We sat in his living room, books and DVDs on a wide range of scientific topics stacked about here and there. He stood unsteadily and walked to his kitchen in a manner that suggested the effort required some concentration. A few minutes later, he returned with two potent cups of coffee, the small ones of the type Europeans prefer. He held them uncertainly in his right hand, his left arm immobile by his side. These were the lingering effects of a stroke he had suffered only a few months before.
