Yes it is officially hot in New York City these days. I don’t know if I can stand this when I am older, but for now I quite enjoy the huge seasonal differences. They are a reminder that much as we may obsess about things that happen at work or at home, there are much bigger forces surrounding us (we all live on a rock traveling through space). This is a useful bit of perspective. One of the books that is part of my summer reading adds to this view: 13 Things that Don’t Make Sense: The Most Baffling Scientific Mysteries of Our Time ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d.html?qid=1278504607&a=0307278816&sr=8-1 ). I have only read the first chapter so far and it is already well worth the price of the book: a concise summary of the dark matter and dark energy dilemma that also serves as an illustration of the strangeness of scientific progress (think Kuhn). It feels good to take a moment off to marvel at the wonder that is all around us before diving back into the details of our lives (and the sauna that is New York City).
