Sleep vs. Brain Activity

I had trouble going to sleep last night thanks to the neighbor's dog. I kept wishing it would have been the their dog that stroked out and died instantly last week instead of Pokey. Apparently once I started thinking about guns, poison, and dog strangulation I must have lulled myself to sleep. Oh, and the ear plugs didn't hurt either...

That only lasted until about 2am I guess, because I woke up then and couldn't get back to sleep. I hate it when my mind works at the wrong time. I should have been sleeping, but no... Instead my mind was alive with stuff... And all the while it was singing the chorus to "No Woman, No Cry" by Bob Marley (seriously) over and over. I have no idea why.

What kinda stuff was whirling through my brain? Home projects like the wood stove installation (or lack thereof), the garage storage addition, the fact that I need a haircut, my car needs an oil change, and many other mundane things.

One thing I had on my mind for at least an hour before I got up was friction. Yes, really.

How much of our lives would be changed forever if there was no friction? Air friction keeps planes and birds aloft. For that matter, it probably controls weather patterns (highs, lows, and winds) for all I know. And what about automotive? Engines probably wouldn't work any longer because without friction they wouldn't be able to maintain compression (and combustion). The obvious automotive friction things like brakes, traction, clutches, and windshield wipers would no longer exist. Would we even be able to walk? Of course not. We need friction for that.

Then my mind wandered again. This time it was gravity.

This one was is probably a little more realistic. I'm sure man will someday conquer gravity if they can keep a society together long enough (humans are pretty self-destructive after all). I kept thinking about things that would no longer be needed if we had that control.

Would there even be a need for beds? I would love to be able to tether myself to something and sleep in midair. No more sore spots or muscle strains! Beds and bedding are a huge industry. What else would we not need? Elevators (stairs for that matter), cranes, forklifts, and anything else that we need to move heavy things--No longer needed. Maybe it would be possible to wear little protective devices on our person that would react instantly if we slipped or tripped, triggering our personal anti-gravity safety "net" that would keep us from smacking the floor and breaking a hip. Kind of a new variation of the, "Help, I've fallen and I can't get up!" thing.

See? I told you... The crap that cascades through my cobwebbed brain sometimes is out there.

Now I feel like I could sleep, but no--It's time to go to work.