Difficult Questions

gilo · Post by **gilo** » 21 Oct 2006, 20:17

I have faced a barrage of difficult questions today. Please help me answer them. Two for starters.
- how far away is the sky?
- why is the rainbow lots of colours and why is it that shape. (I've got an idea on the colours but when I started to explain it got confusing).

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 21 Oct 2006, 20:29

I can't answer either, but have you seen the Boards Of Canada video for "Dayvan Cowboy"?

Gorgeous music set to a video of the world's highest parachute jump :

http://warprecords.com/dayvancowboy/

For some reason, I know that the German for "difficult questions" is something like "knifflige fragen".

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 21 Oct 2006, 20:39

Gilo wrote:I have faced a barrage of difficult questions today. Please help me answer them. Two for starters.
- how far away is the sky?

It's very far away. How far away do you think it is? A million miles? Yes, that's absolutely right! Clever boy/girl!

- why is the rainbow lots of colours and why is it that shape. (I've got an idea on the colours but when I started to explain it got confusing).

I would go for distraction with this one. Sing a song about a rainbow and then get your kid to draw a picture of a rainbow. Keeps them quiet for ages - teachers do this all the time.

Or is it your wife that is asking these questions?

gilo · Post by **gilo** » 21 Oct 2006, 20:43

Dadaist wrote:http://warprecords.com/dayvancowboy/

unfortunately it comes up as not responding when i tried to download.

gilo · Post by **gilo** » 21 Oct 2006, 20:44

Bob I can't believe your children fall for those cheap tactics.

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 21 Oct 2006, 20:46

No, not my children - my wife! She believes everything I tell her and she loves colouring in.

seanie · Post by **seanie** » 21 Oct 2006, 20:48

The sky question is difficult to answer because it's a category error. And that's not an easy concept to explain.

The colours are due to the differential refraction of different wavelengths of light in the visible spectrum. As light hits the rain drops some colours in the light are bent more than others so the light splits into it's constituent colours. It appears as an arc because the image is relative to the eye looking at it. The original light has to be coming at a particular angle to the eye for the diffraction to appear. The rainbow actually wants to be a complete circle centred on the eye but usually the ground gets in the way to spoil things.

That should be sufficient to satisfy any 5 year old.

Of course the whole light thing also involves quantum physics but since that's uterly nonsensical it's probably left till later.

Black Mamba · Post by **Black Mamba** » 21 Oct 2006, 22:45

If you want the biblical description............
After the flood was over God told Moses he would put a bright bow in the sky to remind us that he would never flood the world again.

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 23 Oct 2006, 12:45

What do colour blind people see when they look at a rainbow?
Red, orange, yellow, red, red????

bellybabe · Post by **bellybabe** » 23 Oct 2006, 12:56

I've seen rainbows that aren't arcs, or "bow" shaped. Does that make them just rain? Was there something wrong with the shape of my eyes?

The colour refraction happens at waterfalls and isn't necessarily arc-shaped.

If you were to share the bliblical bit with my son, he'd say "What about the tsunami then?". It would be much safer to just talk about quantum physics with him.

gilo · Post by **gilo** » 23 Oct 2006, 17:11

Bellybabe wrote:I've seen rainbows that aren't arcs, or "bow" shaped. The colour refraction happens at waterfalls and isn't necessarily arc-shaped.

Yeah Seanie, not so clever now.

Pal of Porty · Post by **Pal of Porty** » 23 Oct 2006, 19:52

Rainbows - Play 'Dark Side of the Moon' and try and work out how rainbows are formed by studying the album cover and chillin' to the fantastic music.

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 23 Oct 2006, 21:56

Rainbows, the arc ones we see, are caused by the "white" sunlight being reflected and refracted within the water droplets, giving us the spectrum red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.
Light can also be broken up by diffraction giving the spectrum again but not in arc form . I've seen this in clouds

Whether you believe a divine being caused this or that it's law of nature is up to you.

Some pretty pictures at

www.sundog.clara.co.uk/rainbows/primary.htm

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 23 Oct 2006, 22:49

Whilst there is an element of truth in all your rainbow analysis. None of you can explain how come Cillla Black could sing a rainbow and she is from liverpool.

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 23 Oct 2006, 23:16

While everyone is entitled to their opinion I dispute the statement that Cilla Black can sing

Jamesie · Post by **Jamesie** » 06 Nov 2006, 14:37

Dadaist wrote:I can't answer either, but have you seen the Boards Of Canada video for "Dayvan Cowboy"?

Gorgeous music set to a video of the world's highest parachute jump :

http://warprecords.com/dayvancowboy/

For some reason, I know that the German for "difficult questions" is something like "knifflige fragen".

A difficult question for me is "Where in the Pentlands is Hexagon Sun, where Boards of Canada have a studio in a disused nuclear bunker?"

Stumped if I can figure out where it is meant to be.

Cleopas · Post by **Cleopas** » 12 Nov 2006, 01:38

Google for the lyrics of "I Can Sing A Rainbow".

The sky is high so you can't touch it and spoil it's beauty.

Cilla Black can't sing at all! No Surprise Surprise there then!!!

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 13 Nov 2006, 00:19

Lyrics for " I can sing a rainbow" Hmm . Nice , but not factual. Pink? ?

See they've got Cilla singing for the Ferro Rocher adverts. Great, 2 of my least favourite things together.

Cleopas · Post by **Cleopas** » 13 Nov 2006, 00:44

Jamesie wrote:

A difficult question for me is "Where in the Pentlands is Hexagon Sun, where Boards of Canada have a studio in a disused nuclear bunker?"

I know what you mean. I have difficulty with "Where is your late grandfather's gold watch?"

As far as I know, I believe I gave it away as a prize to a guy when I was 8, after he beat me at swimming two lengths of Porty Pool.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 13 Nov 2006, 00:52

Cleopas wrote:Google for the lyrics of ... Cilla Black ... Surprise Surprise

The more the world is changing, the more it stays the same
Life is full of small surprises, it's a never ending game
If nothing is impossible, will you believe your eyes
If the unexpected brings a smile, that's a big surprise

Surprise, surprise, the unexpected hits you between the eyes
The unpredictable, that's the surprise you see, surprise! surprise!

When you've found a love that's lost it's way, that's a nice surprise
And when you don't know what's in store today, that might bring surprise
It's the greatest feeling in the world, nobody denies

Surprise, surprise, the unexpected hits you between the eyes,
The unpredictable, that's the surprise you see, surprise! surprise!

We don't know what's around the corner, living from day to day
We never know when we'll fall in love, so let it carry you away

Surprise, surprise, the unexpected hits you between the eyes,
The unpredictable, that's the surprise you see, surprise! surprise!

Surprise, surprise, it's the greatest feeling nobody denies
It's laughter, love and joy in disguise
The unpredictable, that's the surprise you see, surprise! surprise!

Surprise, surprise, the unexpected hits you between the eyes,
It's laughter, love and joy in disguise
And all the wealth can't bring us what it buys

(Fade out)

'Cause it's the greatest feeling nobody denies

Surprise!

Surprise, surprise, the unexpected hits you between the eyes.

Cleopas · Post by **Cleopas** » 13 Nov 2006, 00:56

Dadaist wrote

Cleopas wrote:
Google for the lyrics of ... Cilla Black ... Surprise Surprise

No I didn't! You cobbled that!!!

Like I said before and I'll say it again ... Dada ... you're a very sick individual!!

What did we do to deserve Cilla Black in our lifetimes???

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 13 Nov 2006, 01:02

Cleopas wrote:
What did we do to deserve Cilla Black in our lifetimes???

Must have been really bad in a previous one, you and me both

gilo · Post by **gilo** » 11 Dec 2006, 20:41

On the way to school wean looks at half moon and says "part of the moon is behind the cloud". I reply that it isn't and go on to explain why the size and the shape of the moon keeps changing by saying.......and that's where I got stuck. It seemed so obvious in my head, but I couldn't explain it, any ideas?

Cleopas · Post by **Cleopas** » 11 Dec 2006, 20:58

How about the truth, Gilo??

Atmospheric phenomena like clouds and so on, obscures our view of the Moon.

Or go down the Wiccan nature route with Hunters Moon, Sickle Moon, Harvest Moon, etc.

I got a Lunar Calendar for my neice two years ago ...

Look here ... www.pburch.net/lunarcal.html

Of course, you could go the Homer Simpson route and deny everything!

bearcub · Post by **bearcub** » 11 Dec 2006, 21:32

Cos a large furry lunar mouse keeps nibbling away at it.

Or maybe because the Earth gets between the Sun and the Moon, and as the Earth revolves round the Sun it casts a smaller/greater shadow each night. Hey, I don't even know if that's right.....and I preferred my first explanation anyway.

Nelson Hatstand · Post by **Nelson Hatstand** » 12 Dec 2006, 10:30

gilo wrote:On the way to school wean looks at half moon and says "part of the moon is behind the cloud". I reply that it isn't and go on to explain why the size and the shape of the moon keeps changing by saying.......and that's where I got stuck. It seemed so obvious in my head, but I couldn't explain it, any ideas?

You need this.

gilo · Post by **gilo** » 01 Jan 2007, 16:31

I've had some tough ones today about God and creation. I bought "How Things Work" book for Christmas but it doesn't cover this kind of stuff, and I'm tired.

Messalina · Post by **Messalina** » 01 Jan 2007, 17:59

I tell my little brothers it's all on the Internet and God gives you extra points for doing your own research.

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 01 Jan 2007, 21:41

Messalina wrote:I tell my little brothers it's all on the Internet and God gives you extra points for doing your own research.

Ah what did we do before google and the net?
Had to look it all up in books, or think and philosophise.
Now we do it all on POL

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 01 Jan 2007, 21:42

SoupDragon wrote:Ah what did we do before google and the net?

exactly. I couldn't live without google

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 01 Jan 2007, 22:03

The number of times I've been asked questions to which "I reply hang on while I google that". So useful, Wikipedia too.
Got text the other day from Clanger 2 asking where the group Placebo are from.
Able to text him back within minutes with the answer. Smug mode

PS the answer was they formed in London when 2 (1 Swedish, 1 Belgian) met by chance having been schoolmates in Luxembourg

bellybabe · Post by **bellybabe** » 01 Jan 2007, 23:41

SoupDragon wrote: Ah what did we do before google and the net?
Had to look it all up in books, or think and philosophise.
Now we do it all on POL

and

Sandra wrote:exactly. I couldn't live without google

Huh.

Well, now we know just how important we are to you. *sniff*

foxy · Post by **foxy** » 02 Jan 2007, 00:41

The questions never stop...tonight on the way home in the car...do petrol stations stay open all night....what time do pubs close...whats going to happen to all the 16 year olds who already smoke....why would someone have a pit bull when they know they're dangerous etc etc etc...exhausting

ali · Post by **ali** » 02 Jan 2007, 00:48

foxy wrote:The questions never stop.......what time do pubs close..

planning ahead.....

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 02 Jan 2007, 00:48

You're all very important, Bellybabe.
I just meant Pol added an extra dimension, first we were looking up books, then google now we do both, then post on Pol and get some interesting and varied answers to life, the universe and everything ( Yeah yeah 42 I know).
eg I've learnt how to post avatars, upload photos, that drinking valerian tea helps sleep, that some people like absinthe, oh also there's something about a new school

Talk Porty ~ Portobello

Difficult Questions

Difficult Questions

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