Today is Isaac Newton's Birthday, so I'd like to start by wishing you all a very Heavy Newtonmas. I am thankful for...
- Friction, and in particular socks with grippy bottoms for wearing around the house.
- Gravity, without which those socks wouldn't work. (Neither would a lot of other things, of course. I'm also looking for a little levity, and not finding nearly enough.)
- The reason for the season -- axial tilt. Also, having just about the right amount of it. (Uranus has way too much!)
- Calculus -- integral, differential, and lambda.
- Number systems in which infinitesimals are, um,,, well-defined, I guess you can't say "real", can you?
- Choice.
- Having slightly less mass than I did last year. (Very slightly, but I'll take what I can get.) Good drugs.