(I can just imagine the English scientists standing around wondering why this lunatic is inflicting this cacophony on them and looking at them so expectantly.)
The chapter begins with a pretty delightful infelicity, since in 1678 Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony was still 130 years away from its premiere.
If Siri made the journey back in time, why are you surprised that an mp3 of Beethoven’s 5th made the journey? Siri was created slightly later than Beethoven’s 5th.
Somewhat more amazing is that this iPhone has cellular service in the 17th century, and can make video calls to future people. It must be on Verizon.
Well, at the risk of explaining my joke, I only meant to suggest that the opening of the chapter makes it sound like Beck thinks Beethoven’s Fifth would have been “famous” and instantly recognizable to Englishmen in 1678. Maybe I should charitably assume that Beck originally had it as “the latest church anthem by Purcell” but his editors made him change it.
Somewhat more amazing is that this iPhone has cellular service in the 17th century, and can make video calls to future people. It must be on Verizon.
This wouldn’t violate Einstein’s relativity with a wormhole with openings appropriately located in space-time. Ao Apple and Verizon have wormholes in this scenario.
The chapter begins with a pretty delightful infelicity, since in 1678 Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony was still 130 years away from its premiere. Granted, this is very specialized knowledge available only to professional musicologists like myself and I doubt Beck’s publisher can afford my consulting fees.
(I can just imagine the English scientists standing around wondering why this lunatic is inflicting this cacophony on them and looking at them so expectantly.)
If Siri made the journey back in time, why are you surprised that an mp3 of Beethoven’s 5th made the journey? Siri was created slightly later than Beethoven’s 5th.
Somewhat more amazing is that this iPhone has cellular service in the 17th century, and can make video calls to future people. It must be on Verizon.
Well, at the risk of explaining my joke, I only meant to suggest that the opening of the chapter makes it sound like Beck thinks Beethoven’s Fifth would have been “famous” and instantly recognizable to Englishmen in 1678. Maybe I should charitably assume that Beck originally had it as “the latest church anthem by Purcell” but his editors made him change it.
The wording seems to be ambiguous as to whether it’s saying Beethoven’s Fifth is “famous” to the readers or “famous” to people in 1678.
This wouldn’t violate Einstein’s relativity with a wormhole with openings appropriately located in space-time. Ao Apple and Verizon have wormholes in this scenario.
pretty sure beethoven’s fifth would be impressive coming out of a phone whether or not you knew what it was.
I see it as being like the Chuck Berry scene in Back to the Future.
Or where the “scientists” would come from since that term wouldn’t exist for another 150 years or so.
He should have brought Archimedes’s Chronophone with him instead!
(ugh, I’m sorry for that.)
Umm, actually he doesn’t say that they recognized it, just that they would be amazed that it makes music. That seems pretty plausible to me.
Seems like you got mind-killed pretty hard here.
I think we need something like Wikipedia:Assume_the_assumption_of_good_faith.