February 20, 2010

Nightmares from the Past

Earlier this week, I awoke with a start in the middle of the night. My heart was pounding and I was drenched in sweat. 3:28 am. The low rumbling of the heater pumping dry air masked the sound of the occasional car driving by on the streets below. The diffuse light from the buildings nearby, distorted by the half closed blinds, cast oddly familiar shadows on the walls of my apartment. Nightmare? If so, I could not remember it. But there was an uncomfortable feeling of dread pervading my thoughts. I lay still, trying to discern the sensation. What was it? What was bothering me? After several seconds, the cobwebs cleared and my mind focused on the subject of discomfort: why did e^jθ = cos(θ) + j*sin(θ)?¹ I could not remember! And that is when I knew. After all these years, I had finally totally lost my mind.