Monobloc

[dreamer_easy]

Cosmic ages have come and gone since I listened to Slipback, the Doctor Who audio written by Eric Saward. I don't remember it terribly clearly, except for a general impression that Saward was, as usual, out to make the Sixth Doctor appear as great a twat as possible. And Valentine Dyall saying "See how my pustules GROW!" But I do remember the puzzling term "the monobloc", used for the universe quote before unquote the Big Bang -- "a dense monobloc of matter". I'd forgotten all about this odd expression until I stumbled over it last night re-reading Larry Niven's short story The Borderland of Sol. Googling reveals the word originates with Loren Eiseley, a scientist and philosopher, who seems to have coined it in his 1953 essay for Scientific American, "Is Man Alone in Space?". Sadly I can't get my paws on the essay, but I think Eiseley must have been using it as a way to refer to a point of infinite density. Well there you go -- I thought Saward must have made it up!