MT VOID, 03/07/25 -- Vol. 43, No. 36, Whole Number 2370

THE MT VOID
03/07/25 -- Vol. 43, No. 36, Whole Number 2370
Editor: Evelyn Leeper, evelynchimelisleeper@gmail.com
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Topics:
         FIELD OF DREAMS (comments by Evelyn C. Leeper)
         PILLARS OF CREATION by Richard Panek (book review
                by Gregory Frederick)
         THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING (letter of comment by Peter Trei)
         This Week's Reading (GALLA PLACIDIA) (book comments
                by Evelyn C. Leeper)
===================================================================
TOPIC: FIELD OF DREAMS (1989) (comments by Evelyn C. Leeper)
This is not a comment on FIELD OF DREAMS itself, but on the
featurette that came with it.  This consisted in large part of
men--including a lot of baseball players--talking about "having a
catch" with their fathers, how all boys have that, how it is so
important, etc.  There was an acknowledgement that there were some
men who did not "have a catch" with their fathers, but they almost
seemed to be saying this made the relationship somehow lesser.
Well, I would take exception to this.  No, I'm not a boy, but my
brother was a big baseball fan (he eventually became a sports
writer), and I don't recall my father ever "having a catch" with
him.  This did not make the relationship any less.  My brother has
written that my father--who had no interest in baseball, and hated
driving in cities--knew that my brother really loved baseball and
would drive ninety miles to Boston so that my brother could go to
a Red Sox game.
I asked my brother if he understood at the time what a commitment
that was.  His reply:
"I did understand what a commitment that was for Dad."
"Here's an example: we always went to day games.  One game lasted
14 innings.  Many years after that game (in 1969), I looked up the
box score on BaseballReference.com.  It lasted 5 hours and 1
minute, at a time the average 9-game lasted about 2:30.  We stayed
the entire time because he knew I wanted to.  I think I did
understand it then.  I certainly did understand it 'later on' and
now."
"Mom made sacrifices too.  In 1967 or 1968, when Dad was still in
Vietnam (I think it was early in the 1968 season), we took the bus
to Fenway Park.  I was 12.  That was when you could walk up and
get a ticket just before the game.  Now, that was a sacrifice."
I don't think my brother ever thought his relationship with my
father suffered from not "having a catch".
Oh, and I have been putting the expression "having a catch" in
quotation marks because I have never heard it expressed that way.
Apparently there is violent disagreement between the proponents of
"having a catch" and those of "playing catch" (or "having a game
of catch").  I don't know if it's regional or what, but there it
is.
March 11 is the 111th anniversary of our father's birth, which is
why I am running this article this week.  [-ecl]
===================================================================
TOPIC: PILLARS OF CREATION: HOW THE JAMES WEBB TELESCOPE UNLOCKED
THE SECRETS OF THE COSMOS by Richard Panek (book review by Gregory
Frederick)
Richard Panek's PILLARS OF CREATION: HOW THE JAMES WEBB TELESCOPE
UNLOCKED THE SECRETS OF THE COSMOS delves into the revolutionary
potential of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and explores
its mission to unlock the deepest secrets of the universe.
Through a blend of scientific history, cutting-edge astronomy, and
the personal stories of the scientists behind this monumental
project, Panek weaves a narrative that showcases the
groundbreaking achievements of the JWST while offering a vivid,
accessible explanation of the cosmos itself.
The book is structured in a way that balances technical insights
with a humanistic perspective.  Panek introduces the JWST as the
successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, emphasizing how its
advanced design and powerful infrared capabilities allow it to
peer further back into time and space than ever before.  He
highlights the telescope's unprecedented ability to see through
cosmic dust and capture the faintest signals from the distant
past.  However, the author does not simply present the technical
specifications; he also delves deeply into the human stories of
the scientists and engineers who brought the telescope to life,
providing readers with both a scientific and emotional connection
to this massive achievement.
The writing is engaging and accessible, making complex topics
understandable to readers who may not have a deep background in
astrophysics or astronomy.  Panek has a talent for breaking down
intricate concepts like gravitational lensing, and the search for
exoplanets, all without sacrificing the accuracy of the science.
His narrative is both educational and compelling, providing the
perfect balance between awe for the universe and a respect for the
technological feats that make exploration possible.
One of the main themes of the book is the evolution of
astronomical technology, focusing on how the JWST builds upon the
work of its predecessors, most notably the Hubble Space Telescope.
Panek goes into great detail about the telescope's construction,
its groundbreaking design, and the collaborative international
effort required to create such a sophisticated instrument.
Another key theme is the pursuit of the unknown.  As the JWST
embarks on its mission to study the early universe, uncover the
mysteries of galaxy formation, and examine the atmospheres of
distant exoplanets, the book underscores how each of these goals
is an opportunity to answer age-old questions about the origins of
life and the possibility of life beyond Earth.  Panek explores the
philosophical implications of these discoveries, inviting readers
to reflect on our place in the universe.
PILLARS OF CREATION also provides a glimpse into the challenges
and triumphs of the scientists involved in the project.  From the
engineering hurdles of building a telescope the size of a tennis
court that had to be folded into a rocket and sent into space, to
the triumph of its successful deployment, Panek captures both the
drama and the excitement of this historic mission.
PILLARS OF CREATION is a captivating and accessible exploration of
one of humanity's most ambitious space missions.  Richard Panek
succeeds in making the science behind the James Webb Space
Telescope both understandable and awe-inspiring.  Whether you're a
seasoned astronomy enthusiast or a casual reader with an interest
in space, this book provides a fascinating look at the future of
space exploration and the mysteries that await us in the vastness
of the universe.  [-gf]
===================================================================
TOPIC: THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING (letter of comment by Peter Trei)
In response to Mark's comments on THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING in the
02/28/25 issue of the MT VOID, Peter Trei writes:
The film is closely based on a novella by Rudyard Kipling of the
same name.
There's a strong thread of Freemasonry in the plot.  Kipling was a
Brother, and Masons will recognize various references, as well as
deliberate obfuscations.  [-pt]
===================================================================
TOPIC: This Week's Reading (book comments by Evelyn C. Leeper)
This being Women's History Month (47 notwithstanding), it's
fitting I am commenting on a book about a very influential woman
that hardly anyone has heard of, and the book is GALLA PLACIDIA,
THE ROMAN EMPRESS by Liam Wilkinson.
On the assumption that you are *not* steeped in fifth century
Roman history, I will just say that Galla Placidia was the ruler
as regent of the western Roman Empire during the years 425-437, a
time of much chaos with both external pressures (the Goths had
sacked Rome in 410) and internal conflicts.  She managed to hold
everything together, and without her guidance, the western empire
would probably have fallen before it did in 476.
At first, it seemed as though Wilkinson had abandoned a
chronological approach to a topical one:  when you went to the
next chapter, you skipped back in time.  But it wasn't even
topical, because after reading several chapters, I realized that
they tended to repeat what had come in previous chapters,
including identical phrases and whole sentences.  It is more like
a collection of articles written over time, and then collected in
a book without any attempt to edit them.  As such it is
disappointing, because there is not the depth of detail one would
hope for in a book-length biography.
There are several other biographies of Galla Placidia.  I chose
this one because it was available on Hoopla through my library,
and the others were all relatively expensive books (except for one
in German, which is cheap, but in German).
There is also an excellent article from THE SMITHSONIAN at
<https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/misunderstood-roman-empress
-willed-way-to-top-180981294/>.
Before I started to write this, though, I thought to ask Google
for a list of the most influential women in history.  Let me just
say that any list of the most influential women in history that
includes J. K. Rowling and Lucille Ball and leaves off Galla
Placidia, Aelia Pulcheria, Queen Elizabeth I, and Livia, can be
used to line your birdcage.
When I asked ChatGPT for the top ten, I got:
1. Cleopatra VII (69-30 BCE)
2. Empress Wu Zetian (624-705 CE)
3. Joan of Arc (1412-1431)
4. Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603)
5. Catherine the Great (1729-1796)
6. Marie Curie (1867-1934)
7. Rosa Parks (1913-2005)
8. Mother Teresa (1910-1997)
9. Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013)
10. Malala Yousafzai (1997-Present)
While arguably better than Google results, I would certainly claim
that it is far too soon to list Rosa Parks, Mother Teresa,
Margaret Thatcher, and Malala Yousafzai among the ten most
influential women in history.  Had the list been compiled 75 years
ago, it probably would have included Eleanor Roosevelt, Margaret
Sanger, and Susan B. Anthony, but clearly their long-term
importance has faded with time.)
When I prompted ChatGPT with "What about Galla Placidia?", it
answered that she wasn't in the first list because she wasn't well
known.  Huh?  I didn't ask for well-known women, but influential
ones.  Asking ChatGPT to add her (and what's the point of using AI
if you have to do all the work yourself?) gave me this list:
1. Cleopatra VII (69-30 BCE)
2. Empress Wu Zetian (624-705 CE)
3. Galla Placidia (c. 388-450 CE)
4. Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603)
5. Catherine the Great (1729-1796)
6. Joan of Arc (1412-1431)
7. Marie Curie (1867-1934)
8. Rosa Parks (1913-2005)
9. Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013)
10. Malala Yousafzai (1997-Present)
As rank orderings go, this violates one of Kenneth Arrow's axioms,
the independence of irrelevant alternatives, that is, adding or
removing a candidate should not change the ordering of the other
candidates.  Yet Joan of Arc is now below Queen Elizabeth I and
Catherine the Great.  Even if one argues that the list was
originally chronological, the new list isn't, so that wouldn't
seem to be a consideration.
And it's really no improvement in the sense that it doesn't
re-evaluate the list in terms of what makes Galla Placidia
important, but just sticks her into the list because I asked for
her.  [-ecl]
===================================================================
                                     Evelyn C. Leeper
                                     evelynchimelisleeper@gmail.com
           The person who knows how to laugh at himself will never
           cease to be amused.
                                           --Shirley Maclaine