These 8 letters were prepared in response to the following item in a newspaper column called 'Science Today' (the item appeared in March of 1994). These letters compare the universe to a video (sometimes a tape, sometimes a player), to a computer (sometimes digital, sometimes a neural network) and to the mathematical oddity called a Mobius strip - what they're really saying is that the universe is unique and that none of these comparisons fully describe it though they all assist our understanding of the cosmos we live in. The ideas behind these letters had been developing in my mind since mid 1986, though my thoughts only started to Crystallise and become more fully developed in late '93.
The 'Science Today' item: 'Everyone has a scientific wish list, the invention or discovery you think would most benefit civilisation. Perhaps it's an automatic vacuum cleaner, nappy changer or car washer. Or maybe a tad more technical, such as a way to get to Mars without the huge effort of launching a rocket or the loneliness of months in a space capsule . . . or even a cure for cancer.
Send in your suggestions - as many as you like -including your thoughts on how each could be brought to fruition. You can be as factual or as fanciful as you like, remembering that much of scientific genius belongs to the world of imagination, coupled with knowledge and observation.
Then over the coming two months, the best and most innovative suggestion each week will win a free membership to the international Double Helix Club, organised by the CSIR0 and worth up to $20 per membership. So write today to John Cokley, Science Wish List, The Sunday Mail, GP0 Box 130, Brisbane, 4001, making sure you include your contribution, your name, address, age, and daytime telephone number.'
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