REPLYING TO AN INVITATION TO A SCIENTIST’S BALL

• Pierre and Marie Curie were radiating enthusiasm.
• Einstein thought it would be relatively easy to attend.
• Volta was electrified and Archimedes, buoyant at the thought.
• Ampere was worried he wasn’t up to current research.
• Ohm resisted the idea at first.
• Boyle said he was under too much pressure.
• Edison thought it would be an illuminating experience.
• Watt reckoned it would be a good way to let off steam.
• Stephenson thought the whole idea was loco.
• Wilbur Wright accepted, provided he and Orville could get a flight.
• Dr Jekyll declined — he hadn’t been feeling himself lately.
• Morse’s reply: “I’ll be there on the dot. Can’t stop now must dash.”
• Heisenberg was uncertain if he could make it.
• Hertz said in the future he planned to attend with greater frequency.
• Henry begged off due to a low capacity for alcohol.
• Audobon said he’d have to wing it.
• Hawking said he’d try to string enough time together to make a space in his schedule.
• Darwin said he’d have to see what evolved.
• Schrodinger had to take his cat to the vet, or did he?
• Mendel said he’d put some things together and see what came out.
• Descartes said he’d think about it.
• Newton was moved to attend.
• Pavlov was drooling at the thought.
• Gauss was asked to attend because of his magnetic personality.
• JP Clark & Siegfried the Deerslayer Wanna-Be

School of Physics, University of Sydney