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Obb's World



     OBB'S WORLD
 
     "NOTHING"
 
     by P.F. Castelaz, Ph.D.
 

   Obb ate supper with us last night.  Spaghetti.
Somehow he had managed to get a speck of sauce
on his glasses, but it didn't seem to bother him.
Did me, though.
 
   "Hey," I wriggled my finger at my eyes.
 
   Obb looked up from his heap of noodles and looked
right through me.
 
   "You got a speck," I said.
 
   He rolled his head back, faced the ceiling,
and shrugged, then went back to eating.
 
   "Can't you see it?"
 
   "Too small.  I'll clean it later."
 
   I watched him.  He was cutting his noodles into
mouth-sized bunches.  Cut, shovel.  Cut, shovel.
Kind of noisy, but I didn't mind.  It wasn't till
a few minutes later that I noticed how quiet the
room had gotten.  Obb had sure finished eating fast.
 
   He was studying one lone noodle left on his plate.
Just squinting at it, poking it with his fork, like
it was alive or something.
 
   "What's wrong?" I asked.
 
   "Just thinkin.'"
 
   "It's a noodle, Obb.  C'mon, let's go.  We've got
to wash these dishes, then get over to your house."
 
   "Wait."  He touched his fork to it.  "What if I cut it?"
 
   "So?  So what if you cut it?"
 
   "I mean, what if I cut it, and then cut it again?"
 
   "So?"
 
   "Well, when will it disappear?"
 
   He cut it.  Then again and again.  Pretty soon, littler
and littler bits of noodle were scattered all over his plate.
He got down, finally, to a mashed orange speck.
 
   "I think it's about gone, Obb."
 
   "Nope.  Not yet."  His nose almost touched the plate
as he eyed the speck, jabbing at it with the tip of his fork.
 
   "Still there," he said.
 
   "OK, Obb.  Good.  Now can we go?"
 
   He didn't move.  Blinking again and again, he sat as
still as a bird studying its breakfast.
 
   Finally he said, very slowly, "I don't think it will
ever disappear.  I think it will be there forever."
 
   I squinted from him to the plate and back.  "Huh?"
 
   "Can't make it be gone," he said.  "Not by cutting it.
Something has to be there forever, no matter how many
times you cut it."
 
   "But Obb.  If you cut it enough, it'll be gone.  Has to."
 
   "Nope.  I don't think so.  Half of anything is not
nothing.  Right?"
 
   I looked at him.  "Well, I suppose that's so.  But it's
spaghetti.  We'll wash the dish."
 
   "Only way to get nothing is to cut nothing," he continued,
not hearing half of what I said.  "If you start with something,
you'll always have something, even if you keep cutting it in
half forever, I think."
 
   "I see," I mumbled, and leaned back, knowing that I would
be waiting for a while.  There was nothing else to do when
Obb got like this.
 
   I noticed that the speck was still there, on his glasses.
But I think he saw right through it.
 
-------------------- Copyright 2000 -----------------------
    OPTERA, PO Box 974, Yorba Linda, CA 92885-0974
    Email:  ObbsWorld@Hotmail.com
  All Obb's World stories may be freely reproduced for your
personal use, for use by your students, and/or for use by
members of your organization. This copyright notice must
remain attached.  Broad distribution on the Internet, and
any use or reproduction for commercial gain, is prohibited.
-----------------------------------------------------------
 
>> WHAT IS IT?
 
   Obb's World presents basic concepts of science & philosophy
as short vignettes told from a child's viewpoint.  Friends of
young Ott L. Obbley ("Obb") relate brief encounters in which he
innocently questions how the world really works.  Obb's
observations and questions are universal, easily connecting
with readers at many levels, age 8 and up, in a simple style
that is quick and fun to read.  Each story is about 500 words.
 
>> WHO READS IT?
 
   Obb's World is read by teachers, parents, and of course,
children.  In discussions with readers who are curious about
science, we continue to find a desire to understand first
principles. While there are an overwhelming number of factual
resources in print and on the Internet, there are few sources
that stimulate thinking with simple, probing questions.
In a competitive and information-rich world, the ability
to question, analyze and apply knowledge is more important
than the ability to simply access it!
 
>> WHO WRITES IT? - P.F. Castelaz, Ph.D. (President, Optera)
 
   My background includes 20 years in advanced science and
technology, including research & development as a senior
scientist at major aerospace firms and universities.
I hold 17 patents in advanced computing and artificial
intelligence, have published many scholarly papers, and
enjoy teaching young people about science.
 
>> HOW CAN YOU GET MORE?
 
   FIVE more Obb's World stories are available for direct
emailing to you.  Just print out the form below, enter
YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, and mail it with payment to Optera
at the address shown.
 
...............................................................
 
------------ OBB'S WORLD - Volume III - ORDER FORM ------------
 
   YES!! I would like to receive Volume III of Obb's World:
FIVE thought-provoking stories to stimulate discussions
and insights into first principles of science and philosophy!!
 
TWO WAYS to ORDER (through the MAIL, or online through PAYPAL):
 
********************************************************
 
>>>>> ORDER THROUGH THE MAIL <<<<<
 
Mail this form with $5.00 (cash or check made out to OPTERA) to
 
   Optera
   Obb's World
   P.O. Box 974
   Yorba Linda, CA 92885-0974
 
Your Email address (where we will send the stories!!):
 

 * Email:______________________________________________
 
 * Privacy: Your email address will be used only for
delivering the Obb's World stories that you ordered,
and for announcements of new stories. It will never be
given to third-party mailing lists without your permission.
 
   Please allow 3 business days from receipt of payment for
delivery of FIVE Obb's World stories to the email address
you filled in above.  Each story is about 500 words long.
 
********************************************************
 
>>>>> ORDER THROUGH PAYPAL <<<<<
 
   Two steps:
 
1) Email your request for FIVE stories to ObbsWorld@Hotmail.com.
   Indicate that you are paying via PayPal.
 
2) Go to www.PayPal.com and submit payment
   of $5.00 to ObbsWorld@Hotmail.com.  PayPal is FREE.
 
Please allow 24 hours from receipt of PayPal payment for
delivery of FIVE Obb's World stories to the email address
you emailed to ObbsWorld@Hotmail.com.  Each story is
about 500 words long.
 
********************************************************
 
       THANK YOU!  More Obb's World COMING SOON!!
 
[Form: ObbsVol.3 - phys-l_lists.nau.edu]
 
-------------------- Copyright 2000 -----------------------
    OPTERA, PO Box 974, Yorba Linda, CA 92885-0974
    Email:  ObbsWorld@Hotmail.com
  All Obb's World stories may be freely reproduced for your
personal use, for use by your students, and/or for use by
members of your organization. This copyright notice must
remain attached.  Broad distribution on the Internet, and
any use or reproduction for commercial gain, is prohibited.
-----------------------------------------------------------