If you’re allergic to hype, you might want to tune this blog out for the next couple of days, because How to Teach Relativity to Your Dog is officially released tomorrow, so it’s all I’m going to talk about for a little while. Because, well, I’m pretty excited.
And tonight’s exciting finding is that it’s mentioned in the Washington Post:
If “Physics for Dummies” left you baffled, maybe it’s time to go a step further: Why not physics for pets? In “How to Teach Relativity to Your Dog,” physics professor Chad Orzel attempts to explain Einstein’s theory of relativity via a dialogue with his dog, Emmy. Orzel breaks down complex concepts — time dilation, relative motion, black holes, the big bang — by applying their physics to canine-friendly situations, like chasing rabbits and determining whether a dog can eat enough kibble to run at the speed of light. Rather than barking or growling, Emmy leavens the mood with requests for walks; and when the academics get heavy, she interjects to beg for clarification. Obviously, real-life dogs will not walk away from the book with a grasp of the universe’s mechanics, but the human sort of non-scientist can get some benefit.
OK, that one paragraph is the sum total of the mention, and I’m not sure if that’s in the print edition or just the web site (then again, who reads print newspapers any more?), but, dude! The Washington Post acknowledged my book! Woo-hoo!
“All right!,” says Emmy. “The Post represents the conventional wisdom of political elites, so if they say nice things about our book, it’s only a matter of time before Congress dishes me some of that sweet, sweet pork I keep hearing about. Mmmmm…. pork….”