Potassium and oxygen went out. It was OK.

[lettered]

So I know I'm totally behind on answering emails to some people, sorry.

What I really wanna know is: do any of you know anything about computer hacking (in theory or in practice), and maybe wanna talk to me for just a little bit about it in the context of Tony Stark and JARVIS?

Also, do any of you know anything about physics or chemistry, and maybe wanna talk to me for just a little bit about it in the context of Tony Stark inventing a new element? I know Stark inventing the element is totally bogus, but if you're gonna pretend like it can happen I at least wanna talk about it in a somewhat plausible way. Ahhhhhhh.

Even if you have no idea who Tony Stark is, but think computers or physics or chemistry or particle physics are cool, lemme know!

Thanks.

Comments

[synecdochic]

i grok "what people generally refer to as hacking", by which i think you mean breaking into secured systems, but alas, should not be typing :(

but if you are looking to learn how someone who does that sort of thing thinks, you could do worse than read everything bruce schneier has ever written. it will teach you very quickly how to see the world as a series of very badly secured systems and once you see the matrix, you can't stop seeing it...

[synecdochic]

also, for "invented a new element" you want "invented a new crystalline superstructure", according to sarah. who has ranted the rant at me before but never written it down :)

[lettered]

Aw! Don't type!

I don't really need to know how they think . . . it's Tony trying to keep Bruce on his toes, mainly. But those are some cool articles! Thanks.

And I know that you can't create a new element the way they have Tony do it--I mean, one that's stable and not radioactive and exists for more than a nanosecond and is made with a particle accelerator that apparently lives in his garage. But isn't that what it says in canon? I mean. They also have a cube that apparently causes a rift in space-time and a hammer that brings all the lightening to the yard; I'm not sure they're actually trying to be realistic scientifically. And also how does Tony even move the v. first proto-suit around? All of this is entirely unclear.

[synecdochic]

hee. yeah, there's a certain level of suspension of disbelief you have to go for, but there are some things i just can't accept!

schneier's awesome. i've been reading him forever and ever. but yeah, if you're looking for specifics i could probably help you out a bit, assuming you don't mind delays thanks to my new exoskeleton.

[lettered]

Thanks so much, hon. I just ended up writing around it. I don't want to do that a lot with the Bruce/Tony stuff, because this:

"Bruce said something technical, then Tony responded in kind. Bruce addressed his point, and Tony said, 'Finally, someone who speaks English!' while everyone else looked confused."

is so much less interesting than what actually happened in the movie. And the science dialogue in the movie makes no sense; we don't need it to; no one cares, but you can't produce that effect without the science dialogue.

So I'm finding that when writing Tony and Bruce there are a lot of moments where they're speaking (either about physics or programming or engineering or what have you) where I don't need it to make sense so much as sound technical. A better writer would probably do both or find better ways to write around it. This time I just wrote around it because while I do understand some science, I understand practically nothing about computer code.

But anyway, I'm through that portion so it's fine, but I hope you don't mind if I keep you in mind for the future :o) I hope your poor elbows are feeling a little better, or that you are at least accustomed to having become a cyborg. I'm hope that once you molt you'll become a beautiful beautiful butterfly who can fly again. On the keyboard.