The Whale Song Translation: A Voyage of Discovery To Neptune and Beyond

by Howard Steven Pines

  When McPinsky requested the lights be dimmed, a movie screen descended from the ceiling for the display of his PowerPoint presentation. “The first concept is that there is an equilibrium state of the universe where all matter and energy are distributed uniformly throughout its entirety. In this baseline state, the density of matter is constant everywhere, space has constant curvature everywhere, and all particles are separated from one another by the same equilibrium distance.

  “The second concept I shall hereafter refer to as the ‘Principle of Uniformity’ or ‘Local Conservation.’” He began to speak more slowly, more deliberately, so that as many as possible could grasp his ideas. “Any force acting to change the mass density of the equilibrium state is resisted intrinsically, by space itself, in order to maintain the equilibrium state.” Brandishing a laser pointer, he cast its beam upon a diagram appearing on the screen. “For instance, if particles attempt to approach closer than the equilibrium distance, the curvature of space in the gap between these particles must increase, resulting in the dilation of space itself, so that the local density between particles is conserved. The third concept, the ‘Principle of Global Conservation,’ is related to the second, in that the global curvature of space is conserved even when the local curvature must change due to the Local Conservation principle.”

  Murmurs of amazement were beginning to eddy through the lecture hall.

  “Invoking these new concepts, we can make the following predictions.” He forwarded to the next slide.

  “The first prediction is that the new law of Local Conservation is one and the same as the strong nuclear force. The second is that the new law of Global Conservation causes a complex folding of space that creates all of the fundamental forces as dictated by the curvature of space at different scales. And finally, do you recall how Maxwell unified electromagnetic phenomena by postulating the existence of electromagnetic waves? In a similar fashion, the combined effects of the three new principles can serve to unify a number of existing laws of information and game theory. Thus we can postulate a mathematical and physical model which completely describes and predicts the evolutionary formation of stable, information-based systems—nature’s ‘Grand Organizing Principle.’”

  The murmurs were now intensifying as many more minds had been kindled by McPinsky’s proposals.

  “A continuum of information-based structures fills the universe. So doesn’t it make sense that the ‘theory of everything’ should provide a fundamental explanation of the formation of information structures, from nuclear particles to living organisms? Until now, physics has only given us the great conservation principles that apply to mass, energy, momentum, charge, spin, etcetera. But it provides no fundamental explanation about how this stuff is organized into complex systems. Physics has left us bankrupt in that regard. Without a fundamental rudder to guide us, we’re left floundering, to be cast adrift in the swirling currents of anecdotal descriptions of philosophy, religion, and myth.”

  With the passion of a sermon or a political rally, chants of “yes, yes, yes” and “amen” arose from the audience. McPinsky was well aware that the dons of his parent institution, who held their collective breaths and crossed their fingers whenever he made a public appearance, grew particularly tense at moments like these, when he’d ignited the audience. Still, he continued on in an ever escalating arc of intensity.

  “Einstein has given us permission to pursue such an avenue, since general relativity has proven so elegantly that matter warps space on the macroscopic level and that the force of gravity is equivalent to the curvature of space. So doesn’t it make sense that matter and space should interact in an innate manner that subsumes all forces? That yet another set of even more fundamental conservation principles need to be considered to reconcile this interaction, this dance, between matter and space? These new principles are the driving force of the creation of information structures from the primal essence of the universe.”

  Some were so stirred that they stood and applauded. McPinsky paused and mopped his brow with a purple handkerchief. Hands were raised around the room but McPinsky had never countenanced the interruption of his discourse. “Questions will be answered at the end.”

  Like an implacable force of nature, he surged ahead. He wove the fabric of the universe before their minds’ eyes, completely deconstructing and reconstructing it in his unique fashion.

  “Now for the coup de grâce,” he said. “For the equilibrium state of the universe, let’s plot the force due to the local curvature of space for all distances around the equilibrium distance, knowing that the force at the equilibrium distance is by definition zero.” He brought up the next slide, a plot of the force versus distance relationship, and then paused again to blot the moisture on his forehead. “Aren’t the contours of this plot recognizable?”

  In a few seconds, a volley of gasps punctured the silence. Most seemed too dazed to respond, but one brave hand finally appeared. “Professor, are you saying that the strong nuclear force is caused by the new conservation of equilibrium density principle?”

  “Yes, smart lady!” shouted McPinsky. “And notice from the force versus distance plot that the force is repulsive when the particles are closer together than the Fermi distance and attractive when farther than the Fermi distance. But remember that, according to the new equilibrium distance concept, there is no net force at the equilibrium distance. This corresponds to the zero-crossing point on the nuclear force curve.”

  As many more arms were raised, McPinsky sighed and acknowledged one of the queries. “Professor, are you suggesting that all of the forces were unified during the complicated folding of space curvature, when subnuclear particles approached one another to less than the equilibrium distance?”

  “Not only that, sir, but all of the forces were born and locked in at the time of baryogenesis, about one-millionth of a second after the Big Bang, when trios of free quarks in the quark-gluon plasma cooled sufficiently to be bound together by the sub-quantum folding of space and to form the nucleons. Thus the fundamental forces, nuclear, electromagnetic, and gravitational, were birthed and forever unified by the complicated folding process shaped by local and global conservation. This is the elegant story of the unification of the fundamental forces.”

  More waving hands appeared, but McPinsky ignored them. “In concert with the new conservation principles, we are currently working on the derivation of a super wave equation which reconciles the interaction of matter, energy, and space. This one equation describes the unification of all forces and predicts the wave-particle duality of matter. It also supersedes the probabilistic predictions of quantum theory with a more deterministic model.”

  McPinsky saw the blank expressions on many faces, and he knew that it was pointless to continue. The audience was at the breaking point, unable to absorb any more. He initiated the renowned ritual to conclude the final class of a term. He closed his eyes in silent vigil for about thirty seconds, the signal for everyone to prepare for the climactic moment. When the buzz of the crowd had crescendoed to a peak, he opened his eyes, hushing the audience, and recited the signature challenge phrase culled from Frank Herbert’s epic science fiction novel, Dune. “‘Without change, something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken.’”

  Most in the hall leapt to their feet in a standing ovation, unleashing a torrent of raucous whistles and cheers. A familiar rap-like melody emerged from the sea of sound. A raving chorus of students had begun to sing a customized version of the school’s legendary low-tech fight song:

  E to the U d u d x, E to the X d x

  Tangent, secant, cosine, sine

  Three point one four one five nine

  Slide rule, slip stick, x y z

  Mc Pin Sky, Mc Pin Sky

  The students’ fervent repetitions of the verse persisted for more than a minute, but the crowd’s ardor had eventually cooled. Since he was eager for updates about the around-the-clock, global, whale-song-analysis endeavor
, McPinsky planned a quick exit. After he’d taken a few curtain calls and posed for some group pictures, he excused himself and escaped through a back door. He’d always enjoyed the brisk early-evening, cross-campus walk back to his office in the old engineering building. As he entered the historic structure and climbed the stairs, he anticipated a reply to his request for assistance from the mathematicians at the Chalmers Institute of Technology.

  McPinsky noticed something amiss as soon as he had unlocked the door and entered the office. An open desk drawer seemed odd, and the display at his workstation was in a different state than when he’d last logged off. The old, reliable Einstein screen saver had morphed into a black hole, the screen as blank as dark matter. Well, never mind. It wouldn’t be the first time his seventy-year-old memory had played tricks upon him.

  He sat down and opened an email folder, delighted to see a post from Arne Gustafson at Chalmers in Sweden. They’d finally agreed to attempt the verification of the 4D geometric properties of Ivy Tech’s data. For obvious reasons, he’d decided not to inform them about the source of the data.

  McPinsky checked the World Clock website on the Internet. Realizing it would soon be morning in Goteborg, he prepared to upload the files to Chalmers. But after he’d pointed and clicked on the link to the directory, and even after an interminable wait, nothing appeared. The directory was empty. He checked the backup drive. It too was wiped clean.

  McPinsky smiled. He was not surprised that this epoch-making data had vanished so mysteriously. He had no doubt that the files on his home PC and on the computer in the lab had succumbed to a similar fate. He’d struggled against the enemies of change for most of his career. This time was no different. He knew exactly what had to be done, no matter the consequences.

  IVORY TOWER TRIBUNAL

  SoCalSci Department of Engineering, Main Conference Room—two days later

  “Dr. Dmitri,” said Dean Wilson. “This joint engineering and math department hearing was convened to address your current legal situation and its impact on your status here at SoCalSci. To summarize, you were recently arrested and charged with multiple counts of assault and battery. Charges were filed against you, Dr. Gregory Bono, and your grad student, Andrew Chu, in a court of law in the State of Hawaii. You’ve been released on bail, pending further court appearances. Before we proceed, I’d like to introduce you to the members of the panel.”

  Dmitri had spent the last four days struggling to assess his predicament, but to hear the harsh reality colored by the dean’s voice felt doubly punishing. Indeed, the seats were arranged as for the proceedings of a tribunal. He sat next to Greg and Andrew on one side of the rectangular conference table spanning the length of the room. Their somber expressions met the stony-faced stares of the panel of six judges seated across the gleaming tabletop. The judge and jury consisted of the deans of math and engineering and two professors from each department. Suits and ties were de rigueur for the occasion.

  As Dean Wilson ministered to the preliminary formalities of the distressing conclave, Dmitri felt blessed to be back at SoCalSci rather than languishing in a Maui jail cell. Just three days ago, Gorman had finally located the weekend bail judge and a lawyer who’d finessed a Monday morning arraignment. After they’d pled “not guilty,” their attorney had filed a request for the team’s release in order to return to their jobs. Chris, a pillar in the local community, had not only provided sterling character references for the defendants, he’d also guaranteed their reappearance on Hawaiian soil to attend future legal proceedings. The Research in Paradise team had been granted bail on the day following Gorman’s testimony. To Dmitri’s great relief, the plaintiffs had only identified Andrew, Dmitri, Greg, and Lila as their assailants, and the charges against Melanie and Seema had been dismissed. They’d said their tearful goodbyes, and the SoCalSci team had flown back to California.

  Uncomfortable as he was, Dmitri patiently endured the dean’s interminable remarks. He took comfort in the familiar confines of the Engineering Department conference room, having participated in many memorable sessions in this very room. Only a few weeks ago, they’d met here to celebrate their initial “game” breakthrough, yet that seemed to have occurred in another lifetime. He gazed at the framed pictures of historic campus landmarks: the campanile bell tower where he had first kissed his college sweetheart, and the stunning arches, parapets, and terra-cotta-tiled roof of the Mediterranean Revivalist library, where he’d discovered the joy of Shakespeare. He wondered if this was the last time he would set eyes upon these treasures.

  “Dr. Dmitri. Dr. Dmitri, are you with us?” The dean’s voice brought Dmitri back to the task at hand. “You’ve been an invaluable member of our department for nearly ten years. Therefore, to give you the benefit of the doubt and before we proceed, we’d like you and your colleagues to give us your personal accounts of the events in Maui.”

  During the ensuing ten minutes, Dmitri, Greg, and Andrew recounted their recollections of the incident on the boat. At the conclusion of their testimonials, the dean struck a pensive pose, fingers clasped to his chin. “So even though you admit striking and injuring the plaintiffs, your claim will be self-defense?”

  “Yes!” Dmitri’s emphatic rejoinder startled the dean. “They forcibly boarded our research vessel. It was a case of trespassing.”

  “But they claim you used weapons.”

  “Plastic oars, yes. But I was attacked. My colleagues saved me from serious injury by subduing the skinhead perpetrator.”

  “Ok. I’m somewhat sympathetic to your situation, but in the end you’ll have to convince a Hawaiian judge and possibly a jury. What about the claim of a significant experimental breakthrough?”

  Dmitri knew it was pointless to say anything about their communication discoveries. Only McPinsky had the data and they’d sworn to maintain his anonymity until the Ivy Tech team had vetted the new information. Even worse, since their return from Maui, they’d been denied access to their office and lab PCs, the repository of the original game data. It was as if there had never been a discovery. He threw both hands up in exasperation. “It’s not possible to explain that as yet.”

  When Professor Crandall leaned forward, Dmitri knew what to expect. Crandall was an ally of Prescott’s and had assisted in McPinsky’s ouster from SoCalSci. With his pinched eyes, pointy goatee, and scheming persona, Dmitri bristled at the man’s Mephistophelian vibe. “With no compelling evidence from Dmitri’s team, I have to conclude this so-called breakthrough is nothing more than an unsubstantiated rumor.”

  “That’s enough, Crandall,” said Dean Wilson. “Gentlemen, please wait outside. We’ll call you back when we reach a decision.”

  Once they’d filed out of the conference room, Dmitri was in no mood to talk to his colleagues. He paced back and forth, his impatient footsteps echoing down the hall. A mere five minutes later, Wilson’s assistant poked her head out the door. “The dean expects you back in the conference room.”

  Her tone struck him as blatantly patronizing, and the swiftness of the verdict caused Dmitri’s stomach to cramp. “This is worse than a kangaroo court,” he whispered to Greg.

  After they had settled into their seats, Dmitri scanned the jurors’ faces. When most avoided eye contact, he knew the situation was hopeless. Crandall, however, stared Dmitri dead in the eye, practically taunting him with a look of smug satisfaction. Dmitri fought the urge to leap across the table.

  Dean Wilson cleared his throat. “Gentlemen . . . we’ve arrived at a unanimous decision. You are to be suspended for the duration of the semester while you deal with your legal matters. We don’t take these actions lightly. We’ve based our decision on a recent precedent established for a similar case in the English Department.” He sighed.

  Andrew’s whole body jerked. “But—”

  The dean shushed him with a dismissive wave of the hand. “Let me finish, young man. If any or all of you are exonerated, those individuals can resume their positions here beginning in the fal
l semester. You will not be penalized, academically or financially, for missing the term. However, if any of you are convicted of a criminal offense, we will have to reconsider your long-term standing at SoCalSci. Are there any questions?”

  Their grim faces were their only reply. Dmitri and Greg had expected this outcome. In fact, Dmitri was somewhat relieved. Since the tribunal was stacked with anti-McPinsky forces, he’d half expected the worst possible scenario: an immediate termination. It pained him, however, to see Andrew’s crushed expression. He’d do everything in his power to help his student.

  Dmitri’s muted voice barely reached across the table. “How long before we have to clear our offices?”

  “Since our departments need to staff your positions immediately for the short term, and possibly for the long term, you’ll have to finish by the end-of-day tomorrow,” replied the dean. “Obviously, your replacements need the space.”

  Dmitri stared at the pictures on the wall, resigning himself to never seeing them again. He seethed inside. There was no doubt that Prescott’s dirty paw prints could be found everywhere the team had dared to venture. If there was justice in the world, then Prescott would get his comeuppance. He himself would see to it.

  * * *

  “Thanks for the update, Crandall.” Richard Prescott slipped the cell phone into his pocket. He was very pleased by the dean’s decision. Locking his office door, he thought about how brilliantly he’d handled the situation. In order to prevent retaliation, it was customary for all suspended faculty members and students to surrender their magnetic entry cards to the university’s restricted areas. Dmitri’s team was effectively quarantined from the computers and data storage devices in the Signal Processing Lab. There would be no evidence to confirm the absurd “discovery” of a communication breakthrough with humpback whales.