Posted on

The Number on the Wall: Why Physicists Call 137 Magic

I came to 137 the way most people come to it, by hearing it called a magic number and wanting to know whether the word was earned. My instinct with a claim like that is suspicion, because a working life spent around language and persuasion teaches you how easily a large word gets draped over a small thing. This time the suspicion did not survive the facts. The number turned out to be real in a way I had not expected, and the people most gripped by it have been some of the hardest-headed physicists who ever lived.

Continue reading → The Number on the Wall: Why Physicists Call 137 Magic

Posted on

I am Boles on App.net!

Yes, I paid $50 to get access to the App.net alpha test with “boles” as my username and yes, I’m an Old White Guy who had money burning in his pocket to make him feel special.  I was finally granted access to the App.net site this morning and, after a password reset or two, I was able to get into App.net and poke around a bit — and let me tell you right now — it’s one lonesome place… and that’s the excitement of it all!

Continue reading → I am Boles on App.net!