Category Archives: Uncategorized

QUESTION: How are volcanoes formed? ANSWER:  The Earth’s surface consists for huge plates that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.  These plates float on a liquid-like layer called the mantle. These large tectonic plates are in very slow but constant … Continue reading →

Visited the Benelux countries. My wife, Ann, and I just returned from two weeks visiting Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg. We did the Trafalgar bus tour of about 50 people- one third from the United States, one third from Canada, and … Continue reading →

QUESTION: Is there any way to predict when we can see good Northern Lights? ANSWER: Predictions are good for a few hours or one day at best.  Predictions are based on satellite observations of sunspots and solar flares. The Geophysical … Continue reading →

QUESTION: Why are raindrops round? ANSWER: Ah, an excellent question. So simple and graceful.  During his Miracle Year (Annus Mirabilis) of 1905, Albert Einstein  wrote four major papers: the photoelectric effect, Brownian motion, special relativity, and mass-energy equivalence. His 1921 … Continue reading →

My wife, Ann, and I just returned from a 10 day trip to the South. We toured  the giant John Deere Harvester factory in Moline, Illinois where they make those big green combines you see all over the United States. Viewed an … Continue reading →

QUESTION: Why are the letters on a typewriter or keyboard all mixed up? ANSWER: The first typewriters were made in the mid 1870’s by the Remington Company. Mark Twain was one of the first writers to use one. The standard … Continue reading →

QUESTION: Did Thomas Jefferson ever invent anything? ANSWER: The third president of the United States was a busy and creative genius. Jefferson was an esteemed politician, statesman, farmer, writer, educator, and architect. He loved making things. “Nature intended me for … Continue reading →

QUESTION: Where is the Black Box carried on an airplane? ANSWER: Those data recording Black Boxes are actually painted orange, so that they will show up better in any wreckage. There are usually two of them and they are stored … Continue reading →

QUESTION: How are volcanoes formed? ANSWER:  The Earth’s surface consists for huge plates that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.  These plates float on a liquid-like layer called the mantle. These large tectonic plates are in very slow but constant … Continue reading →