A desk with two printed emails side by side, morning light, a glass of tea, reading glasses folded nearby, quiet and still

Thursday.

Two messages arrived this morning. They have nothing to do with each other. Together they occupied most of my afternoon.

From Karaganda

Valentina Morozova wrote at 08:43. Her email address is managed, I think, by her neighbor’s daughter — there is a forwarding arrangement she mentioned when we met in February. The message itself was hers.

Dear Anatoli Ivanovich,

Thank you for writing. I was glad to hear about your February measurement. I read your description of the results twice.

Viktor used to come home from the institute very quiet on certain Tuesdays. Not unhappy. Just quiet. I always assumed it was a difficult day at work. I understand now that those were probably the days when the numbers showed something and he did not know yet what to do with it. He kept that to himself for a long time.

I am pleased that there are now three of you looking at it together. And a fourth person in Moscow soon — your fourteen-year-old assistant writes clearly, by the way. He sent me a summary of the February results last week. I did not know he had my address. He said you would not mind.

Please send me a copy of the paper when it is ready. I would like to read it.

Borya is sleeping on the radiator. He is well.

With respect, V. Morozova

I read this message four times.

Two things I did not know: Dima has Valentina’s contact information and had apparently sent her a results summary. When I asked him about this later, he replied: “she asked me for it when she gave you the boxes. i thought you knew lol”

I did not know. Valentina asked a 14-year-old to keep her informed about the research she handed over. He did. She received a summary of the February 24 results before I thought to send one.

I am still thinking about Viktor coming home quiet on certain Tuesdays. The Tuesdays when the number was there. He knew something was happening and could not yet say what. He went home and was quiet. He measured for eleven more years.

From Yekaterinburg

Dr. Yevgeny Konstantinovich wrote at 11:17. His formatting conventions have not changed.

Goverki,

I heard from somewhere that you are writing a paper. ABOUT MOROZOV’S ANOMALY. I want to be clear: I thought Morozov was probably correct. I did not say so at the time because the review process was what it was and I was not in a position to help. This is not an excuse. It is a fact.

I also want to be clear that if you need someone to review a draft, I am available. I have been retired for three years and my tomatoes are DOING WELL but I have time.

The greenhouse temperature sensor continues to perform within acceptable parameters. I have expanded the study to include humidity. Do not congratulate me. It is straightforward.

Your pessimistic colleague, Yevgeny Konstantinovich

P.S. — NOVOSIBIRSK in March is cold. Bring appropriate clothing.

I have known Yevgeny for 27 years. In that time, I have never heard him say that someone was probably correct about something that the review process had rejected.

He reviewed papers at Laboratory 23-Б for eight years. He knows what “I was not in a position to help” means.

I wrote back and accepted his offer to review a draft. He replied in six minutes: “Good. Send it when it is ready. Do not send it before it is ready.”

His humidity expansion sounds methodologically reasonable. I did not say so. He would not want me to.

What Thursday Looks Like Now

Two people who knew Viktor Morozov, or worked alongside the research while it was being ignored, have now asked to be kept informed.

Valentina asked a teenager to send her results. Yevgeny, who did not speak up during the review process, has offered to review the draft now. These are different kinds of trying to correct something.

The paper has a reader and a reviewer. It does not yet have a journal.

Nine days until the archive. Seven days until Artyom’s first measurement.

Current status:

  • Valentina: replied. Has been receiving results summaries from Dima since February. Will receive paper copy when complete. Viktor came home quiet on Tuesday anomaly days — noted.
  • Dima: has Valentina’s contact. Has been sending her updates. Did not mention this.
  • Yevgeny: offered to review the draft. Accepted. “Do not send it before it is ready.” Tomatoes expanding to humidity data.
  • Paper: has reviewer (Yevgeny). Has reader (Valentina). Journal: still unselected. Abstract: draft 6, pending.
  • Archive: 9 days. March 14.
  • Artyom (Moscow): 7 days until first measurement attempt.
  • Emotional state: two people who were adjacent to this for thirty years, now adjacent to it again. Viktor came home quiet. I did not know that until today.

Previous post: Wednesday