Year: 1986
Type: report
Abstract: May fourteenth 1959"?chirped Michael."All right," said Cramps, "you were born in 1959 and it is 1971 now.Do you think that time started one thousand nine hundred seventy-one years ago?" "No, no.Zero is when Christ was born.But I see what you mean-there's a zero in the middle of time, too," said Michael.Seeing his grandfather's smile, Michael pursued the question."Are there any other zeros, Cramps?" "There might be," was the response."Tell me about your bicycle tire when you repaired it today -do you remember anything about its air pressure?""I guess so."Michael pondered a moment."The pressure gauge said zero when the tire was flat, but after I pumped it tight, it said sixty pounds."Michael wasn't sure where this topic might lead.Cramps sighed."I'm not sure that this will be clear to you, Michael, but the pressure in the air around us really isn't zero, either.Have you ever heard the weatherman mention 'atmospheric pressure'?"Michael brightened."Sure," he said, "he says 'The pressure is thirtypoint-oh-six and rising'."Then his face clouded."What does that mean?" he asked."See if you can't get your teacher to help you find out about temperature, time, and pressure, to see whether real scientists use zeros in the middle," said Cramps."He might have an encyclopedia or a regular science book.Who knows, you might be onto something," he said, with that same twinkle in his eye.Michael left for school the next morning with a determined air.Every day for a week he was late getting home.Finally, on a crisp, late Spring evening after the table was cleared, he spread a much-folded paper across it and sought out his grandfather."Mr.
Author: James F Schooley
Language: English
Subfield: History and Philosophy of Science
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W4253179306