What Time Is It When You Try to Pass Through “A Wrinkle in Time”? | Hacker News Reader

What Time Is It When You Try to Pass Through “A Wrinkle in Time”?

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63 pointssamclemens16 comments

This was one of my favorite books growing up, but the linked article is iffy at best. Author doesn't understand the difference between quantum mechanics and general relativity, which should be a nonstarter on HN. Would love to have a better article as a starting point for discussion of this book here.

I don't even think quantum mechanics come into play at the mitochondrial level in Wind In The Door.

I agree.

I think there is a scene in Wrinkle where Meg uses the fact that atoms are mostly empty space to pass through a solid wall. However, this is really more of a classical view of atomic structure (atoms as hollow balls), rather than QM.

"The Transparent Column"

It seems like kairos is like Csikszentmihalyi's flow. It's time that passes while you are engaged, active, purposeful -- living rather than waiting.

Perhaps without a willing participant, there can be no kairos; there is only chronos?

Great book, BTW. The most memorable from my childhood.

Good article. I have to say, after reading it, I still don't understand the difference between chronos and kairos

The description of kairos in the article reminded me of what's now commonly called a flow state. Not sure if it's exactly the same idea or not. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)

I think the concept of "flow" as it relates to Kairos is best described by the classic song, "Row, row, row your boat".

I feel the same way you do about how the article explained the concepts. I found what seems like a fuller explanation of a conceptualization of Kairos here [1] - even if it may not be the most transparent:

[1] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF01253421

One of my favorite fiction book series as a kid.

I still fondly remember this book, along with "Stranger from the Depths" as two of the best books I read as a kid.

I loved A Wrinkle in Time and my other favorite was A Wizard of Earthsea, which I remember randomly finding in a dusty attic in a summer school when I was 11 years old. Talk about magic.

yes. Exactly.

One of my favorites also.

It was on a top 100 list a few years back that I started working my way through. I really disliked the book having not read or even heard of it as a kid. It seems that it is generally well liked, so I'm not sure what didn't connect with me.

This book had such a profound influence on my life and young mind. It basically formed a lot of the values I have and ideas about what is right and what is wrong.

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