The streets and sidewalks get hot and stay that way. This may simply be the result of solar radiation absorbed and retained by concrete–but I choose to believe it’s the outcome of passion. The sound of laughter carries to your ears. It might be nothing more than a variable oscillation of pressure transmitted through the gaseous medium of air–but I know it’s the end-product of merriment. The water that falls from a public fountain and beats down on you with tiny fists, like some manic and undisciplined masseur, can be explained by 17th century Newtonian physics–but I like to think it’s the consequence of affection.

Welcome to summer. Frolic in the water, laugh with your friends, skip butterfly-footed across the baking sidewalk. It’s summer. Maybe not technically, but it’s summer. Even science deserves a holiday.