The Orthogonal Galaxy Read Free

with “—before the
semester started.”
    Turning his head back
towards the front of the room, he thought he noticed the professor
staring at him with a slight frown on his face. Joram’s stomach
sank. What a lousy first impression to make on the man he most
admired. While the noise of backpack zippers would’ve certainly
drowned out the exchange between the two new friends, he was sure
that Zimmer had noticed the verbal exchange between the two
classmates. While he had hoped that sitting in the center of the
room would make him less noticeable, the opposite had actually
occurred, because he was now sitting right in front of the
professor at his eye level.
    Once the room had been
restored to its previous state of attentiveness, Professor Zimmer
continued.
    “ By way of introduction to
our study this semester, who can tell me why the study of astronomy
is important in our society today?” This was a loaded and sensitive
question to ask, for in this society, there was a decreasing public
opinion of the field. Professor Zimmer knew as well as anybody that
many murmurings were taking place in Washington D.C. regarding
federal funding of astronomy programs. “We should keep our feet on
the ground and worry about the problems that are right next door,
instead of those that are thousands of light years away,” was a
common call among some aspiring politicians.
    As Zimmer had expected,
there was no response from anybody in the class. “Now surely some
of you are here, because you believe there is merit to the field of
astronomy. Why should we study astronomy?”
    Joram saw a rather
tentative hand slowly rise down in the front, right side of the
room. Professor Zimmer, clipping a lapel microphone to his tie,
ventured towards the student.
    “ What is your name, young
man?” asked Professor Zimmer.
    “ Farrem Tanner,” answered
the young man.
    “ Well, Mr. Tanner,”
continued the professor, with a smile, “I’m glad to see there is
somebody in my class who is here for a good reason, someone who
believes there is some value to this field of study. Tell me. Why
should we study astronomy?”
    “ Well, sir,” Farrem began,
“It gives us a better understanding of ourselves and our position
in the universe when we study astronomy.”
    “ Well said, Mr. Tanner.”
Zimmer nodded his approval and warmly congratulated his student for
his answer and his courage to be the first to speak up on a
controversial subject. “We can’t gain a comprehensive understanding
of the physics which rules our world, if we limit our field of
vision to the Earth. A study of geology can teach us much about the
world we live in, but a study of astronomy can teach us much more
about the universe we live in, can’t it?”
    Zimmer returned to the
center of the room, and leaned against the lectern in an attempt to
provide a more casual feel and thereby encourage more
participation. “Anybody else care to continue on this course of
discussion?”
    Another answer came from
somebody sitting a couple of rows behind Joram. “Professor, there
are tangible benefits as well. By understanding the forces in the
universe, we are able to place satellites into orbit, which improve
our quality of life.”
    “ Do you mean,” prodded
Professor Zimmer, “that you are able to get thousands of TV
stations from around the world in your dormitory
lounge?”
    A few laughs indicated
that the class was relaxing.
    “ No, sir,” corrected the
student. “I’m thinking about the safety of airlines that use the
advanced Precision Global Positioning System and weather warning
satellites to avoid collisions and hazards.”
    “ Very well,” nodded the
professor. “Please accept my apologies for a premature judgment of
your thoughts, Mr…”
    “ Johnson. Marrett
Johnson.”
    “ Thank you, Mr. Johnson
for your response.”
    With yet another hand,
Professor Zimmer acknowledged that he could see deep into the back
of the arena, in spite of the track lighting which