Nerd Word of the Day: Jonbar Hinge

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Jonbar Hinge (n.) - An event in history with two (or more) distinct possible outcomes, one of which leads to our familiar present, and the other which leads to an appreciably different world. A Jonbar Hinge is usually (though not always) small and unappreciated at the time, and its consequences are usually only felt in the distant, subsequent future. The term comes from the Jack Williamson short story "John Barr," wherein the protagonist's choice to pick up either a magnet or a pebble ultimately leads to either a utopian future, or global tyranny. And you thought the soup versus salad option at dinner was irelevant.

I bring it up because: JJ Abrams keeps using Jonbar Hinges to tell stories, either in the new Star Trek movie, the Fringe season finale or pretty much all of LOST, though we didn't know it until recently. Dude, seriously, you do good work but get a new schtick, preferably before the Star trek sequel.

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