Dr. Kamilah Zhang failed to turn up for her eight o’clock physics lecture on a cold Tuesday morning, leaving her students to grumble about unprofessional conduct. One student, a philosophy major, even went so far as to suggest — unethical.
By nine o’clock, nobody on the planet was still talking about professionalism.
In the video, Dr. Zhang sat next to a bookshelf. Behind her was a sixteenth-century poster of the solar system. She wore a lab coat over a dark blouse and a strand of pearls.
“It’s done.”
She pushed ahead without pausing for the words to land, seemingly unaware of their momentousness. “I don’t just mean proof that it’s possible. The technology for interstellar travel is complete. It’s ours. Today.”
But we couldn’t make that the headline, of course. Dr. Zhang hadn’t published her calculations. We couldn’t risk our credibility. Then again—as multiple coworkers vented to me—Dr. Zhang was a credible source. It was frustrating. We were about to get beaten to history by the grocery store tabloid aisle.
After an hour of pitches and one shattered coffee mug, the managing editor settled on my draft: Prototype for Interstellar Travel Complete, Says Renowned Physicist.
It was honest. Not too flashy. Journalists aren’t supposed to make promises we can’t support. Our responsibility is to the truth, not dreams. The public deserves the truth.
Kids deserve to dream.
“When we go to space, where do you want to visit first?” Jade tugged the sheets to her chin.
I pretended to think. “Let’s
