Sleepless Micromorts

Hmm.

This blog might be the place where I can do my insomniac ramblings. At least up until the point where people actually start looking at it.

No, don't worry, this won't become a whine-y: "I can't sleep...I STILL can't sleep" type of blog. I do actually have ideas in these early hours.

I recently read an article on the BBC website about the chances of being hit by a meteorite. The insurance industry actually has a measurement for this: 1/77th of a micromort per year, which, with our 77 year average lifespan, works out to ONE micromort per lifetime.

Which was fascinating in it's own right, but even more fascinating was the very concept of micromorts. They stand for, I believe, "micro mortality units", which are like little death tickets that the insurance industry allots to different activities. One micromort over a lifetime (from meteorites) is really small. You can get the same micromort from driving your car for for ten miles. But if you ride a motorcycle, you get three micromort tickets, because it's more dangerous.

Get it?

So, if my micromort understanding is correct, placing the muzzle of a loaded revolver up to your temple and pulling the trigger (don't try this at home) would get you 1000 micromorts, or one full "mort", since your chance of instant mortality would be about 100%.

But the little mortality tickets, the micromorts, those are fascinating.

And since I'm a creative, cartoonist, storytelling kind of guy...

I can see myself creating a character, Micro Mort, who gives out little death tickets. He's not evil, it's just his job. A lower bureaucratic functionary in the Angel of Death Insurance corporation.

It's a wonderful plot device too.

Hmmm...[he taps his finger on his chin as his head swirls with possibilities] "he'll have to be short, obviously..."

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