Guillablility backfiring
When I was small (6ish, I suppose) I asked a pointlessly advanced question about space*. I was told (by people who, with good reason, didn't have a fucking clue) to "write to NASA and ask them."

So I did. Not knowing their address I simply marked my envelope: 'NASA, USA', and happily sent it off, with most people probably sniggering away at my belif it would a) get there and b) NASA would give enough of a shit to read it and reply.

However, it did get there, and NASA did reply. Not only with an answer, but also with a bloody massive pack of goodies and information on space. I was proper chuffed, and I like to think that those who thought I was being stupid falling for their "write to NASA" trick felt a bit silly.

Go NASA!







* "If you hang a string out of a spaceship going round Earth, does it hang towards Earth or trail out behind the spaceship?"
And about twelve years later I started a Physics degree. Can you see a pattern, children?
(Bearded Whumpus In chav Britain, schoolgirl offers sweets to YOU!, Thu 21 Aug 2008, 21:07, 9 replies)

BUT WHAT WAS THE ANSWER!?!?!?!

(big fat cocks, Thu 21 Aug 2008, 21:31, closed)

mIctoboy: (because so many other people have replied I have to make it clear)
Write to NASA
It hangs down towards the Earth.

THAT'S MOTHERFUCKING SCIENCE, BITCH
(Bearded Whumpus In chav Britain, schoolgirl offers sweets to YOU!, Thu 21 Aug 2008, 21:37, closed)

Fantastic
I wonder if they still do it now.


(gets writing a letter to NASA with my left hand)
(dchurch bah, Thu 21 Aug 2008, 21:54, closed)

That's actually pretty cool.
Us engineering geeks actually really love it when someone expresses and interest in what we do, and tend to be pretty generous with information. I would be that your letter made some engineer's day...
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Thu 21 Aug 2008, 22:17, closed)

Hmm
Guess what my eldest is doing tommorow!

I will share the goodies with her honest.
(Mookfish, Thu 21 Aug 2008, 23:40, closed)

That's brilliant, I can't believe they actually replied!
Terrific stuff
(The Oscillating Gibbon is eating curried squid, Fri 22 Aug 2008, 7:28, closed)

American comic Stephen Wright used to say:

"If you were driving your car at the speed of light, and then you turned the headlights on...what would happen?"

Have you got an answer to this one?
(Che Grimsdale Best before:, Fri 22 Aug 2008, 15:49, closed)

"If you were driving your car at the speed of light, and then you turned the headlights on...what would happen?"
Well, for one, you can't go at the speed of light. But if you were going very close to the speed of light in your car, and turned the headlights on, the light from them would be travelling at...the speed of light.

Everything else distorts to accomodate it, I think. Time slows down, that sort of thing.

(can you tell I don't really understand it, yet?)
(Musuko, Fri 22 Aug 2008, 18:15, closed)

@TRL
I know exactly how you feel - I'm currently doing atmospheric sciency stuff in an aircraft and yesterday we stopped to refuel at a commercial airport* - a kid had his camera pressed against the gate pointed at our plane. Was this young boy interested in atmospheric physics, and did he want to come and have a look round the plane?

Yes, he did. Unfortunately he couldn't have given less of a toss about the sondes, sounders and spectrometers and just wanted to talk to the pilots and see the cockpit**.

*_{Newquay, if anyone cares
**"You ever seen a grown man naked?"}
(LongJohnBaldry, Sat 23 Aug 2008, 9:57, closed)