larger, more dramatic group. The "FuturIkons" won Best Workmanship in Master class, and "Best Re-Creation." This pleased the Costumers, who assured me that an award like this at Worldcon was plenty good. They said that I would share in the award even though I have no workmanship with cloth or sculpture and did not present on stage. Well, now I guess I have to continue doing art and design! Perhaps I will create some mathematical and science-oriented costumes. Many other Master-class costumers said they would love to work with my designs. Among the Master Costumers, there is at least one Real Physicist! (Name withheld, just as all my other Friendly Scientists must remain anonymous.)

My costume recognition, alas, did not translate into sales of FuturIkon prints. I only sold about 15 of the 66 prints I had so frantically constructed before the show. I was not able to show new original art at Worldcon due to time constraints, too much day job, and admittedly, too much math. I hope to remedy that in the future, though I won't be going to any more Worldcons for a while since the next three are all far, far away from where I live, two of them in other countries. But stay tuned, there will be more art and you will see it here at the Electron. (It won't always be blue, though.)

Fermilab Epiphany Anniversary

Today is September 7, which is the fourth anniversary of my trip to Fermilab. It was there that I made the decision that I would study mathematics and physics, not in the cultural way of reading nonmathematical books for laypeople, but the way the "real scientists" did it, with math. Four years later, after struggling through re-learning arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and then learning trigonometry and logarithms for the first time, I am just about to begin studying calculus. This will give me entry into physics for real. Things are going to get even more interesting now. This September 7, I am not at a vast particle accelerator, but at my parents' home, where I hope to do lots of work removing particles of dust, applying chemical and kinetic energy to mold and grime, and exploring the dark matter of cluttered closets.

Posted at 4:05 am | link