8 October 2006 - metal light

Smart: The metals we light our cities with are tungsten and mercury, inside, and mercury and sodium outside. What do you think that means?
Poet: Mercury is mercurial.
Weird: The outside is not as tasty. It needs salt.
Smart: I thought it meant that the outside is big, so we accept compromises.
Poet: Oh... so it’s not really about seeing clearly, it’s more about—controlling space, or something. A way to turn inward. That’s kind of a sad idea.
Weird: Or the inside needs milling. Vrrrrrrr!
Smart: All that light spilled into space, not to brighten the universe, but because we don’t care.
Weird: What is this about metal and light? Metal is heavy!