It’s a legitimate question. If more kids had the nerve to ask such questions in school, then maybe we would have fewer adults declaring that the world is flat.
It’s fun to ask questions like:- why do we experience winter and summer?- why do the moon and sun rise and fall?- what’s happening when we see a solar eclipse?
Actually, it is a good question and one that is not easily answered. Given cold air is denser and heavier than warm/hot one would expect the valleys to be colder than the mountain tops.
It is hard to really understand the grand scale of space, especially with sci-fi that makes buzzing between solar systems seem like little more than a “road trip” with big fancy technology.
Colorado’s 14,000 feet mountains are only six or seven thousand feet above their base, but let’s start from sea level. Pike’s Peak at 14,111 feet (last measurement I heard), is 2.6725 miles above sea level. Divide that by 93,000,000 miles (actually our orbit is elliptical so that’s rarely correct) and the result is … 0.00000287369664385793 percent difference.
Many moons ago, I worked in a family owned auto parts store. During the winter (in PA) it would get a bit cold. There was a heater attached to the ceiling and we would have to point the vents down towards us every morning. One morning after getting the ladder and pointing the vents down, the owner came up front and started yelling about wasting heat by pointing the vents down. One of the guys said that heat rises so for us to get any we had to point the vents down. An argument thus ensued as to whether or not heat rises or falls. The owner, as proof that heat falls thus declared “Heat falls, that is why there is snow on the mountain.” We gave up and wore our coats. Yes Virginia, there are people who think heat “falls”.
Ive taught math and logic to college educated adults for over 20 yrs. Getting anyone to understand order of magnitude is a massive challenge. In the same way some here talk of thinning atmosphere, dude did you ever miss the point. Yikes.
Yakety Sax about 1 year ago
Still clueless, ain’t he?
Pharmakeus Ubik about 1 year ago
At least he’s made it past the Ptolemaic system.
Shirl Summ Premium Member about 1 year ago
Lord help everybody else in that classroom, it’s gonna be a long year.
M2MM about 1 year ago
Is he being willfully ignorant? Or, is he just being stupid. :P
unfair.de about 1 year ago
Trying to draw to scale would need a crazy big blackboard (or whiteboard nowadays).
unfair.de about 1 year ago
Did they adopt school uniforms? Every student seems to wear the same green Polo Shirt.
Just-me about 1 year ago
I think he spent a bit too much time at the top of the mountain in the thin air…
P51Strega about 1 year ago
It’s a legitimate question. If more kids had the nerve to ask such questions in school, then maybe we would have fewer adults declaring that the world is flat.
P51Strega about 1 year ago
The teacher should give them the answer (thinner atmosphere) instead of belittling the question. Sarcasm from a teacher is really sad.
NeedaChuckle Premium Member about 1 year ago
Saw snow in a rocky crevice in the Rockies in July!! Shaded from the sun.
MC4802 Premium Member about 1 year ago
It’s fun to ask questions like:- why do we experience winter and summer?- why do the moon and sun rise and fall?- what’s happening when we see a solar eclipse?
Alberta Oil Premium Member about 1 year ago
Actually, it is a good question and one that is not easily answered. Given cold air is denser and heavier than warm/hot one would expect the valleys to be colder than the mountain tops.
pinelakewi about 1 year ago
Seems to me, the teacher is trying to get Toby to use his brain, and not sarcastically.
MeGoNow Premium Member about 1 year ago
Good think that “permanent record” thing is a myth, but he’s probably destined for some sort of shovel work anyway.
raybarb44 about 1 year ago
Missing the point that she is making it would seem…..
car2ner about 1 year ago
It is hard to really understand the grand scale of space, especially with sci-fi that makes buzzing between solar systems seem like little more than a “road trip” with big fancy technology.
poppacapsmokeblower about 1 year ago
Colorado’s 14,000 feet mountains are only six or seven thousand feet above their base, but let’s start from sea level. Pike’s Peak at 14,111 feet (last measurement I heard), is 2.6725 miles above sea level. Divide that by 93,000,000 miles (actually our orbit is elliptical so that’s rarely correct) and the result is … 0.00000287369664385793 percent difference.
Purple-Stater Premium Member about 1 year ago
Kinda like a climate change denier trying to comprehend why winter still happens.
pchemcat about 1 year ago
Many moons ago, I worked in a family owned auto parts store. During the winter (in PA) it would get a bit cold. There was a heater attached to the ceiling and we would have to point the vents down towards us every morning. One morning after getting the ladder and pointing the vents down, the owner came up front and started yelling about wasting heat by pointing the vents down. One of the guys said that heat rises so for us to get any we had to point the vents down. An argument thus ensued as to whether or not heat rises or falls. The owner, as proof that heat falls thus declared “Heat falls, that is why there is snow on the mountain.” We gave up and wore our coats. Yes Virginia, there are people who think heat “falls”.
Kevin Parker Premium Member about 1 year ago
Ever tried to argue with a flat earther?
AtomicForce91 Premium Member about 1 year ago
Since when does Toby’s school have uniforms?
kate98 Premium Member about 1 year ago
Ive taught math and logic to college educated adults for over 20 yrs. Getting anyone to understand order of magnitude is a massive challenge. In the same way some here talk of thinning atmosphere, dude did you ever miss the point. Yikes.