So I am working away today, listening to fabulous North Country Public Radio and I realize I have been half-listening to hours of coverage of Stephen Hawking new idea about black holes. These hours of half-interested listening have had a few effects:

• I am not arguing with the radio in my mind like I do as if it were coverage of political news;
• I have this vague feeling this is good for me;
• I notice that, unlike in the movies, scienctists do not actually angrily jump over each other's positions like political hacks do - no "Jones, you fool!" kind of outbursts; and
• Having no expectation that I will ever encounter or ever have to pass opinion on or ever have to buy anything in relation to or in any way be affected by black holes, they are a pop science icon in my mental landscape.