Earthman Jack vs. The Ghost Planet Read Online Free Page A

it hard to stay upset with the guy.
    Because despite it all, Professor Green was just too darn
likable.
    “…so according to Newton’s second law of motion,” lectured
Green at a rapid-fire pace, “the acceleration of an object increases as the
force causing the acceleration increases. OR, for a given force, the smaller
the object – the faster its speed changes!”
    Professor Green turned excitedly back to the class, looking
as though he expected them to share his passion for what he had just scribbled
on the chalkboard.  Instead what he saw were a lot of blank stares and
disinterest.
    Green’s shoulders visibly slumped, and his smile turned
lopsided.  “Oh, dear,” he mumbled.  “I’m boring all of you, aren’t I?”
    The students all looked at each other, unsure of how to
respond.  It wasn’t often that a teacher cared if his students were bored or
not. 
    “It’s not your fault, Professor,” chimed in Jack, never
afraid to speak out of turn.  “Physics is just boring .  That’s all.”
    Green raised an eyebrow.  “Is that so?” he asked.
    “Yeah,” responded Jack.  “I mean, no offense, but who cares
about motion and vectors and gravity and all that stuff?”
    A few of Jack’s fellow classmates nodded in agreement. 
Professor Green adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat.
    “Well, then,” said Green, smiling.  “Let me ask you this –
do you think alternate realities are boring?”
    “Alternate realities?” asked Jack.  “You mean like somewhere
out there, there’s a dimension where I’m a millionaire with a transparent head
and missile-launching kneecaps?”
    A chuckle went through the class.  Green nodded.  “Exactly!”
    Jack shrugged.  “No, that’s pretty cool,” he said.
    “What about faster than light travel?” Green went on.  “Is
that boring?  Being able to go from one end of the galaxy to the other in a
matter of days instead of thousands of years?”
    The entire class began to perk up.  Now the Professor was
talking.
    “How about teleportation?  Is it boring to be able to go
from one place to another in the blink of an eye?  What of time travel?  Which
one of you wouldn’t want to visit the past?  Or the future?”
    “No, all that is awesome,” said Jack.  “It’s just, that’s
the type of thing you see in movies and stuff.  It doesn’t really exist.”
    “Wrong!” said Professor Green, pointing at Jack and
smiling.  “It does exist.  And it exists because of Physics – the very
stuff you’re learning about right here!”
    All of a sudden, Jack found himself more interested in
Physics than he’d ever been in anything his entire life.  Indeed, more than a
few students were now leaning forward in their seats.
    “Have any of you ever heard of the term quantum physics ?”
asked the Professor.
    No one answered.
    “For the last hundred years, scientists have studied nature
at the most microscopic level.  This is what’s known as ‘quantum physics,’ and
it is the science of how teeny-tiny units of matter work to shape the very
fabric of our reality.”
    Green could tell from the blank stares he was getting that he’d
have to be a little clearer with his explanations.
    “You all know what ‘matter’ is, right?” said Green as he
rapped his knuckles on the chalkboard.  “You’re surrounded by it.  It’s
anything that’s solid.  The walls, the floor, your desks, your clothes – it’s
all considered to be matter. Yes?”
    Everyone nodded.
    “But what is matter made of?” asked Green.  “By now,
hopefully, you should all know that matter is just a collection of tiny little
things called atoms.  Do you all know what I’m talking about?”
    The class nodded.
    “Well, atoms are the building blocks of matter!  It’s how
they’re arranged that makes up different materials, everything from metal, to
plastic, to cloth – it’s all just a different arrangement of the same thing –
atoms.  But how do those atoms