Come Try the Teleporter

Come try out my invention -
a human teleporter.
You'll never find a better way
to make your travel shorter.
Scientists said it can't be done,
...or maybe they said "shouldn't".
But give up on my big idea
is something I just wouldn't.
After several unsuccessful trials,
and a lab rat spread across many miles,
I've worked out nearly all the quirks.
A human subject ought to work. 
You'll come out on the other end
in a rather embarrassing pose.
It's possible there'll be a swap
of your left hand with your nose.
The device may have some trouble
with teleporting clothes.
Some of your looser, extra parts
could go elsewhere I suppose.
But otherwise, it's pretty good.
Cross your fingers.
Here it goes.

-B.C. Byron
You might end up with a few misplaced limbs, but it’s worth it for the convenience of a teleporter

First, I must mention the rat from this poem. While it is a shame that it was accidentally spread like butter across the landscape, it knew the risks when volunteering for the teleporter experiment. Also, the rat DID sign a waiver beforehand.

This poem is a favorite of mine because teleporters are a spooky science fiction technology to ponder. There are so many ways a teleporter can go wrong. In fact it’s harder to think about how a teleportation machine could go right. For starters, you could end up inside a wall or the ground if calculations are slightly off or if something moves at the destination. And what happens with all the air at your destination? Would all that air suddenly be inside of you causing cells to explode? Would there be a deafening thunder clap as air is instantly shoved aside, similar to how a lightening bolt works? Would you be exactly the same person when you materialize at the other end? How would you know there weren’t a few brain cells swapped around by accident? Could the machine be used to make multiple copies of a single person and would those copies get along with each other? I’m sure you’ve laid awake at night wondering about this and other future technologies as I often do. I won’t even get started on the potential mishaps with time travel machines.

Given all the potential for ending up like the poor sap in this poem, a hand for a nose and a misplaced foot, I don’t think I would be brave enough to try out such a device. If you do invent a teleporter, sell it as a package delivery device. You’re not likely to find a large group of human volunteers to give it a go. Then again, I never thought people would want an obnoxious tracking device that buzzes every 5 seconds to carry around in their pockets. But here I am, hunched over my tiny cell phone typing poems on a tiny screen, straining my middle-aged eyes. Maybe someday an occasional missing limb will just be one of those technology annoyances we all put up with for the convenience of having a teleporter.

Wrong Side of the Bed

Been sleepin' on the wrong side of the bed.
That's why I'm cranky,
So my momma said.
But the other side is difficult to use.
Can't rest with all my hair just hangin' loose.
This certainly don't make me sleep no better,
And I'm pretty sure it's makin' me upsetter.

-B C. Byron
Are you sure this is right? I think I prefer the wrong side of the bed.

Sleeping on the wrong side of the bed is blamed for many problems, but which side is actually the correct side? Why don’t bed manufacturers just label the best side of the bed so people don’t get confused and end up with a rough night like the kid in this poem? Well, after much experimentation, including strapping myself to the underside of the bed, I’ve found that the right side of my bed is actually on the left side. Why on Earth would they put the right side on the left? Was that done on purpose? I emailed the maker of my bed to inform them of this design error, but they still haven’t responded. One thing I still haven’t tried, is tipping the bed sideways. Maybe that’s what is meant by the “wrong side of the bed”? I’ll ask the bed manufacturer about that in my next email. Perhaps the best sleep ever is waiting for me on the actual SIDE of the mattress and not on the top or bottom. Hmmm… I’ll give that a try and let you know how it turns out.

Actually, I am one of those rare folks who doesn’t get grumpy when I’m sleep deprived. I mostly just get goofy and weird after a poor night’s sleep. It’s a good time for me to write poems and do drawings, though not all of them make complete sense. The less sleep I have, the stranger and sillier I feel. That’s when words like “upsetter” seem sensible to me. It’s a really good thing I don’t sleep much, so you can benefit from my tired creativity. Well, I better get working on tipping my bed sideways and figuring out a way to keep it from tipping back over tonight. I’m sure my wife will have some ideas how to make that work for us. Goodnight.