In The Works: Conversations With Grant

A book of conversations. With Grant. (With guest appearances from other Affinities characters!)

In which, over several cups of coffee, Grant O'Neil employs the art of dragging unpleasant looking equations down from the chalkboard and putting them into Nix's head. A tour of complex, everyday mathematics, through its earliest recorded incarnations to cutting edge theories stranger than science fiction.

Snippet of Convos: Calculus (Newton vs Leibnitz)

“Now,” he started out, shoulders relaxing as he slumped back in his chair, half a beef joint consumed in barely four bites. “We’re gonna be thinkin’ about Leibnitz –” But suddenly Nix interrupted, shooting up in her own chair, hands flying about wildly to catch the edge of the table as she nearly sent herself tumbling backwards.

“I know that! I know that name!” she exclaimed ecstatically.

Grant, miffed at being cut off again, snidely interjected, “I hope ya do, god knows what they’re teaching ya here.”

“So, Leibnitz?” she prompted when it became clear that the maths guru had no intention of speaking up again on his own.

“Leibnitz an’ calculus. He was working on it same time as Newton, but only came up with his method afterwards. Ironically ended up publishing first, as a matter of fact.” Clearing his throat, Grant fought back a grin. “Funniest thing really. Calculus ‘s basically same as Newton’s fluxions, only easier ta manage – fluxion‘s th’ unknown, calculus is used ta find it.”

Nix blinked. “Wait, what? Newton’s Laws are straightforward as hell, equals and opposites and all that. How the hell is calculus easier?” She asked, baffled.

“Anyway, Newton was furious, an’ naturally went an’ accused Leibnitz of plagiarising. Which is, really? How even... But back to th’ point, Newton accused Leibnitz, claiming he’d stolen his chance at fame ‘n glory for the rest of his life. (Which was fifty years, just in case you were wondering).”

“Anyway, Newton was furious, an’ naturally went an’ accused Leibnitz of plagarising. Which is, really? How even... But back to th’ point, Newton accused Leibnitz, claiming he’d stolen his chance at fame ‘n glory for the rest of his life. (Which was fifty years, just in case you were wondering).”

“Yeah, yeah,” Nix waved a hand at him, impatient to get to the ‘good’ part, “just get on with it.”

“I got a book on this, might lend it to ya later. See, they wrote letters to each other – the kind of letters you lot are famous for, angry but polite.”

“Yes, yes, thank you, we know we’re awesome,” Nix interjected, grinning at the sheer exasperation on his face.

“At any rate, a friend of Newton’s, some guy in the royal society, wrote up a paper outright accusing Leibnitz of plagiarism. Leibnitz ‘imself was a member of the Society, though, see? Asked for an apology, got denied, an’ the whole thing escalated until a committee was set up ta determine tha truth.”

Pausing for dramatic effect, Grant leaned back and rested his elbows on the table. Bond-villain-esque, he peered over the tips of steepled fingers.

“Well?” Nix asked, exasperated, as the silence stretched on.

Grant smirked. “Three guesses who was the head of the lot of ‘em?”

Slow dawning realisation crept up on her. “... No.” She breathed, incredulous, staring back at him. “Really? Really?”

Laughing, Grant explained. “The committee that was set up to establish the ‘truth’ of the plagiarism case, ya can guess it was all members of the Royal Society, right?”

“Right,” She replied weakly.

“So, the final report was written up by their President; you get where this is going?”

She let out a strangled sound, tipping her face down to the table and covering it with her hands.

“The President of the Royal Society was Isaac Newton.”

Inspiration

In school, I did not learn maths. I went home with the textbook, and my dad translated it into something I could understand. These chats, hooked into the strange and often hilarious history of mathematics, still help me remember how to calculate the diameter of the circle I need to knit without googling it.

Conversations is based on this style of learning, similar to the Royal Society Christmas Lectures. Difficult concepts and ideas that are touched on in Affinities, broken down into easily digestible chunks by someone whose brain is pre-wired to accept them.

(Though I still can't recall my times' tables off by heart.)

Status

10K words and counting! The first draft is on its way. A few more things to add - geometry, the Reverend/Preacher who spent his spare time tinkering with infinity, and the latest thinking on quantum mechanics (hello there, risk prediction!) - and it will be ready for its first edit.