All the ring tones

Photograph of Alexandra Stepanoff
playing the theremin on NBC Radio

On Friday I spent 7 hours in a tiny waiting room on the 7th floor of a hospital in Philly with what felt like 70 other people . Math Man was having surgery. There were understandably lots of anxious people, and so phones were dinging and ringing in every corner as families got and provided updates. (That’s how I learned Math Man was in recovery, and when I could see him.)

There were at least 3 other Star Trek fans in there, including one who had a theremin ring tone. Theremins sound like anxiety to me, presaging the arrival of an alien with designs on all the salt in your body.