Re: Y chromosome, dropped magnet, S pole in Canada

[Brian Whatcott <betwys1@SBCGLOBAL.NET>]

At 08:03 PM 7/21/2003 -0400, you wrote:
> On Mon, 21 Jul 2003 15:15:26 -0600 Larry Smith <larry.smith@SNOW.EDU>
> writes:
> > At 9:10 AM -0500 7/6/03, John Clement wrote:
> > >Looking at the World Book encyclopedia, /// the first
> > >sentence is extremely bad.  "Magnetism is a force that acts
> > between certain objects called magnets."
> >
> > 1. Why is it bad?
>
> *** The statement is bad for several reasons.
> In my World Book Encyclopedia there is a picture of a hand holding
> a chunk of lodestone with a few metal paper clips hanging from
> the bottom of the rock. This certainly does not apply to a
> "force that acts between certain objects called magnets". There is
> only ONE magnet in the illustration.
> >
> > 2. How would you have worded it?
>
> *** It would have been better to say, "Magnetism is a force
> associated with magnets and magnetic materials".
> >
> > Thanks, Larry
>
> *** I hope that my contribution was helpful.
> *** Herb
> Herb Gottlieb from New York City
> A nice friendly  place to visit

How could I put it?
There are four essences, invisible, but known by their effect which is to
attract,
or in some cases repel. One of these essences is inherent in all materials,
and
increases with the amount of stuff. It acts always to attract. Its power
grows feebler at great height, or at great depths in respect to the Earth's
surface.

A second acts to attract or repel. It is made active by chemical or
motional means
and acts in two ways, one said to be due to the deficit or surplus of small
parts
of each atom in particular materials like copper or aluminum,
the other way is said to be due to the alignments of the small regions of
particular kinds of stuff like iron, cobalt and several others.

The essence of this second kind is made visible when certain rocks are
freely suspended or floated in little boats on undisturbed water.

They have the singular property of aligning in a particular  horizontal
direction which is roughly perpendicular to the direction of sunrise and
sunset in Spring and Fall.
Materials which demonstrate this essence can temporarily induce a
similar essence into iron wires which would not otherwise show any effect.

The essences of the third and fourth kind are deduced by examining
experiments where small atomic fragments are collided and which are
 beyond the reach of visualizing with everyday material resources.

(not entirely in jest)


Brian Whatcott    Altus OK    Eureka!