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Chapter Eight

"What is the big deal about inertia?" complained Javier.  Why don't we just stick to the rarefaction idea for now and first see if we can measure it?"

"We can't just go make a measurement like we are on vacation.  It could take a year, or years unless we had mucho dinero and the fancy clock. What was it using?"

"Cesium."

"Eso! So we need to build the theory, assume it's true, and then figure out what does it mean. To see where it is consistent with everything else."

"Okay, okay. You're right. As usual. So tell me your concern about inertia again."

"Gracias muchacho. Think about it. If the EMs are space, then an object in motion can pass through without slowing down. But if light is also waves in the sea of EMs, how can the waves act on the object? It's as if space can push on you but you can't push on it."

"So maybe it's two different things."

"I don't think so."

"I know you prefer it to be simple but maybe it's not so simple."

"Maybe, but I can't shake the feeling que es lo mismo."

"Science isn't about feelings. You need to explain it."

"Okay." Angel closed her eyes and looked down.  They were at a picnic table outside the student union under the shade of the big oak trees on a perfect California September afternoon. Javier had just returned from his visit home to Buenos Aires and over the past week, since his return, he and Angel were inseparable. 

"Okay, querida, walk me through it again."
Angel looked up, eyes suddenly bright, projecting her love for possibly the only man that could understand her and still love her for it.

"Light is one problem but even bigger is gravity. Look how it can act on you? And same thing for the Milky Way.  How can the flow of space speed up the systems and carry them along faster? But if you are out in space and you move, or even if you move on earth perpendicular to the ground, you don't feel resistance."

"I know I just said science is not about feelings, but my feeling is that it seems like two different things."

"Maybe it is."

"Or maybe it's two different states. Like the equilibrium state and the, I don't know, non-equilibrium state."

"Okay but why is it behaving that way?"

Javi felt excitement flowing into him as he felt an idea coming into view. "Think about light and gravity.  In both cases we say that the spacing between the EM's is disturbed. What if that alone causes some kind of high energy state?"

Angel continued the concept.  "If the EM's are arranged in their normal way, no disturbance, then they don't interact. But if the spacing is altered like a wave for light or stretched out for gravity, then it does interact. Javi, that's brilliant.  It makes sense.  It even sounds like other theories I read on quantum fluctuation. You know, the energy of the quantum vacuum."

"Exactly!" Javi broke out laughing he was so thrilled. Angel stood up and ran around to his side of the table to throw her arm around him.  They knew it was still very sketchy but most of the thrill was just the pure joy they experienced from theorizing about physics. It was a shared passion that further amplified their  passion for each other. Little did they know, that Angel's feelings were actually the finest arbiters of true scientific understanding that humanity had ever known.

*****

Miguel arrived at Angel's home at seven sharp, just as he had committed.  He was a punctual and organized person, more so than his favorite cousin, Angel, who now would have to face some difficult news. He was greeted by Lolita, who he always treated like a princess. She likewise viewed Miguel as her favorite relative.