Fireballs & Shabbos Candles
Twenty-five thousand pounds of thrust roared overhead, jolting me out of my stupor. The pungent smell of jet fuel filled the air. A fireball from a pool of napalm rose from the ground. No, I wasn’t in Beirut. I was at the Miramar Airshow. This wasn’t just a display of military might; it was an annual Keating family tradition, a yearly moment of male bonding for me and my boys.
My chest vibrated with each pass of the aircraft, a visceral reminder of the raw power on display. The crowd around us tensed and relaxed in waves, their excitement palpable in the scorching California sun.
An upside-down F-18 streaked across the sky, a marvel of human ingenuity. But as I watched, my heart grew heavy. I couldn’t help but think of the young Israeli pilots, boys barely older than my son, waging a conflict they never asked for. These young men are forced to make impossible decisions, to take lives in defense of their homes. The weight of their burden settled on my shoulders like a leaden cloak.
I found myself in a maelstrom of conflicting emotions — awe at the precision and power before me, and a deep, aching sadness for the real-world implications of such machines. How different was this experience now, as a father, compared to the unalloyed American pride I felt as a single man?
In that moment, the line between spectacle and sobering reality blurred. These weren’t just machines of war; they were vessels carrying the hopes, fears, and lives of young people worldwide. Standing beside me in awe, my son suddenly seemed so vulnerable, so precious. It was mere minutes after news arrived that Israeli F-15s ended the life of the genocidal maniac Nasrallah. This despicable man and his organization had been responsible for so much suffering in just my life alone, from 241 American marines killed in 1983 to nearly 100,000 Israelis displaced from their homes in the past 11 months. I wondered if somewhere in Gaza, the remaining hostages from 10/7, including fellow Americans, could hear the roar of the IDF jets returning victoriously.
Just then, a Blue Angel made a sneak pass — coming directly from behind the audience while we were all slack-jawed at the sights on the runway in front of us. The raw power and precision momentarily lifted my melancholy veil, reminding me of the courage, skill, and commitment to excellence of those who serve.
As we drove home, my son’s friends filled the car with the gentle melodies of Shabbos songs. The contrast was stark — from the thunderous roar of jets to our heritage’s comforting melodies. In that moment, I was caught between two worlds: the brutal realities of conflict and the enduring warmth of family and tradition. As the familiar streets of our neighborhood came into view, I found myself wondering: How do we balance our appreciation for human achievement with the lethal realities of its application? How do we instill in our children a sense of wonder at the world’s marvels and a sense of patriotism for our homeland while also cultivating a deep understanding of their responsibilities as global citizens?
I encourage you to share your experiences that bridge wonder and worry, tradition and progress. How do you navigate these dualities in your own life?
Until next time, have a M.A.G.I.C. Week,
Brian
Appearance
Sabine Hossenfelder made a reaction video about my video on Loop Quantum Gravity. I guess this means I’ve made it?
Image
On Wednesday an annual (as in ‘annulus’, not yearly) solar eclipse occurs for my friends in the Southern Hemisphere. Sometimes called A Ring of Fire eclipse, these syzygies (my favorite Scrabble word) can be astonishing.
Conversation
Have we been completely wrong about the Higgs boson? What if it’s not what we think but something far more elusive? And what does the origin of mass in the universe have to do with music?
Here today to explore these mind-bending questions is theoretical physicist Matt Strassler. Matt is known for his work in particle physics, particularly in the context of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and quantum field theory. He has been involved in research on the Higgs boson, supersymmetry, and other topics in high-energy physics.
In our interview, we dive into the mysteries of quantum physics, the nature of space, and how waves — not just particles — form the building blocks of reality.
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