Seasons...

[Higher_Desire]

We were talking about something really interesting in Social Psychology today.

How do the seasons change? How can you explain why the temperatures change during certain times? How come the moon doesn't always look the same?

Can you answer these questions? Give me your best explanation for why those things happen...


H-D

[Steve]

Just curious, but what is the purpose of discussing this in a Social Psychology class? These questions you list are all physical science related questions.

Its been a long time since I've had astrology, but if I remember correctly, doesn't the moon always look different because it's rotating itself as it rotates around the Earth.

Why do the temperatures change? It has to do with the orbiting of the Earth and the rotation of the Earth around the Sun.

[Aimee]

I just had a conversation about the moon and sun rise/sets the other day. A pilot told me that the sun sets in different places over the year (and also the moon is up during the day, etc) because of the way the earth spins. So, the sun doesn't move, the earth does!

[Higher_Desire]

Firstly, Aimee, We've known for a few hundred years that the Earth rotates around the Sun.

Secondly, Steve, I was wondering about that at first, too. However, it was used as a tool to show misconceptions in society. The researchers studying this asked those 3 questions I stated above to two groups of people. The first being 23 Harvard Graduates, and the second being a group of kids from a nearby highschool. Most everyone answered the same.

21 of the 23 Harvard Grads asked, and most of the kids all said what pretty much everyone in my class said. "The Earth moves in an orbit around the Sun, and when we're farther away from the sun, the weather is colder. The closer we are to the sun, the warmer it is." The truth is, the Sun's orbit is nearly exactly circular, and the sun is in the middle. The moon has it's own orbit around the earth. The earth takes 365 days to rotate the earth, and the seasons are cooler when a certain hemisphere is closer to the sun. Sunlight comes in straight beams, but when North America (Northern Hemisphere) is farther from the sun (therefore having the Southern Hemisphere closer) the Sothern hemisphere is hotter. And vice versa.

I was just wondering how many people here new that, considering so many people think the earth's orbit is more oval shaped with the sun at one side, as is a popular social misconception -- hence, a puzzle for Social Psychologists.


H-D

[facelessman]

the seasons changes b/c of the earths rotation in space...its not that much of a mystery.

[Aimee]

Firstly, Aimee, We've known for a few hundred years that the Earth rotates around the Sun.
We've probably known for thousands of years that H20 is the scientific name for water too, but that doesn't mean I can't be in awe over it the first time I learn it! Sheesh. Don't be so mean!

[Higher_Desire]

Sorry Aimee. I didn't mean for it to come out mean.

facelessman... it's not the WHAT that most people has a misconception on. It's the HOW.


H-D

[Aimee]

It's ok

[facelessman]

and thats what i answered