Symmetry Breaking

As it seems to by symmetry week here at CV, I thought I'd touch upon something related to one of the many events that happened during a recent vortex of unbloggability (i.e., when everything that I wanted to write about would only be publishable on a pseudonymous blog). Astronomer Fritz Zwicky frequently employed the term "spherical bastard" to describe a group of rival astronomers, since in Zwicky's view, they were bastards any way you looked at them. While Zwicky had no patience for this group, I would argue that fully-symmetric bastards are the easiest of assholes to deal with. No one is surprised when a known, calibrated asshole acts up. We all just adjust the gain on our emotional response and carry on. I've been quite fond of many assholes through the years, and when I look back, the one trait they shared was that while they may have been ...