Good old Christian pointed over to The Journal Nature (Who listens to too much NPR? I do, I do…) where, apparently, someone has finally explained the fabric of space/time – it’s a 4-dimensional mosaic.

(There are two constraints: first,) the theory of relativity must apply within each individual tile (so that nothing can travel through it faster than light) and second, the assembly must preserve causality. This means that a piece of space-time cannot be constructed in such a way that an ‘event’ – some change in the Universe – precedes its cause.

When they enforced these criteria on their calculations, the researchers ended up with universes with three spatial dimensions and one time dimension – just like our own. It was “like magic”, says (Renate Loll of Utrecht University in the Netherlands).

Even more startling, they found that typical universes generated this way started off small and got bigger – they expanded, just like the real Universe has done since the big bang. This was completely unexpected – there was nothing in the tiling rules that seemed to demand it. “We’re completely stunned,” says Loll.

Now, much of this went over my head, until I got to the part of putting together the world out of 4 dimensional-blocks representing a 3 dimensional surface. Having a 4-year-old, I play a lot of legos and blocks, so the mosiac on a curved surface idea struck a cord.

To the United States Navy!

229 years ago, the Continental Congress authorized the fitting out of two vessels. to intercept British arms shipments to outfit a Continental Army. Setting the tone for political debate for years, to come, (e)ven pro-navy members found the proposal too vague. It lacked specifics and no one could tell how much it would cost.

But it’s the only standing armed force other than militias authorized by the Constitution, and has carried the flag proudly for almost 12 score years. So here’s hope for fair winds and following seas for all the men and women underway, making way, the way they’re supposed to be.

“I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm’s way.” – John Paul Jones.