Dr. Willson Talks About Metals or Something

This was originally written last week.

I saw my father present today. It's kind of interesting. I've heard him speak about having to do these various presentations, but I hadn't actually seen one before. I only followed what he was saying until about half way through, at which point the science became far far over my head. One key thing struck me about it though.

My dad came to speak before my class once when I was in... 4th grade I think. I don't remember much of what he said, but I remember him talking about biochemistry of some sort, gene something I think, and showing a picture of coin with Janus on it after saying "You might get something like this" It was a good dramatic moment, and probably where I first learned about Janus. He had a very similar thing with a platypus in this most recent presentation, saying that while they're made glow in the dark tobacco, they will probably never achieve something as weird as this (flips to platypus). In both lectures he had that same basic joke, and then went into a more serious discussion of whatever it was he was discussing.

It's an interesting anecdote on its own, but it also makes me reflect on the nature of maturation. Or not so much maturation, but the nature of change of a person over time. At the time of the first lecture I was a plucky young student, filled with uncrushed hopes and admirations. Now I'm a bitter teenager, filled with contempt and internal conflicts. But Dad hasn't changed all that much. A lot has happened to him in the intervening times, but he's still the same basic person. Change decays exponentially.

I sort of already knew this because I recognize that to me 2 years ago is a huge amount of time, but to my grandfather it's not nearly as much. But you don't fully appreciate until you see something like this.