Pages

24 August 2006

There Are Some Things You Come to take for granted...

....like the planets revolving around the sun. All 9 of them!

Reuters posted this story a few hours ago.

Two weeks ago we all knew what we had learned in 2nd grade: That there were 9 planets in our solar system. Then last week, they proposed adding 3 more. Now we have 8? I think Pluto deserves to be grandfathered in. Don't you?

And, as for the old mnemonic, what will we do without My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas? (Or Pickles as those of us babyboomers, who grew up before Pizza Hut & Dominos were regular meal options, learned it...)

Maybe this: My Very Egocentric Mother Just Served Us Nothing???? Cynical, but with a very contemporary feel of victimization to it. Maybe someone will come up with something better...

4 comments:

Carl V. Anderson said...

I have to say scientists be damned! I am all for the increase of knowledge but since none of the planets of our solar system save one are actually liveable, I don't see the harm in it keeping its planetary status. It would serve them right if suddenly we were subjegated to an alien racing hailing from what was once the 'planet' called Pluto! ;)

AC said...

My Very Egocentric Mother :)

I heard that if the 3 new ones get in, Pluto's MOON will qualify as a planet. Strange. Can you imagine how this will screw up third-grade solar-system mobiles?

Isabella K said...

I'd learned: Man Very Early Made Jars Stand Up Nearly Perpendicular.

My understanding is that Pluto's moon would not qualify — it can't be orbitting around something other than (or in addition to) the Sun.

Anonymous said...

Astronomers are not the only offenders. Ornithologists change bird names for no apparent reason thereby destroying history. My sister is a plant person and says that Botanists are even worse.