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Worried About Water
.. Graham is concerned…
… that xkcd, witty though it is, has some strange wiring into the Zeitgeist. 
xkcd #1561: Water Phase Diagram Which is all well and good, most informative. Except that today, we came across this article from the Smithsonian, with its suggestion that water has more states (phases) than simply solid, liquid, and gas, predictably dependent on temperature and pressure. 
There’s more to H20 than meets the eye. (Yegor Larin / Alamy) Why should that be troubling? Because Graham was a fan of early Kurt Vonnegut, who early in his career wrote a book that predicted other states of water. One of them, Ice-nine, was supposed to be a solid at room temperature, and possessed the ability to “seed” into the same form any other water with which it came into contact. Think on that for a moment, and the implications of all free water turning, irrevocably, into ice. Only five more phases to go now… actually, this chap is a bit of a fan aswell
But here’s Another Thing:
On the bright side, according to this clipping from an unknown source, we’re not in danger of too much ice – quite the reverse, caused by our wish (in some places) for an extra hour of daylight. 
Either way, sleep well …
The Other Chap Took A Few …
… trips down the linked rabbit holes embedded in the first chaps commentary and came out with his head abuzz … and no - he wasn’t looking in a hive.
Here’s the thing …
In the Smithsonian article he spotted that the researchers were;
Writing in an experimental paper
Now this chap recalls something about paper from his youth … it’s what people used to write on before that self same writing was passed through all kinds of technology to eventually appear on yet more paper. Though to disguise the lack of actual transformation the second kind of paper was described as a book, magazine, newspaper … you get the drift. Anyway, back to the plot. This paper stuff was eventually replaced (in some parts of the world - and in most places, when considering the generational shift), but the process continues and paper can still be found. But this chap was wondering about that term … ‘experimental paper’. The question stemming from the fact that we all know paper is being ‘phased out’, so why do we now need ‘experimental paper’ … experimental tends to be the prologue to the product and paper seems to be at the other end of the lifecycle.
So he investigated further …
The Paper Ensemble challenges the borders of what we would define as an object, an image or a (musical) sound… by putting these sounds in a specific composition, well timed and precisely played, the sounds attain a musical and performative quality that challenges the visitor’s awareness of sound and music in general.” Tanja Elsgeest (Independent Curator, The Netherlands) With that same artist seemingly eschewing all that is digital … the excitement is palpable … all 3 minutes and 49 seconds.
and this chap is wondering if this is what the Smithsonian meant? On which topic another tangential thread developed
Smiths:
an English rock band in the 1980s
‘onian’: see ‘eonian’ :
Of, relating to, or constituting an eon.
Does this beg the question as to why an institution ‘of or relating to the eon of an English 1980s rock band’ would be writing about ‘water existing in whole new state’. When
- There is not a 51st state under discussion
- We don’t know it is absolutely ‘new’ only that the author did not know about that possibility (I reference this fine organisation)
- the very word existence is up for grabs at the moment - if we arguably do not exist - who are we to assume whether anything else does or does not exist.
And so … back to my music
And is it really so strange? Oh, is it really so strange? Oh, is it really so, really so strange? I say, “No”, you say, “Yes” But you will change your mind
“Is It Really So Strange” : Johnny Marr Steven Morrissey
… seriously … you will.
Graham comments…
Bartender? Give me a double of whatever the other Chap just had. With a tangent and a twist…