OT: The state of American education today?

Rich Grise wrote: ) While reading today's comix, I hit on this one: )

"By driving at 100 miles per hour in a car, if it were possible, IT WOULD ) TAKE MORE THAN 28 YEARS TO REACH THE NEAREST STAR - PROXIMA CENTAURI!" ) ) Well, yeah, significantly more than 28 years - more like 28 MILLION years!

Quite nearly 28 million years, actually. (By my reckoning it's about 28.3 million years.) So I'm guessing they just dropped that million somewhere.

SaSW, Willem

Yeah, probably a typo rather than pure ignorance. If it were true, existing spacecraft could easily do the distance in a few weeks.

I dunno about the accuracy of "typo" here, considering it's hand- lettered. ;-)

But that's probably kinda like "outtakes" in (on? of? from?) an animated cartoon. ;-)

Cheers! Rich

Look at the line break after "28." There's more than enough room for "years" after it on that line -- even enough for "million." There was no need for a line break, especially since they hyphenated a word in the next line. That was an editor or graphic artist who screwed it up.

I think they meant 100 *million* miles per hour, if that were possible.

Cheers, John

It would take almost 4x that to reach the nearest star.

Actually, it's often called "Sol".

It *is* true. It *does* take more than 28 years to get to Proxima Centauri. ;-)

Horace Connelly is retired, so he probably went to school elsewhere. He graduated in 1956, the peak year for SAT performance.

The Orlando Odditorium is 20 miles from his house. Connelly may have confronted the management about the fact, believe it or not, that Robert Leroy Ripley died on the air in 1949. If word got out, what would happen to attendance? I don't know why else the Syndicate would attempt to destroy his credibility by publishing a false factoid.

Particularly since, even driving at 100MPH, it's unlikely that the car is ever going to leave the surface of the Earth. ;-)

Spehro Pefhany:

Rich Grise:

Depends on what you mean "the nearest" *to*.

S. O. L. would do well to answer the subject line.

Actually, I had noticed that myself when I was double- and triple-checking my arithmetic; I just didn't post it. :-)

Thanks! Rich

It is less a hit on education as it is on whoever proofread the article.

What's a factor of 10^6 to an editor?

Jim

I think they meant "By driving in a car at 100 *million* miles an hour, if it were possible,....".

After all, it is possible to drive in a car at 100 MPH.

Just seems logical to me, and the numbers come out approximately right.

You're welcome, John

John - KD5YI wrote: ) On 3/30/2011 11:09 AM, Rich Grise wrote: )> While reading today's comix, I hit on this one: )>

"By driving at 100 miles per hour in a car, if it were possible, IT WOULD )> TAKE MORE THAN 28 YEARS TO REACH THE NEAREST STAR - PROXIMA CENTAURI!" )>

)> Well, yeah, significantly more than 28 years - more like 28 MILLION years! )>

)> Are Florida teachers unionized? )>

)> Thanks, )> Rich )>

) ) I think they meant "By driving in a car at 100 *million* miles an hour, ) if it were possible,....". ) ) After all, it is possible to drive in a car at 100 MPH. ) ) Just seems logical to me, and the numbers come out approximately right.

Yes, the 'if it were possible' was a big hint. I wonder what the time dilation is at a 100 million miles an hour. After all, it's almost 15% of lightspeed.

SaSW, Willem

You can make the calculations. I'd be interested in your results.

John

Note that the point of reference is not stated. So, if you choose to answer your own question, take all points of reference into account.

John

It's also quite impossible to drive a car through outer space. :-)

Cheers! Rich

I noticed the smiley face this time.

Cheers to you, too. john