Since I grew up reading Sci-Fi, watching PBS, and now watch virtually nothing but the various Discovery Channels, I fancy myself a Science Guy.
(In the same sad way Cliff Clavin was an expert on everything)
However, a lot of the science that's being touted as WOW! breakthroughs these days strikes me as either shrug-worthy or deserving of rolling eyes.
Such as this one: Moon's odd bulge finally explained.
Since the Moon was once new, its orbit was still a bit wonky. Since it was molten, it deformed as it rotated and cooled, and so is not sphere-shaped, but wider around the middle (from eating all that moon cheese?)
Obviously we have to do the actual testing to confirm what we believe are the reasons for certain formations - the scientific method is extremely important - but really, wasn't this reasoning pretty damned intuitive? Why did it take until 2006 for someone to confirm this?
Not long ago, I read another article where a scientist was describing the confusion with why the Moon's maria (giant floodplains of lava - the large dark areas we can see from Earth) exist only on the Earth side, and not on the far side.
Maybe I've oversimplifying things, but it occurs to me that maybe, just maybe it's because of the Earth's gravity? Hmmmm? If the moon can have such an effect on the Earth's tides, imagine the effect of Earth on Moon lava.
(In the same sad way Cliff Clavin was an expert on everything)
However, a lot of the science that's being touted as WOW! breakthroughs these days strikes me as either shrug-worthy or deserving of rolling eyes.
Such as this one: Moon's odd bulge finally explained.
Since the Moon was once new, its orbit was still a bit wonky. Since it was molten, it deformed as it rotated and cooled, and so is not sphere-shaped, but wider around the middle (from eating all that moon cheese?)
Obviously we have to do the actual testing to confirm what we believe are the reasons for certain formations - the scientific method is extremely important - but really, wasn't this reasoning pretty damned intuitive? Why did it take until 2006 for someone to confirm this?
Not long ago, I read another article where a scientist was describing the confusion with why the Moon's maria (giant floodplains of lava - the large dark areas we can see from Earth) exist only on the Earth side, and not on the far side.
Maybe I've oversimplifying things, but it occurs to me that maybe, just maybe it's because of the Earth's gravity? Hmmmm? If the moon can have such an effect on the Earth's tides, imagine the effect of Earth on Moon lava.
But I don't know anything - I'm just a Clavinist.
Maybe the moon just needs to exercise more?
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, "Who are three people who have never been in my kitchen?"
Archibald Leach, Bernard Schwartz and Lucille LeSueur.
ReplyDelete