Three responses to the Sci Fi query..........DMD _______________________________________ Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2001 16:12:31 -0500 (EST) From: Robert Bruner Subject: Re: scifi query > Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2001 15:06:43 -0500 (EST) > From: James Stasheff > Subject: query > > Recent videos have `3D Moebius bands' > i.e. disk bundles with structure group Z/n > for n=3, visualize as a *geometric* bundle with fibre \Delta^2 over S^1 > many many years ago there was a science fiction story based on such > anyone recall the author, title or source? The story I recall from the mid 60's was about a fellow who had inadvertently traversed something like this on an expedition and was suffering from malnutrition since his body now expected levo molecules where it had previously preferred (as usual) the dextro kind. I don't know who wrote it, but it might have been in one of the Galaxy Readers. Perusing those in the search would probably be pleasurable even if not productive. ____________________________________________ Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2001 09:48:14 +0000 From: "Prof. T.Porter" Subject: Re: scifi query Two comments on Jim's query. I remember a Fred Brown (?) story about a `subway train' that went through a part of the New York subway in which was built-in a Mobius type transformation. The results were dramatic but I can't remember what they were! The other is that our web site has pictures of John Robinson that embody both fibre Delta 2 with Z/3 action and the square with Z/2 action. Try Eternity and Dependant beings. There is also a nice explanation as to how eternity was constructed and a dsicussion by Ronnie Brown on fibre bundles. The URLs are: http://www.bangor.ac.uk/cpm/sculmath/eternity.htm and http://www.bangor.ac.uk/cpm/sculmath/depbeing.htm We hope that the site is used for illustration of some topological concepts in courses. It would be interesting to have reactions on this aspect. Best wishes and Happy New Year (if it is not too late) Tim Porter _______________________________________ Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2001 13:24:40 +0100 (CET) From: Larry Smith Subject: Re: scifi query The title is "A Train Called Moebius" and it takes place in the Boston Metro. It was even filmed a decade or two ago. The author escapes me at the moment, but if you ask Don at Uncle Hugos SF Bookstore in Minneapolis(best SF bookstore I know: www/unclehugo.com) I am sure he will be able to tell you. The original was only a short thin, maybe 20 pages. I probably can find it this evening if I look hard enough at home. Larry