Comments on: Rational moms take a long walk

By: mandydax

mandydax — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 02:42:07 +0000

1m:10^9m, so to hike at the speed of light, you’d have to walk at 0.3m/s or 18m/min or just over 1kph. Light doesn’t leisurelyly stroll, it just crawls at this scale.

By: Wendy

Wendy — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 07:10:24 +0000

Look at that!! Even Pluto’s orbit is irregular!! Awesome!!

By: Michael

Michael — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 05:25:23 +0000

Rational Moms would make a perfect name for a group actively fighting antivaccinationists. I’m just putting it out there.

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 04:59:26 +0000

I’ve been wondering for a while about Pluto and Neptune. Supposedly one of the requirements of being a planet is “clearing your orbit” – Pluto was demoted, at least in part, because it has not clear its orbit of other bodies, such as asteroids and icy objects. But Neptune has Pluto crossing its path! So doesn’t that mean that Neptune hasn’t cleared its orbit, either? Shouldn’t Neptune be a dwarf planet?

It’s obvious that Neptune is a gaseous planet, whereas Pluto and other such objects are more likely captured debris or such – but that isn’t part of the reason Pluto was demoted, so it underscores the sort of arbitrary nature of demoting Pluto.

I’m impressed that the drawing includes the asteroid belt – that was something I was sort of ignorant of as a kid (along with Pluto’s weird orbit). Is that largest one Ceres?

By: Hugo

Hugo — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 20:29:21 +0000

Yes it is impressive, I sure didn’t know about that at his age and most adults I know don’t either.

By: bigjohn756

bigjohn756 — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 20:20:55 +0000

Hey! The ICR could use that kid’s drawing in one of their textbooks.

Off topic but very interesting: http://www.icr.org/article/4272/

By: Sili

Sili — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 20:01:51 +0000

I still think it’s pretty impressing that he got the orbital crossing in there at all. Doubt I knew that until quite late.