6) MATHEMATICAL FICTION: IS MAGIC JUST ANOTHER SOURCE OF MATH?
We continue on ZOOM with an exploration of “Mathematical Fiction,” described as a genre of creative fiction in which mathematics and mathematicians play an important role. Edwin A. Abbott’s Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions is, perhaps, the most familiar example.
“Mathematical Fiction might not be popular but has been around since 1884,” says Kofi Oduro, this segment’s presenter. “We will discuss how this can be relevant in many sci-fi/fantasy-based worlds and check some work on databases that keep track of it. How do we conceive such a world and what differences can we use to alter it from our world?”
Those not equipped to join our ZOOM discussion may contribute, nonetheless, by using this post’s “Leave a Comment” feature to ask questions and type in commentary.
On ZOOM at this time we’re discussing those places, often secret, in science fiction and fantasy where are stored strange alien objects, or relics mythological, or books and instruments of magic, and other such items. Libraries, laboratories, warehouses, museums—what locales do you know of from SF/F literature, film and television, or comics in which things mysterious, powerful, dangerous, alien, or just plain weird are kept under lock and key?
Secret government warehouse, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.
For those not participating in our ZOOM chat, today, you may still contribute by submitting your examples via this post’s “Leave a Comment” option. We welcome your input.
As we put behind us for another year the delicious indulgences of festive chocolate, we gather what rich, remnants of sculpted brown rabbits, chickens, and eggs remain in our refrigerators, place them on a snack plate next to our mouse pads, and hop to another of the club’s monthly online gatherings.
Welcome, one and all, to MonSFFA’s April 2023 e-Meeting!
We trust those of faith enjoyed a Happy Easter, or Passover, or Ramadan, all three religious holidays coinciding this year, an occurrence of only thrice per century, or roughly once every three decades.
Ice-coated tree branches snapped and fell all across the island of Montreal, blocking sidewalks, streets, damaging parked cars, and bringing down power lines.
Meanwhile, in a final, ruthless broadside, winter slammed the Montreal area in particular with a freezing blast reminiscent of 1998’s devastating ice storm, plunging well over a million Quebec households and businesses into darkness. Ice-coated, fallen tree limbs and branches littered neighbourhood streets and yards, and for many, power was out for two or three days, and for some, as many as six!
The West Island of Montreal was particularly hard hit.Hydro Quebec crews worked around the clock for days repairing damaged power infrastructure.
But the weather has been warm and sunny in the wake of all that, and so do we shun the glorious spring and huddle around our monitors once again, eager to enjoy this afternoon’s agenda of sci-fi fun!
If you’re not fully equipped to ZOOM, you can also take part by phone (voice only); in the Montreal area, the toll-free number to call is: 1-438-809-7799. From out of town? No problem; find your ZOOM call-in number here: Call-In Numbers
Also, have this information on hand as you may be asked to enter it:
Meeting ID: 897 1464 2092
Passcode: 576970
3) MEETING AGENDA
Here is the agenda for this afternoon’s get-together:
As always, all scheduled programming is subject to change.
4)
How well do you know the SF/F screen’s aliens and creatures, and more specifically, their eggs? In honour of Easter, just passed, we offer this quiz.
With only a frame of film showing the egg, or eggs of an extraterrestrial being, or a monster, correctly identify said being and/or the film or television series episode in which it appears?
We have prepared for you a dozen eggs!
Good luck! The answers will be revealed in this e-meeting’s final post of the afternoon, which we’ll put up at 5:00PM.
MonSFFA’s Executive was saddened to hear of the sudden and unexpected death of Jennifer Bulman on 19 March 2023. Jennifer was a long-time fan who hailed originally from Montreal. Some of our members might recall that Jennifer, and her husband Henry Troup, joined us in February for the monthly MonSFFA meeting, during which we discussed book collections and how we accumulate — and dispose of — same. Their input was insightful, interesting and of value to the discussion. The Executive joins all MonSFFA members in offering condolences to Henry, and to extended family, at this time. Information on the memorial service, which will be live-streamed on 22 April 2023, is in the obituaries that have been published (links below).
Join us next Saturday, April 15, at 1:00PM, right here at www.MonSFFA.ca for our April 2023 e-Meeting!
Take part by contributing your top ten list of sci-fi books, authors, heroes or villains, cool spaceships, epic movies, TV shows, actors or actresses, comic books, artists… whatever you choose to highlight, just as long as it has to do with sci-fi or fantasy!
Simply list your favourites in ascending order, tenth to first, maybe share a few illustrative images, and in a few sentences for each entry, tell us about of your choices!
You are welcome to e-mail your top ten lists and images (JPEGS, please, as e-mail attachments) to us in advance for inclusion on the site, or present them live on ZOOM during the e-meeting next Saturday!
Send your lists, in advance of the e-meeting, to: veep@monsffa.ca
Did dinosaurs have lips? Canadian scientists say they have cracked the mystery
As with many details about dinosaur physiology, an absence of living specimens has left a lot to the artistic imagination. Perhaps because humans are smaller than many dinosaur species, and also edible, popular representations of the ancient creatures are often strongly focused on their teeth.
Scientists and artists have developed two principal models of predatory dinosaur facial appearance: crocodylian-like lipless jaws, or a lizard-like lipped mouth. New data suggests that the latter model, lizard-like lips, applies to most or all predatory dinosaur species. This finding challenges many popular depictions of carnivorous species like Tyrannosaurus rex.Mark Witton
This tradition is evident in the Hollywood version of dinosaurs as depicted the 1993 film Jurassic Park. Many of the movie’s most memorable scenes feature a tyrannosaur with jaws agape. But even when the giant reptile’s mouth is shut its teeth remain plainly visible, like a row of murderous icicles.
What fossil eggs found in Alberta reveal about how dinosaurs became birds
Emily Chung · CBC News ·
A troodon looks over a nest full of eggs in this illustration. Troodons were bird-like, emu-sized, meat-eating dinosaurs that lived during the Late Cretaceous about 75 million years ago. (Masato Hattori)
Seventy-five million years ago in southern Alberta, a river flooded, burying the eggs of bird-like dinosaurs nesting on the nearby plain. Now, tiny pieces of those fossil egg shells offer new evidence about how dinosaurs lived, bred and evolved into birds.
A new study shows emu-sized, meat-eating troodons were as warm-blooded as birds, with body temperatures of more than 40 C. But unlike modern birds such as chickens that can produce one egg a day, troodons used a very slow egg-forming process similar to the one used by reptiles like crocodiles.
That supports a previous hypothesis that nests found containing up to two dozen eggs were shared by multiple troodons, similar to the way ostriches share communal nests today.
And note our new feature in the N3F Review of Books. On the second page, these authors have agreed to send you one of their ebooks, for free, in exchange for your promising to write a review of the book and posting it on Amazon, Goodreads, or social media sites, and sending The N3F Review a copy.
From Nic Farey who send us news of the FAAn Awards:
Other news from the awards given at Corflu Craic in Belfast, NI earlier today:
fwa (fanzine writers’ association) Past President election:
2022 Past Presidents: Nigel Rowe, John D. Berry
1959 Past President: Keith Freeman
Corflu Lifetime Achievement Award: Rob Hansen
Corfu 41 awarded to Las Vegas, NV and will take place at the Gold Coast hotel and Casion, February 29 – March 3 2024.
FAAn winners summary: FANZINE CATEGORIES Best Genzine: Portable Storage (ed. William Breiding)
Best Perzine: This Here… (ed. Nic Farey)
Best Special Publication: 1957: The First British Worldcon (ed. Rob Hansen)
INDIVIDUAL CATEGORIES Best Letterhack (Harry Warner Jr. Memorial Award): Jerry Kaufman
Best Fanartist: Ulrika O’Brien
Best Fanwriter: (TIE) Justin E.A. Busch, Nic Farey
Best Fanzine Cover: BEAM 17 (Alan White)
This is Post 3 of 7.
We continue on ZOOM with an exploration of “Mathematical Fiction,” described as a genre of creative fiction in which mathematics and mathematicians play an important role. Edwin A. Abbott’s Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions is, perhaps, the most familiar example.
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