What's the closest star to the earth?

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tnf
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What's the closest star to the earth?

Post by tnf »

Asked my freshmen this on a quiz yesterday. We aren't studying the subject, but I wanted some quick and obvious feedback to give to administration about the overall lack of education these kids show up to high school with.

75% missed the question. Answers ranged from Mars to the Big Dipper to "why are you asking us questions about stuff you don't teach us?"

Also tried a question I heard another teacher had used somewhere -
"Is there gravity on the moon? If you say no, explain what allowed astronauts to avoid floating off the moon's surface."

I got the answer I was looking for - "No gravity. Astronauts stayed on the moon because they wore really heavy spacesuits."
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Scourge
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Post by Scourge »

:olo: 'Heavy' spacesuits with no gravity.

edit: IIRC, it's Alpha Centauri, right? :paranoid:

And the gravity on the moon is 1/6 of the Earths.
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teriba
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Post by teriba »

It's the sun.
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jester!
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Post by jester! »

Damn teriba beat me.
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Scourge
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Post by Scourge »

That's the obvious one.
Last edited by Scourge on Sat Feb 04, 2006 9:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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jester!
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Post by jester! »

scourge34 wrote:Fuck off. That's the obvious one.
And that was the question... :icon26:
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teriba
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Post by teriba »

You are proving the "lack of education" scourge34.
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Scourge
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Post by Scourge »

Well I figured he meant the closest besides the sun.
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Scourge
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Post by Scourge »

teriba wrote:You are proving the "lack of education" scourge34.
It's not a lack of education. I've known the sun was a star since probably before you were born. I just overcomplicated the question.
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Foo
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Post by Foo »

EDIT: Changed my mind
Last edited by Foo on Sun Feb 05, 2006 2:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
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seremtan
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Re: What's the closest star to the earth?

Post by seremtan »

tnf wrote:I got the answer I was looking for - "No gravity. Astronauts stayed on the moon because they wore really heavy spacesuits."
fucking lol
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teriba
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Post by teriba »

scourge34 wrote:
teriba wrote:You are proving the "lack of education" scourge34.
It's not a lack of education. I've known the sun was a star since probably before you were born. I just overcomplicated the question.
lol, how old are you?
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dmmh
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Post by dmmh »

he has a negative age
[i]And shepherds we shall be, for thee my Lord for thee, Power hath descended forth from thy hand, that our feet may swiftly carry out thy command, we shall flow a river forth to thee, and teeming with souls shall it ever be. In nomine patris, et fili, et spiritus sancti.[/i]
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mrd
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Post by mrd »

Wow...sounds like you got some smart asses in your class, eh?

Alpha Centauri is the closest, no? Besides our own fucking sun, of course.
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ek
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Post by ek »

There is no, the answer is "X" beside the obvious "Y". When the answer is Y and everything else is wrong. The question tnf asked was not complex or did not withhold any information you might need in order to answer his particular question. You just fucked it up and got it wrong. :p
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plained
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Post by plained »

damm hippies
it is about time!
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Scourge
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Post by Scourge »

teriba wrote:
scourge34 wrote:
teriba wrote:You are proving the "lack of education" scourge34.
It's not a lack of education. I've known the sun was a star since probably before you were born. I just overcomplicated the question.
lol, how old are you?
I'll be 40 in one more year.
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shadd_
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Post by shadd_ »

it's odd the closest star to us is only called the sun. no scientific name. yet we call other stars by a scientific name and also refer to some of them as suns.
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Foo
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Post by Foo »

Scientific name?

The names aren't scientific. They're just named.
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plained
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Post by plained »

sol?
it is about time!
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Bdw3
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Post by Bdw3 »

shadd_ wrote:it's odd the closest star to us is only called the sun. no scientific name. yet we call other stars by a scientific name and also refer to some of them as suns.
"Sol"

Edit: beat by plained..... :icon28:
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Foo
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Post by Foo »

plained wrote:sol?
original latin from which Sun is derived.
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Foo
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Post by Foo »

BTW the correct answer is John Candy.

They probably buried him pretty deep.
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shadd_
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Post by shadd_ »

Foo wrote:Scientific name?

The names aren't scientific. They're just named.
whatever.

http://www.r-clarke.org.uk/propernames.htm
Last edited by shadd_ on Sat Feb 04, 2006 11:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Guest

Re: What's the closest star to the earth?

Post by Guest »

tnf wrote:Asked my freshmen this on a quiz yesterday. We aren't studying the subject, but I wanted some quick and obvious feedback to give to administration about the overall lack of education these kids show up to high school with.

75% missed the question. Answers ranged from Mars to the Big Dipper to "why are you asking us questions about stuff you don't teach us?"

Also tried a question I heard another teacher had used somewhere -
"Is there gravity on the moon? If you say no, explain what allowed astronauts to avoid floating off the moon's surface."

I got the answer I was looking for - "No gravity. Astronauts stayed on the moon because they wore really heavy spacesuits."
what grade?
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