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You Just Got Learned!
Jan. 21st, 2015 09:37 pmWatchin' one of my coworkers doing a Sphere presentation. He gets to the moon slide.
PRESENTER: So what do you see on the moon?
KID WITH COKE-BOTTLE GLASSES: *raises hand enthusiastically*
PRESENTER: You with the Minecraft shirt!
KID: I see the dust of the man who wanted to die on the moon!
*pause*
PRESENTER: Well, that's a cool sciece fiction story! And I'm glad you mentioned "dust," because there's a lot of dust on the moon ...
KID: *droop*
But I was also glad he mentioned the word "dust," because in fact that made me suspicious. I knew about space burials, but I didn't know if there were any on the moon. So I looked it up, and hey--turns out the kid was right! Eugene Merle Shoemaker didn't die on the moon, but his ashes (hence: dust) did get sent up there.
I made a point to let them know during the presentation, just to vindicate the kid--if he's the kind of nerd I was, he was feeling a mix of shame and righteous indignation at being told he was wrong. (The presenter handled his weird comment beautifully, but that wouldn't stop me from feeling that way.) So instead he wound up feeling really awesome that he taught US something today.
FUN FACT: James Doohan's remains are having a hard time getting into space. They've tried launching his ashes twice so far and I think they're going to try again, though just when is a little unclear. Good luck, Scotty!
PRESENTER: So what do you see on the moon?
KID WITH COKE-BOTTLE GLASSES: *raises hand enthusiastically*
PRESENTER: You with the Minecraft shirt!
KID: I see the dust of the man who wanted to die on the moon!
*pause*
PRESENTER: Well, that's a cool sciece fiction story! And I'm glad you mentioned "dust," because there's a lot of dust on the moon ...
KID: *droop*
But I was also glad he mentioned the word "dust," because in fact that made me suspicious. I knew about space burials, but I didn't know if there were any on the moon. So I looked it up, and hey--turns out the kid was right! Eugene Merle Shoemaker didn't die on the moon, but his ashes (hence: dust) did get sent up there.
I made a point to let them know during the presentation, just to vindicate the kid--if he's the kind of nerd I was, he was feeling a mix of shame and righteous indignation at being told he was wrong. (The presenter handled his weird comment beautifully, but that wouldn't stop me from feeling that way.) So instead he wound up feeling really awesome that he taught US something today.
FUN FACT: James Doohan's remains are having a hard time getting into space. They've tried launching his ashes twice so far and I think they're going to try again, though just when is a little unclear. Good luck, Scotty!
