Today my classes read and discussed Science World magazine. One of the articles was about William Trubridge, who set a world record for diving to a depth of over 300 feet on one breath.
We'll forgive the young lass who inquired as to whether Mr. Trubridge took his breath before he dove under, or at the bottom of the 300-foot dive. Because even though most people understand that you must take a breath, which is air, before you go underwater, as it is hard to survive a lungful of the liquid dihydrogen monoxide, the article did not specify precisely where Mr. Trubridge inhaled. So it was an honest question, not meant to sidetrack those of us wise in the ways of water and the respiratory system.
Talk turned to the nature of the record-setting dive. How Mr. Trubridge had to get back to the surface to inhale, so he had to budget his time carefully, or be faced with a frantic rush from the hydrosphere back to the atmosphere. Lass Two announced authoritatively,
"Yeah. He has to be careful, because if divers come up too fast, they get the runs."
Let the record show that several classmates enlightened her on the difference between the runs and the bends.
7 comments:
THis is hilarious. I love how you write it. Hey wait a second what does this say about their teacher :) (I'll wait for the witty response to this)
Josh,
I teach them physics, with a side of earth science. I refuse to take responsibility for them not knowing that a human can't breath in water. That was something they should have picked up in their more formative years.
Sadly, they must remain uninformed until they take anatomy and physiology, or perhaps they can pick up a snippet in biology their junior year, which I also teach.
You expect too much from kids who don't listen to me:
http://hillbillymansion.blogspot.com/2011/05/that.html
okay I'll let you off the hook at this time:) Ooh fun do you dissect things.
I just read the not listening post. Thanks for sending me there I love the laugh:)
Josh,
I used to dissect LOTS of things when I taught middle school life science in another district. Now, dissection has fallen by the wayside.
Materials are way expensive. You can do virtual dissections online. However, we don't have the time, what with cramming in all of the competencies needed for the End of Course tests. Knowing where all the organs are is not vital to a well-rounded biological education. At least according to the state of Missouri.
yeah I mean why would we need to know that we can't do things and like.... breath under water as long as we can pass the test. Am I right or am I right:)
Josh,
Well, duh! As long as they can pass a 47-question test after three years of science, 12 questions which will randomly be thrown out, they know all they need to know for LIFE! At least for life in Missouri.
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