The OFFICIAL Unofficial Achewood Message Board
Trivial Pursuits => Science & Nature => Topic started by: linnea on August 25, 2006, 11:44:33 pm
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A tiny can of Dr. Pepper to whomever can CJ that Achewood comic for me. Ray says something about Pluto ain't bein' no planet at all, it's just a pissed off piece of snow. I thought that was particularly appropriate given the recent news concerning Pluto's non-status as a planet.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/5282440.stm
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I am very distressed by this. I understand that there is no reasonable definition of planet that lets in Pluto and not a lot of other stupid things. But tradition is also important. There is no reason the definition can't have, like, a grandfather clause or something like that.
Just another reason I hate academics.
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Link to newspaper story here (http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1156456211546&call_pageid=968332188854&col=968350060724).
"I think something like this opens people up to learning more and exploring more." said Julie Jones, a staff scientist at the Ontario Science Centre.
But, "do we change the exhibits to feature just the eight planets, or do we include the dwarf planets?" Jones said. Jones said yesterday's new OSC poll question, `Will you miss Pluto?' has generated a tremendous response.
"Some people are very nostalgic. But ... we can still love Pluto just as much."
Heh. Pluto, you will still have a place in my heart! You are a cold, tiny ice-planet that takes 248 years to orbit the sun, but inhabitants of a warm, water-covered planet still hold affection for you!
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A tiny can of Dr. Pepper to whomever can CJ that Achewood comic for me. Ray says something about Pluto ain't bein' no planet at all, it's just a pissed off piece of snow. I thought that was particularly appropriate given the recent news concerning Pluto's non-status as a planet.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/5282440.stm
http://www.achewood.com/index.php?date=10282004
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http://www.achewood.com/index.php?date=10282004
ETA: Shit!
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I am very distressed by this. I understand that there is no reasonable definition of planet that lets in Pluto and not a lot of other stupid things. But tradition is also important. There is no reason the definition can't have, like, a grandfather clause or something like that.
Just another reason I hate academics.
You think YOU'RE distressed? Imagine the Astrologists! What will they do now?!
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I'm lobbying for Pluto and Charon to team up and get admitted to the Solar System again as some sort of binary planet-equivalent system. USE YOUR POWER OF FRIENDSHIP, PLUTO AND CHARON! YOU CAN WORK TOGETHER!
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I'm lobbying for Pluto and Charon to team up and get admitted to the Solar System again as some sort of binary planet-equivalent system. USE YOUR POWER OF FRIENDSHIP, PLUTO AND CHARON! YOU CAN WORK TOGETHER!
It was suggested before, but Pluto is against the idea (http://www.brunching.com/conversationpluto.html).
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I'm kind of surprised that this has been such a big news item.
But perhaps I shouldn't be. It seems as if every kid that has ever been has had a childhood interest in the solar system. For me, the wonder of space greatly trumped the wonder of the world of the dinosaurs. I doubt I was in the majority, but if a dinosaur species would be reclassified, no way would it be headline news.
Anyway, I wonder if the kids today are still interested in the reaches of space and the history of the earth and all that childhood science, or is all their thinking tied up in da new shit. Will, "I wonder how big is space?" be replaced by, "I wonder how fast I will be able to download Snakes on a Plane?"
"How long will I have to wait to get a cell phone?"
"Oooo, I wonder how sharp the picture quality will be on my new cell phone."
I dunno. I don't have young children, nor am I willing to speak with them.
Only while typing this post have I realized the irony of doing reports on the universe in a catholic school.
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You think YOU'RE distressed? Imagine the Astrologists! What will they do now?!
Well, I guess they will still keep on doing whatever sells Astrology columns in the newspaper, as Bloomberg writes:
Astronomers have banished Pluto to second-class status. Not so astrologists: They're sticking up for the celestial body that had been the smallest planet in our solar system for 76 years.
``I'm going to continue using it,'' said Wall Street's best-known astrologer, Arch Crawford, who has studied the effect of the planets on the Dow Jones Industrial Average. ``They can stick it where the sun don't shine,'' Crawford, 65, said.
The International Astronomical Union's decision yesterday to relegate Pluto to the status of ``dwarf'' planet makes no difference to astrologers, who use planetary positions to predict earthly and human events. About 31 percent of Americans believe in astrology, according to a 2003 Harris Poll of 2,201 adults.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aEzSuJuMfbjk&refer=home
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Well, I guess they will still keep on doing whatever sells Astrology columns in the newspaper, as Bloomberg writes:
Well it's good to see they're as relevant as ever. I mean, I was really worried there for a second!
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Whether kids are interested or not, I feel sorry for all the school systems that now have obsolete textbooks, posters, models etc. that they can't really afford to replace.
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Whether kids are interested or not, I feel sorry for all the school systems that now have obsolete textbooks, posters, models etc. that they can't really afford to replace.
A good sharpie and a few hours of giving those kids a colouring project could fix that though.
"Teacher, what's this black blob after Neptune?"
*Teacher hits the Independant Thought Alarm*
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Oh yeah, like schools don't already have obsolete or completely incorrect textbooks.
Something tells me that Pluto's planetude will remain in question for some time to come. It'll just be one of those things people constantly debate even in the face of overwhelming scientific evidence, like evolution, the existence of the Holocaust, or whether the Nepalese are genetically inferiour to the Dutch.
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Medium Large (http://www.drinkatwork.com/2006/08/comic-for-tuesday-august-15-2006.html) has had some good Pluto strips. Though some of them might have been metaphors (http://www.drinkatwork.com/2006/08/comics-for-thursday-august-24-2006.html).
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Just because it's not officially a planet doesn't mean you can't mention it in schools, it just ain't no planet no more. Like the way your great aunt acknowledges your gay brother even though he's not invited to christmas dinner any more.
``They can stick it where the sun don't shine,'' Crawford, 65, said.
You mean..... pluto?
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My Very Earnest Mother Just Served Us... Noodles? Nematodes? Nectarines? Nothing?
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I must say I've never been happy with Pluto: even as a kid, when I loved astronomy, Pluto seemed out of place. You have four small inner planets, four large outer planets, and then you have Pluto. It's tiny, it's cold, it was named by someone not old enough to drink and it doesn't even orbit the sun correctly. The fact it's not in the Holst suite is some consolation.
As for astrologers, I've met some that don't include planets past Saturn as the "ancients didn't include them". Also some that include every rock ever named in the solar system. So you can't make everyone happy...
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You wanna watch that astrologer talk in here... We don't take kindly to that kinda thing.
No, but seriously, I hope they weren't consulted!
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You are a cold, tiny ice-planet that takes 248 years to orbit the sun, but inhabitants of a warm, water-covered planet still hold affection for you!
This was the cutest quote of the week for me. I will give you a tiny can now. There.
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You wanna watch that astrologer talk in here... We don't take kindly to that kinda thing.
No, but seriously, I hope they weren't consulted!
Me too. It's almost too bad Neptune and Uranus weren't named Le Verrier and Herschel after thier discoverers, it might make some interesting horoscopes: "An 18th century English Astronomer is moving into your second house, expect increased tea consumption..."
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"An 18th century English Astronomer is moving into your second house, expect increased tea consumption..."
Ooh, I like you.
A can sirrah.
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Me too. It's almost too bad Neptune and Uranus weren't named Le Verrier and Herschel after thier discoverers, it might make some interesting horoscopes: "An 18th century English Astronomer is moving into your second house, expect increased tea consumption..."
I move this be made valid for our next 'best first post of the year' award shortlist.
Thank you.
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My Very Earnest Mother Just Served Us... Noodles? Nematodes? Nectarines? Nothing?
Mary (Mercury)
Visits (Venus)
Every (Earth)
Mars* (Mars)
And (Asteroid Belt)
Just (Jupiter)
Stays (Saturn)
Until (Uranus)
Noon (Neptune)
Period (Pluto)
Knocking off Pluto makes the Mnemonic I learned make MORE sense! Good job, astronomers!
EDIT: This was supposed to say Monday. So sue me. :>
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'Dawg, I presume that's a mistype and that mnemonic does not actually make its memory aid for Mars "Mars?" If so, that's sort of... direct.
The version I like best of the mnemonic crisis is simpler, though: "My Very Elegant Mother Just Served Us Nine... nine what? NINE WHAT?! TELL ME, GODDAMN YOU"
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My very favourite comments so far on the Pluto issue, including takes on mnemonics.
Here (http://www.zefrank.com/theshow/archives/2006/08/082506.html#).
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My very favourite comments so far on the Pluto issue, including takes on mnemonics.
Here (http://www.zefrank.com/theshow/archives/2006/08/082506.html#).
I love Ze, that show is the light of my life. A can for you.