Lately a number of blog authors that I read are undergoing divorce. It is sad to see it happen. It almost always comes to light with a post announcing that the divorce is pending, seemingly out of the blue.

I always wonder what went wrong, could it have been avoided, is it for the best, etc. All the standard voyeuristic questions that come to mind when watching a train wreck happen in real time. Usually the announcement leaves uncertain whether the event is to be regarded as a good thing for the author or not, which leaves one to ponder how best to comment and react. I suspect that many of us remain silent until the situation is clearer.

It is interesting in another way to a scientist like me. The first  questions that come to my mind are:

• Was there a definitive set of behaviors visible on the blog that preceded the announcement of the event?
• Can I use those behaviors to predict other occurrences?

I.e. is there a pattern and can I use it to make predictions that are testable. (The basic definition of any theory in science – if you cannot make testable predictions, it isn’t a theory but mere speculation.) 


Now that I have exposed my thinking, what goes through your mind when you read of divorce on some one’s blog? Are your thoughts impacted by your personal experience of divorce?