Brain Teasers
Charon The Wealth
Nora Shekrie paid a visit to her niece, Saffa Moore, at Watts-Amata U. One of the first things Nora noticed was a tastefully framed poster over Saffa's desk, apparently a long-range photo of some celestial rock.
"Aunt Nora, did you know they just discovered two more moons of Pluto last week?"
"I read about it, but I didn't realize they had posters out already."
"Oh, this is just a photo some astronomy buff in New Mexico took. He made posters, and he's selling them for $10 each on Uzz-Bay. He included a whole web page on the physical features, especially the impact craters. He says he's working on his PhD. at UNM, y'know, at the Flagstaff campus? That's where Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto in the first place."
"I thought Tombaugh was from Illinois."
"He grew up in Streator, but he worked at Flagstaff when he found Pluto."
"Ah. So, what's so great about these craters?"
"Well, there are these elliptical ones in the upper right, pretty much pointing in the same direction, like they're probably all the same age, from one big meteor storm. Then there are a few teardrop-shaped ones here and there, and my favorite is this pair, where two of them make a cute little heart right where the moon's little behind would be. Isn't it darling?"
"It sure is. But I really think your parents should have a talk with a few people."
"Because I'm so excited about astronomy?"
"Because you're not learning enough to know when you're being cheated."
How did Nora know?
"Aunt Nora, did you know they just discovered two more moons of Pluto last week?"
"I read about it, but I didn't realize they had posters out already."
"Oh, this is just a photo some astronomy buff in New Mexico took. He made posters, and he's selling them for $10 each on Uzz-Bay. He included a whole web page on the physical features, especially the impact craters. He says he's working on his PhD. at UNM, y'know, at the Flagstaff campus? That's where Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto in the first place."
"I thought Tombaugh was from Illinois."
"He grew up in Streator, but he worked at Flagstaff when he found Pluto."
"Ah. So, what's so great about these craters?"
"Well, there are these elliptical ones in the upper right, pretty much pointing in the same direction, like they're probably all the same age, from one big meteor storm. Then there are a few teardrop-shaped ones here and there, and my favorite is this pair, where two of them make a cute little heart right where the moon's little behind would be. Isn't it darling?"
"It sure is. But I really think your parents should have a talk with a few people."
"Because I'm so excited about astronomy?"
"Because you're not learning enough to know when you're being cheated."
How did Nora know?
Hint
Look at a map of the Moon.Answer
"Saffa, this is a nice piece of graphic work, but it's fake. First and foremost, impact craters are round. Regardless of the angle or speed of impact, anything going that fast leaves a circular crater.""No way!"
"Yes way! Try it with marbles or candy in a tray of flour, or a sandbox, whatever you like. That's why lunar craters are circular."
"But he's getting a PhD. in astronomy!"
"His web site says that, but I doubt it. The Lowell Observatory is in Flagstaff ... which is in Arizona, not New Mexico."
"But what about my $10?"
"I leave that as an exercise for the student."
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Comments
This is a great teaser. Well written and fun to read. Super job.
Great job norcekri, very well done. Keep them coming. A lot of reading and some twists, liked this one
Awsome teaser. I was on track but not exactly.
Nice job with the obvious error (UNM in Flagstaff). It's what gave it away to me. Keep them coming though, it was well written and I do get stumped sometimes (Ask Redraptor50).
I feel like I am back in school. I learn something new everyday. Good one.
man! i cant believe i missed it!!!
i even went and looked at a map of the moon....haha well, that was a very good one.
i even went and looked at a map of the moon....haha well, that was a very good one.
Great teaser, keep them coming!
beautifully written.
i love it! great job!!
i love it! great job!!
I love this one!!! Very clever!!
i like it. the only reason i got it is because i was really into astronomy for a while.
This is a really great teaser, norcekri. Keep 'em coming and I'll be happy.
Excellent! I really liked this! Good job and keep 'em coming!
There is another obvious problem with the entire scenario. You said it was a photograph, an image developed using visible light. Now think about how much visible light is available at, say, Pluto. Almost all imaging of Pluto is done with other forms of radiation combined with astronomical observations of gravity wells.
This girl really shouldn't have been in college, but daddy was probably paying all her bills anyway, so what's 10 bucks to her?
This girl really shouldn't have been in college, but daddy was probably paying all her bills anyway, so what's 10 bucks to her?
Nora solves another one! I didn't catch the location error, but did catch the shape of the crater. Good teaser.
If they can see craters in Pluto's moon, something is wrong. Have any of you seen the best photographs of Pluto? Go do a search, the best was just one miserable dot. Soo....... you can see the crater and not the planet........
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