Yesterday was my brother Luke’s thirty-first birthday. I tried to skype him, but he and Yan must have been out. The problem is, they’re so busy these days that I never know when to call, so I rarely speak to him. The same goes for my older brother Mark. They both live hectic lives, going to conferences here there and everywhere, either unravelling the deep, stringy mysteries of the universe or designing cyborgs. It seems a lifetime ago that we all sat round that kitchen table together and ate dinner together. Oh well. I hope Luke had a good birthday anyway, and that he knows I’m thinking about him.