Analog Science Fiction and Fact Read online

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

  Looked at this way, the best science we

  These students look like classic examples of

  have says we simply can’t afford leadership

  both. But I also know that few things in teach-

  that wants to lead us galloping backward. So

  ing are as rewarding as getting through to stu-

  we have two basic choices: we can try to get

  dents like that, and getting them to learn, per-

  better leadership, or we can try to find ways

  haps even excel, in spite of themselves.

  to do without it.

  It will be a huge challenge—but it’s one to

  Some have already resigned themselves to

  which all of us (or at least, all of us who actu-

  the latter course. Some big tech companies,

  ally know something) can contribute. How? In

  for example, have started finding ways to de-

  lots of ways, beginning with writing or calling

  velop solutions on their own—and some of

  officials (not just the president, but senators,

  those companies are big enough that they just

  congressmen, and so on) to tell them not only

  may be able to accomplish something. Some

  what they need to do, but why. With luck and

  scientists, despite their profession’s historical

  persistence, maybe some of them will even

  tendency to try to avoid getting involved in

  gain a faint glimmering of how science works,

  politics, have become much more politically

  why they need things that only it can provide,

  active, taking part in demonstrations and even

  and why they need it now.

  running for office.3

  Because even if they think they don’t, we do,

  But those efforts, though admirable and

  and they were hired to work for us. If enough

  worthy of support, look uncomfortably like

  of us tell them, in enough different ways,

  mere drops in a proverbial bucket. Even if a

  maybe eventually they’ll begin to realize there’s

  few companies and scientists-turned-politi-

  something there that they need to learn.

  cians can make some difference, how much

  Back in 1995, astronomer and science popu-

  more could they do if they had the support of

  larizer Carl Sagan wrote4: “Science is more

  a federal government that understood the im-

  than a body of knowledge; it is a way of think-

  portance of what they’re trying to do—and at

  ing. I have a foreboding of an America in my

  least the rudiments of how it works? Especial-

  children’s or grandchildren’s time—when the

  ly if that government could also, by example

  United States is a service and information econ-

  and diplomacy, inspire others to do likewise.

  omy; when nearly all the key manufacturing in-

  So whatever else we may get at the grass-

  dustries have slipped away to other countries;

  roots level, we really need more informed and

  when awesome technological powers are in

  rational leadership at the national level. How

  the hands of a very few, and no one represent-

  can we get it? We don’t have another chance

  ing the public interest can even grasp the is-

  to elect it for four years (okay, two, at the

  sues; when the people have lost the ability to

  House of Representatives level), so the only

  set their own agendas or knowledgeably ques-

  option I see in the shorter term is this: we

  tion those in authority; when, clutching our

  who do understand the importance and

  crystals and nervously consulting our horo-

  methodology of science must educate the

  scopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable

  leaders we have.

  to distinguish between what feels good and

  I know it’s quite a challenge; some would

  what’s true, we slide, almost without noticing,

  say that “long shot” is putting it mildly. But

  back into superstition and darkness.”

  that doesn’t mean we can’t or shouldn’t make

  I’m sorry Carl is no longer with us, but I’m

  the effort. As a former teacher myself, I know

  glad I don’t have to tell him that in a mere

  all too well that some students can be difficult

  twenty years we have reached the depths he

  to reach and resistant to learning what they

  feared. We don’t have to stay here indefinitely,

  need—especially those who think they al-

  but it’s going to take a lot of effort, by a lot of

  ready know it all, or think they don’t need it.

  people, to climb back out. ■

  3

  See, for example, “For Scientists, a Political Test,” by Amy Harmon and Henry Fountain, in The New York Times, February 7, 2017, p. D1. Also, as a personal aside, I note that while scientists have often tried to stay out of politics, there have been conspicuous exceptions. E.g., I knew quite a few science professors who actively protested the Vietnam War until we finally got out of it.

  4

  In his book The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark (1st ed.), New York: Random House.

  EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGE

  7

  The

  Quantum

  Magician

  Part I

  Derek Künsken

  Chapter One

  and landings speared the gallery. The paint-

  elisarius Arjona was perhaps the only

  ings, sculptures, and silent films set in bricked

  con man who drew parallels between

  alcoves had to be appreciated across a three-

  his confidence schemes and the quan-

  meter gap between the edges of the stairs and

  Btum world. Ask a question about fre- the wall. Belisarius was curating the first exquency, and the electron appeared to be a

  position of Puppet art ever permitted by the

  wave. Ask a question about momentum, and

  Federation of Puppet Theocracies. Smell,

  the electron appeared to be a particle. A gang-

  lighting, and sound invoked the aesthetic of

  ster looking to muscle in on a real estate scam

  the Puppet religious experience. Far above,

  would find sellers in distress. A mark looking

  near the entrance to the galler y, a whip

  to cash in on a crooked f ight would f ind a

  snapped arhythmically.

  f ighter ready to take a fall. Nature fed an ob-

  “I like Puppet art,” he said.

  server the clues needed to turn the quantum

  “So when you’re rich, buy more.”

  world into something real. Belisarius fed his

  “You don’t get to buy art from prison.”

  marks the clues they needed to turn their

  “We’re not going to get caught,” she said.

  greed into expensive mistakes. And some-

  “Don’t lose your nerve. If it works here, it will

  times he did so at gunpoint. To be precise, the

  work in my casinos.”

  muzzle of Evelyn Powell’s pistol rested on her

  Powell was a beefy casino boss from Port

  knees as she talked to him.

  Barcelona. She’d crossed the embargo around

  “Why the long face, Arjona?” she asked.

  the dwa
rf planet Oler to see if the news of

  “No long face,” he said sullenly.

  Belisarius’ miracle making the rounds in crim-

  “I’m going to make you really rich. You

  inal circles was true. She tapped the nose of

  won’t need to scrape by with this freak

  the pistol against her knee, drawing his eyes

  show,” she said, waving her hand expansively.

  with the movement.

  They sat in the gloom at the bottom of the

  “But you haven’t been totally honest with

  cylinder of glazed brick that was his gallery of

  me yet, Arjona. I’m still not convinced you re-

  Puppet art. A column supporting spiral stairs

  ally hacked a Fortuna AI. I’ve seen people try.

  8

  JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

  I’m paying people to try. What are the odds

  “So what’s a super-smart Homo quantus

  that you, by yourself, surrounded by Puppets

  doing in the sweaty armpit of civilization?”

  all the way out here, got it?”

  “I reacted badly to the medications that let

  He let her stew in the conviction of what

  the Homo quantus see quantum things,” he

  she’d just said for two breaths—8.1 seconds.

  said. “They kicked me out. The Banks didn’t

  Then, he lowered his eyes, matching her ex-

  want to pay for a dud.”

  pectations, buying him another second of her

  “Ha!” she said. “Duds. I hear you. Damn

  patience.

  Banks.”

  “No one can hack a Fortuna AI,” he admit-

  Belisarius was good at lying. He had a per-

  ted. “And I didn’t either. I broke into a security

  fect memory, and every Homo quantus had

  graft and snuck in a tiny bit of code. I couldn’t

  to be able to run multiple lines of thought at

  make it big, or the rest of the AI would notice,

  once. Most of the time it didn’t matter which

  but this tiny change added a factor into its sta-

  one was true, as long as they didn’t get mixed

  tistical expectations.”

  up.

  Powell was calculating behind her stare: the

  “Let’s get this done,” he said f inally, point-

  odds of this being the secret to beating the

  ing at the pills in her palm.

  Fortuna AI, the number of casinos vulnerable

  “You wouldn’t be trying to poison your

  to this modified graft, and what Belisarius had

  new partner, would you?” she said, grinning.

  changed to crack the graft.

  Behind the grin was something very hard.

  Statistical expectations were the core of the

  “Get interferon from your own sources if

  Fortuna AI. Technology had leapt so far past

  you want,” he said.

  games of chance that any casino could rip off

  She shook her head and popped the two

  its patrons pretty easily. For that matter, any

  pills. “My augments wouldn’t let me die of a

  patron could cheat an unprotected casino.

  fever.”

  The presence of a Fortuna AI was the seal of

  That was probably true. His brain began

  approval on any casino. In conjunction with

  running dosage and toxicity calculations, ac-

  an advanced surveillance system, the AI moni-

  counting for the abilities of black-market aug-

  tored ultrasonic, light, radio, IR, UV, and x-ray

  ments like the ones she was probably

  emissions. It also calculated odds and winning

  carrying. He let one part of his brain keep it-

  streaks in real time. For the clients, it was

  self busy with those calculations. He wasn’t

  proof the games were fair. For the casinos, it

  jealous of her ability to fight a fever, but those

  was protection against cheaters.

  kinds of augments wouldn’t work in him any-

  “The security grafts are unhackable too,”

  way.

  Powell said. “I’ve got people working on

  Powell’s fever would start very quickly. He’d

  them.”

  explained the scam to her three times, so she

  “Not if the code-breaker is fast enough to in-

  should understand it by now. Powell running

  tercept the patch during transmission, and the

  two degrees of fever wouldn’t trigger casino

  change is small enough,” Belisarius said.

  security, but that difference would activate

  The Fortuna AI was “unhackable,” in the

  the statistical algorithms in the security patch.

  sense that Powell meant. All AIs were, be-

  The Fortuna AI would expect her to win

  cause they were grown. They could only be

  more, and so when she did, no alarms would

  evolved, or patched with small grafts.

  go off. That was what had brought her all the

  Powell considered him for a while.

  way to the Puppet Free City.

  “My people are close, but we don’t have a

  “Come on,” she said, her breath fogging the

  system to go with it yet,” she said. “Using

  air. “Your gallery is creeping me out.”

  body temperature is ingenious.”

  They walked up the helical stairs, past the

  A whip sounded far up the gallery again. A

  eerie displays that were so good at attracting

  recorded Puppet moan of religious ecstasy

  the pattern-seeking portions of Belisarius’ en-

  echoed softly.

  gineered brain without triggering deeper

  “My people say you’re pretty smart,” she

  mathematical reactions. Complicated conf i-

  said, “that you’re one of those Homo quan-

  dence schemes did the same thing.

  tus. Is that right?”

  The street was colder. They had a 9.6 min-

  “You’ve got good sources,” he said.

  ute walk, long enough for Powell’s fever to

  THE QUANTUM MAGICIAN, PART I

  9

  ANALOG

  rise. The decor became slightly cheerier as

  blers could collude with casino owners.

  they went. The Puppet Free City was a warren

  Cheaters invented new cheats. That made the

  of subsurface caves dug into the icy crust of

  Fortuna AI critical. Without the trust created

  Oler. Some were bricked. Some were bare ice,

  by Fortuna’s inviolability, the honest money

  stained with the remains of food or drink.

  didn’t flow.

  Many of the tunnels were poorly lit, with

  Powell shouldered past him. He followed

  lumpy garbage frozen to the streets.

  her to the craps table. The boxman was one of

  The Free City liked its gambling, from holes

  their plants, as was the stickman. Powell and

  in the wall and street craps to places that actu-

  he had secretly met them yesterday in the

  ally called themselves casinos. Blackmore’s

  gallery. Powell waited her turn to make her

  was the only one with a Fortuna AI, so it at-

  pass line bet and held out the dice to him. He

  tracted the well-heeled gamblers and kept its

  rolled his eyes and blew. She smiled with her

  icy streets
relatively clean and garishly lit.

  big, flushed cheeks, and rolled a seven for her

  Belisarius liked the way the lurid greens and

  come out roll. That was the easy part.

  soft blues mixed and ref lected off ever y

  Three other players made their pass lines

  smooth patch of ice.

  and picked their service bets. The stickman

  Along the sides of abandoned apartments

  put Powell’s service bet of a hundred Congre-

  and shops, rows of mendicant Puppets stood

  gate francs on cornrows and moved a new set

  in rudely constructed Toy Boxes and fake

  of dice to her. The dice were of Belisarius’ de-

  Cages, with their hands out. They looked like

  sign. They contained embedded liquid-phase

  humans descended from pale Old European

  nano components. The transparent liquid in-

  families, shrunken to half-size. One emaciated

  side the dice underwent a conformational

  Puppet woman had even set herself up at a

  change with small changes in heat, weighing

  folding table with a real Cream-Puff pastry,

  down the single-pip side. The dice had been

  long since dried to wrinkles. Belisarius threw

  under the hot white light near the boxman,

  her a few steel coins. Powell made a face at

  and were now in Powell’s fever-hot hands.

  him and kicked the folding table onto the Pup-

  Powell rolled a pair of sixes and the watch-

  pet woman, who yelled a stream of f ilth at

  ers cheered.

  them.

  The next player took the dice with cold fin-

  “Shouldn’t she be thanking me?” Powell guf-

  gers and fogged the air with her breath for

  fawed.

  luck. Sevens. She was out. The next rolled

  “That’s not how Puppets work.”

  craps with a three, and the watchers cheered.

  “You got no sense of humor, Arjona,” she

  The last rolled a hard ten and was out.

  said as they approached the entrance to Black-

  Powell f lexed her f ingers, then held them

  more’s. Human security were scanning pa-

  under her armpits. She jerked her chin to the

  trons with wands, giving the casino a grasping

  stickman to keep her bet on cornrows, and

  touch of class over automated scanning.

  twitched her f ingers for the dice. The stick-

  “Loosen up.”

  man slid them back. She held them between

  The scan took 9.9 seconds, an eternity for

  her hot hands for long seconds, closing her

  his brain. He played with parallels and pat-