Sir, – If Laura Kennedy ("Can you be an atheist and revel in Christmas? Yule bet!", Life & Style, December 14th) is still searching for an atheist answer to Christmas, perhaps she can find some comfort and humour in the ideas of maverick computer programmer Richard Stallman.
Stallman proposes that the 25th can be used to celebrate “Grav-mass”: a celebration marking Isaac Newton’s birthdate and a tribute to the observable physical laws that govern our universe.
One way to do this, he continues, is to decorate a tree with apples in such a way that they may detach and be delivered to the floor by gravity.
Unfortunately, Newton’s pursuit of alchemy and the philosopher’s stone bore no fruit and so cannot be drawn upon to assemble the Grav-mass gifts. – Yours, etc,
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JOSHUA LEE,
Galway.