untwinkle, little ee

Things I Learned At My 40th Birthday Party:

1. The properties of thixotropic fluids. A sudden, entirely spontaneous demonstration of fluid dynamics in non-Newtonian fluids was perpetrated by smoczek, aided and abetted by various engineer types, who generated small pots full of a cornstarch/water solution and exhorted the unsuspecting to prod them, slowly and fast. That stuff is weird, having a sort of optional viscosity which solidifies, or not, depending on the kind of force exerted. Strangely magical, actually.
2. All geeks, of whatever variety, can instantly name their favourite space probe when asked. This is a bit like the Zoobiscuit Test: a category of questions which, while bizarrely pointless, generate instant compliance when put, because the interlocuter clearly agrees that they're important. I didn't at first think that I fell into this particular geek category, but in fact mine is Cassini-Huygens, probably on account of my obsession with Saturn. (Its moons get in my eyes. Also, rings).

I am happily surrounded by geeks, who are excellent company and know me well enough to give excellent birthday presents. The house is full of booze, flowers, chocolate, books and cooking paraphernalia, and there is surprisingly little cornstarch solution tramped into the carpets. It was a lovely party, thank you all.

(The subject line, incidentally, appropos of absolutely nothing except that my mp3 player presented me randomly with the Magnetic Fields's "Wi' Nae Wee Bairn Ye'll Me Beget" as I was travelling back from visiting my dad this morning, causing me to laugh a great deal. It's a sort of evil-minded parody of Robert Burns meets the Childe Ballads, the young lady protecting her virginity via a fairly classic shape-changing competition, with the usual Magnetic Fields demented twist. The verse which made me nearly drive into a tree (again!) went: "I'll turn into a vampire and kiss you on the neck / Well I'll turn into a siller cross and send thee back to Heck..." Hee. Parodic bowlderisation of vampire references in the service of the rhyme scheme ftw.)