Coming back from Singapore....
...to Heathrow last year, on a flight which lasted 14 hours, I was sitting next to two English ladies of a certain age, one of whom had never been to the other side of the world before. They were discussing between themselves how it could be that:

a) It took an hour or two less to go out than it did coming back, and
b) it was a different time in Singapore than it was at home.

They seemed to think they were time-travelling or something.

Anyway, having listened to this on and off for 12 hours (no exaggeration!) I politely interjected and explained that I couldn't help overhearing them and would like to explain it to them, being a physicist as I am.

5 minutes later, a quick explanation of the jetstream and the difference between absolute time and where the hands on the clock are pointing, and they were sorted. I left out relativity though....

I wish I'd explained it to them earlier. The inane conversation was doing my bloody head in!
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Thu 10 Jun 2004, 9:23, Reply)