Bodies in Motion

The passing millennium witnessed the birth of modern physical science and the exploration of virtually everything in the universe . . . well, everything we can account for, up until now. Isaac Newton's studies fit well into the age of exploration and, his theories of motion -- inertia, gravity, and centrifugal force -- helped spawn the classical age in Europe, which opened men's minds and emotions and prompted awareness of all things natural. Take his simple law of inertia -- a body in motion tends to stay in motion, etc., etc. Simply put, a motor car on the highway will continue to move forward unless it is met with another force. The tarmac creates friction and tends to gradually slow the vehicle. So we pour on just enough gas to overcome the friction and maintain a suitable speed to get us where we are going. On the other hand, an arrow shot from out of the space shuttle hatch could travel millions of miles before it is reacted upon by another object, whether that be gravitational pull or a direct hit on some asteroid or other. What an awesome idea, inertia, that it is used every day by engineers who design machines to run efficiently. Think of the jet airliner, designed to move just fast enough, with just enough lift from its wings to DEFY GRAVITY!!! A pretty far out thought for the likes of Isaac Newton.

Millennium Man participated in a personal study of inertia the other night (a little closer to the ground) while riding his bicycle through the neighborhood. A young boy on a little two-wheeler darted in front of him and, in a panic, stopped directly in his path. MM had no choice but to crash into the bike and the boy and they all ended up in the street. The scientific explanation of the incident is the simple law of inertia. Millennium Man, traveling close to twenty miles per hour, is reacted upon suddenly by the boy and his bike, which caused MM's ten-speed to stop and propel him over the handlebars, over the boy, and tumbling into the street ahead.

Having a close call is a pretty good reason to ponder one's mortality and instill a respect for everything around us and how, at any moment, any single object can come into play and alter one's life. Millennium Man pays his respect to the earth every day, feeling blessed by each sunrise and fulfilled with day's end. It makes each bicycle ride a trip, every workday a bold journey. Enjoy life. . . it's too good to miss.