George R.R. Martin, the author of the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series, has co-authored a scientific paper with physicist Ian Tregillis. The paper was published in the American Journal of Physics. The paper explores the dynamics of a fictional virus from the “Wild Cards” series.
“Wild Cards” is a shared universe edited by Martin and Melinda M. Snodgrass. It features contributions from 44 authors. The series is set in an alternate history of the US after World War II.
In 1946, an alien virus called the Wild Card virus was released over New York City. The virus kills 90 percent of those it infects and mutates the rest. Nine percent of the survivors, called Jokers, develop unpleasant conditions.
One percent, known as Aces, develop superpowers. Some Aces have trivial powers and are called “deuces.”
Tregillis, a physicist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, proposed using the virus as a teaching tool. He wondered if a simple model could tidy up the canon of the series.
Tregillis and Martin co-authored the paper to show how physics concepts could describe the viral behavior in the “Wild Cards” universe. They wanted to convert the abstract problem into a straightforward dynamic system. This would provide mathematical tools for students.
Fictional virus dynamics explored scientifically
The paper addresses the categorization of Jokers and Aces. The authors suggest the existence of “cryptos,” individuals with largely unobservable mutations.
They propose a model with three ground rules:
1. Cryptos exist in unknown numbers. 2.
Observable card turns follow the 90:9:1 rule. 3. Viral outcomes are determined by severity of transformation and a mixing angle addressing Joker-Aces.
The resulting formula considers the many ways a system can evolve. It generates a statistical distribution of outcomes. Tregillis says this might not be suitable for beginner physics students.
He recommends it for senior honors seminars to encourage exploration of open-ended research questions. The paper shows how creative narratives can intersect with scientific inquiry. It represents a unique collaboration between a bestselling author and a physicist.
While fans await the next book in the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series, they can appreciate Martin’s contribution to the world of physics.
