fandomhigh | Applied Science | Monday

"Morning," Tyler said from his perch atop his desk. "Hope you all had a good break week. We're switching it up this week with a little critical thinking exercise."

He moved down in one fluid motion and started handing out printouts of an article (with the lovely comments section removed). "There is some very weird stuff in this world. You live in Fandom; you know that. But there's also weird stuff in the completely normal everyday world most -- well, at least half of us -- call reality. That is an article about things that exist in my world that no one can explain yet. it's modern technology that looks thousands of years older than it should be; it's a manuscript no one can decode; it's giant stone balls that no one can explain."

That stack distributed, he was back with more paper. "They left off Roswell, Stonehenge and the Moai statues on Easter Island, probably because they're too well-known and Stonehenge has turned out to be a graveyard anyhow." Spoilsport scientists.

"Anyhow, your assignment for the day is to read over this stuff and discuss your own, non-supernatural explanation for at least one of the things in your handouts." A beat. "'Aliens did it' could be true, but it still counts as supernatural."

[OOC: If your workplace filters the bastion of taste and sense that is Cracked.com, here are alternate links: Voynich manuscript - antikytheria mechanism - Baigong pipes - stone balls of Costa Rica - Baghdad battery - The Bloop.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The Voynich manuscript: Unknown alphabet, hoax, or just proof someone was totally insane? Pick a scientific argument explaining that or another of the "insane discoveries" and defend it. Ping off each other for maximum chaos!

Edited 2009-10-19 12:44 (UTC)

Calvin flipped through the description of the Voynich manuscript, when he got to the part about the various sections he frowned. "Isn't it obvious?" he said. "It's a women's magazine. A really old one."

"It's handwritten," Tyler pointed out.

Though it wasn't a bad theory, all things considered.

"Maybe a magazine with a tiny subscription base?"

"They lent it around," Calvin replied. "And read it in groups. That whole socialising thing."

"It's biology notes from an old Fandom student," Ben said with a nod, "and they were writing in their native dialect."

"Beautiful answer, Ben. Thanks."

//Reality-hopping botanists,// Jonothon agreed, nodding. //Not even a mystery, once yer've been a student on this island, really, is it?//

Of course, even before he'd come to Fandom, his theories might have included anything from space aliens to fairies. Earth 616 kind of broke people into these sorts of things right from the get-go.

"They should have been more careful with their notes," Ben said oh-so-solemnly. "Once we translate it, we'll all know which teachers they had crushes on."

//And which classes we can get away with being absolutely insufferable in,// Jono offered, nodding an equally solemn nod.

"Other than Granddad's?" Ben teased.

He was so deserving of the blue paint later in the day.

//Well, that one's entirely too obvious,// Jonothon decided, crossing his arms over his chest and nodding. //There are teachers yer might never think to terrorize, after all. Can yer think of any who noodle about with plants, at all?//

He'd be taking the blue paint voluntarily, later. As penance, or something.

Ben thought about it, then shook his head. "Maybe one of the older ones? We should ask the alumni when they show up this weekend."

Re: Discussion [10.19]

furnaceface - 2009-10-19 20:53 (UTC) - Expand

momslilassassin - 2009-10-19 21:04 (UTC) - Expand

furnaceface - 2009-10-19 21:27 (UTC) - Expand

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momslilassassin - 2009-10-19 22:31 (UTC) - Expand

furnaceface - 2009-10-19 22:33 (UTC) - Expand

"Ancient Egyptian night lights," Jennifer said with a nod.

"For which one?" Tyler asked. "Batteries or antikytheria?"

He only stumbled a tiny bit in pronouncng that second one.

"The batteries," Jennifer said. "I mean, there's only so much you can use a battery for in those times. And, you know how a pickle lights up if you send electricity through it? Well, the Egyptians were pretty much master picklers. Only they did it to people, and called it embalming. So... they probably had the stuff around to make night lights."

"Excellent point," Tyler said. "That's something we should do some week. Make batteries out of pickles."

"That would be fun," Jennifer said, smiling that she'd earned a compliment from the teacher. "The point about using the batteries to fool people into believing they had special powers is a good one too, and... night lights would play into that. You know, all 'look, I create light without fire!'"

This was just cool. "I'm thinking the Bloop is either underwater volcanic activity... or maybe one of those Portalocity portals opened underwater. Ooops."

"You might be onto something there," said Lion-o, nodding. "Some of those portals have dropped me off in some strange places. When I traveled home last week, the portal dropped me in a pit some of the natives had dug to capture an animal."

"Seriously! Is that their idea of a discretion, or a joke?" Dinah wondered. "Because they did okay when I went home, but coming back here always lands me on my butt at the Causeway. So annoying."

"I know! And there was no need for discretion, because my people were expecting me to arrive. At least I met some nice people who threw me some rope so I could climb out of the pit," said Lion-o. "Still, it was a little embarrassing to meet your new neighbors like that."

Dinah snickered. "So, yeah, I'm assuming a Portalocity office got flooded somewhere when they opened the wrong door-- and thus, BLOOP!" She grinned. "Or maybe a volcano erupted, tough call."

"I'd be happy thinking about the poor idiot at Portalocity that had to mop up the office after it got flooded," said Lion-o with a grin.

"I kinda like the fishing thing for the pipes. As for the bloop, I'd say the Earth farted. Giant air bubble."

Momoko nodded excitedly. "I totally believe the sea noise is just a natural thing." She wasn't sure about 'farting' but... yeah. "Or it could be a sea monster? Like Gojira?"

Hush. She was from Japan; any mystery in the sea was Gojira.