Problematic element in chronology

Dan'l Danehy-Oakes · 01 Jun 2011, 16:59 · from 2011-June.txt.gz

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From: danldo at gmail.com (Dan'l Danehy-Oakes)
Date: Wed, 1 Jun 2011 09:59:51 -0700
Subject: (urth) Problematic element in chronology
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Gerry Quinn wrote:

> Of course Vernor Vinge made radical speculations abuout the speed of light
> as a ?function of distance from the centre of the galaxy in _A Fire Upon The
> Deep_, and nobody called him on the astrophysics. ?But that's because it's
> science fiction, not science. ?We don't need to nitpick such issues, IMO.

You haven't hung around with SF fans very much, I take it.

Let me assure you that if there is any scientific wonkiness in an SF
story, there will be someone (quite possibly someone with Asperger's
Syndrome*) who will jump up at the author's next convention apperance
and whine, "But it doesn't _work_ that way!"

* Not that I'm denigrating those with AS; I have a nephew and many
friends at varying points on the autism spectrum.

-- 
Dan'l Danehy-Oakes

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