Today, I have the honor to host author Marie Harbon's debut sci-fi novel Seven Point Eight, the first in a five-part chronicle in which five characters seek the answers to the purpose of the universe and and question their existence. The characters are the talented and exotic Tahra Mamoun, PhD physicist Dr. Paul Eldridge, shrewd womanizer and businessman Max Richardson, compassionate geneticist Ava, and artsy musician Sam.
The series promises to be an intriguing exploration of the sciences, particularly quantum physics and biology, as some of the characters are heavily involved in research. But as this is the first book, there was more emphasis on character relationships, particularly between Tahra Mamoun and her benefactor Max Richardson, who takes her out of her life in the Middle East to educate her in the sciences in exchange for her intelligence for a career that would benefit his own. This was an intriguing read, with much dynamic intensity between the characters, and opens up with a particularly fascinating lecture given by Dr. Paul Eldridge:
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| Author Marie Harbon |
“Today you have ridden a photon, where we
discovered that time is only relative to the speed of the
observer and, as we travel closer to the speed of light, time
slows down. If we were to journey to the star, Sirius, which is
eight light years away, at close to 186,000 miles per second,
we would return home to find everyone much older than
ourselves. Einstein also attempted to draw together space,
time, matter, gravitation and electromagnetism into one unified
theory, but this eludes him and it remains incomplete”.
“This brings us to the world of quantum weirdness;
where the universe exists as an infinite number of possibilities,
having no precise location or being until something happens to
lock one of those possibilities into place. This is known as
Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle and it was postulated in
1927. In his double-slit experiment, a photon particle behaved
as if it passed through both slits at the same time, but, when it
was observed closely, it chose a definite slit. He concluded that
when we observe something, we turn quantum possibilities
into reality. Maybe it also means we can be in two places at
once!...I conclude this lecture with more questions; where is
quantum theory taking us? Will our reality be further shattered,
our quantum experiences breaking the bottom of the proverbial
pail? Will the world change beyond recognition because of
this? What applications will we find for this new knowledge?
And where, if any place whatsoever, is there room for God?
Once in a million chance. Harbon's book will be free from 16th April - 19th April on the Kindle Store. So what are you waiting for? Go and get your free copy on there during those three days!
And here is a quiz to see which character from Six Point Seven you are most like:
1. What interests you in life?
a. Exploring and being a part of something bigger
b. Science, technology
c. Music, art, creative self-expression
d. Nice house, stylish cars and fine clothes
e. Making a difference, doing something fantastic to benefit others
2. If you’re attracted to someone, how would you pursue them?
a. Pull out all the stops and use all your powers of seduction
b. The natural approach; strike up conversation and see where it goes
c. The romantic approach; write or sing a beautiful song
d. Splash out on gifts and fine dining
e. I must admit, I’ve been hurt before so I’m quite wary on an emotional level
3. What are your key strengths?
a. Courage, passion, determination
b. Intelligence, ability to solve problems
c. Creative and artistic
d. Leadership, persistence, cool headedness
e. Cooperation, compassion
4. Which ability would you prefer to be gifted with?
a. To see any place or time in the world
b. Intellectual genius
c. To speak with the dead
d. To be able to make a lot of money easily
e. Surprise me!
5. What is the purpose of special abilities?
a. To yield power over others
b. Success and recognition
c. They’re just a curse
d. To make money
e. To help others
6. What would others say are your key faults?
a. Can be manipulative and controlling
b. Not thinking things through properly, hasty
c. Can be cocky at times, a loner
d. Possessive, too obsessed with things
e. Too trusting at times
You’re a feisty and passionate individual just like Tahra, who’ll stop at nothing to get what you want.
There’s an almost rebellious determination inside of you yet you love wholeheartedly and this brings out your sweeter side. Your downside is the need to exert control over others, try to be more sensitive.
MOSTLY B
Intellectually, you’re strong and will go far in the world of technology and science, like Paul. There is a naturalness and spontaneity about you and you generally get on well with others. However, you need to think your decisions through more carefully and look at the longer term repercussions.
You’re a romantic and artistic soul, just like Sam. Ideally, you’d like to get on with creating beautiful art or music but the Universe has other ideas. Deep down, you’re very sure of yourself but generally don’t blend well with others, preferring to beat your own drum.
MOSTLY D
You have your feet firmly planted in the material world, just like Max. Your status, lifestyle and the things you own are important to you but at times, you can cling too hard to these. In life, maybe you need to broaden your horizons and see that money and security aren’t everything.
MOSTLY E
Like Ava, you are a gentle soul who’d like to contribute something meaningful to the world, but you’re not sure how you fit in. Because you’re a genuine person deep down, you often believe others are the same but unfortunately, they can take advantage. However, you’re a credit to the world and your time will come!
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