Being a physicist, professor, and researcher allows me to fold science into my stories in a manner that enhances the crises the characters confront and raises the stakes for critical situations. Here’s an example from the story “The Entangled Man” (don’t read on if you haven’t read the story yet; skip to the next paragraph!). In quantum physics, you can put two particles in a special state such that you may no longer think of them as “two particles.” Instead you must consider them as a single entity. It is a two-particle system, not two single-particle systems. The implications are profound!
Entanglement is the central reason for the bizarre nature of Gerrold as The Entangled Man. Entanglement defines him, forcing him to perceive the world in a manner unlike any other character I know of in all of the stories I have read. He is a unique entity and, quite honestly, it still chills me every time I think of what life must be like for him. I could not have developed this character without knowledge of quantum entanglement.
I will be putting further entries on various science topics here in my blog. Check for updates every now and then!