The Last Word On Nothing

Ten years ago, blogs were still new enough to be exciting. A small group of science writers thought they’d like to see what this blogging thing was about. On May 20, 2010, the Last Word on Nothing was born.

Ten years later, the blogging landscape has changed. As has the world. A lot. But LWON keeps on going.

To celebrate this anniversary, the People of LWON, including several of our beloved alumni, sat down and wrote postcards to ourselves, in 2010. What should that person know? Should we warn them about the face masks? Or about having kids?

Every day this week, we’ll post a few of these postcards.

Thomas Hayden

Hey Hayden!
Guess what? You don’t have to commute anymore! So, that’s the good news.
I mean, things got a lot worse, like you thought they would, like you usually wrote about back when you wrote. (Yeah, that’s over, too. Sorry.) But they also got better, in ways you won’t understand for a while yet. Hang in there!
Later,
Tom
PS – Buy toilet paper       PPS – And post cards

Tom left LWON several years ago to focus on things like “his family” and “his job.” Read more of Tom’s writing for LWON; he advocated for the pandemic skill of making-do. We miss him.

Christie Aschwanden

May 5, 2020

Dear Christie,

You recently spent 14 months living within 100 miles of your home. You learned that living within your “100-mile habitat” is a recipe for happiness. But you will drift away from this lesson, and in 2019 you’ll spend a year traveling on book tour (yay!) that will make you yearn to stay home. 2020 will grant you that wish! That’s your silver lining. Grab it and savor!

Love, Christie

Read Christie’s posts for LWON, including this one about being grounded in your place.

Richard Panek

May, 2020

Dear Me,

In ten years, you will still be alive! Better yet, so will everyone in your immediate family!! You will even have gained a daughter-in-law!!! (Also, exclamation points will be making a comeback.)

Be best (you’ll see) & stay well (ditto).

P. S. In about four months you will receive an invitation to join a nascent sorta-science blog. Say yes.

Read Richard’s posts for LWON; he’s always been aware of the new-to-the-rest-of-us slipperiness of time.

What would you tell yourself in 2010? If the spirit moves you, use the comments to write your own postcard.