There are parts of the world (certainly not anywhere near here) where fireflies flicker their lights in unison. This has been known for a long time by way of international legends and local folklore, but it was first documented by an American photographer in Thailand about 40 years ago.

To this day, no one knows why this happens.

My dark-haired girlfriend will often give me an elbow to the ribs whenever I meet someone with any sort of background in physics. This is, of course, because she knows exactly what question I’m about to ask – I ask it every time. That question is: “What’s the deal with electrons?”

Electrons are tricky, unknowable things. Scientists can determine an electron’s path through space or determine where it is at any given instant, but it is impossible to know both at once. Furthermore, an electron can be on the tip of your nose in one instant and be resting on your shoe in the very next instant. The electron can travel without moving.

I talk about this with every physics-brained person I come across in hopes that they might be able to illuminate something I’ve overlooked. Surely there’s one little piece of information I’ve missed that will explain these supernatural abilities. But they all say the same: these are the rules. This is just how it is.

I bring this up because it’s worth knowing that when you look at existence on its smallest and most basic level, the only thing you can find is magic. That’s the only way I could ever think to explain the fireflies that glow in unison – magic.