Perfidious Facts

For some reasons, the internet can be very influential and sometimes facts presented in the web can be judged as a real fact. Sometimes facts presented in the web can be treacherous which lead to confusion and unimaginable mayhem to the academic world.

I was a bit revolted when I read one of the forwarded email messages from my friend. It says:

This coming October 17, 2008 the sun will rise continuously for 36hrs (1.5 days).

During this time, the US countries will be dark for 1.5 days.
It will convert 3 days into 2 big days.
It will happen once in 2400 years.
We're very lucky to witness this phenomenon.

Courtesy of CNN/BBC NEWS.

Mark your calendars now . . .

First, don’t you think the “American” countries lies from North to South and NOT from East to West? I mean, due to Earth’s tilted axis, at around 23.5 degrees, it would be utterly impossible. Besides, today’s not summer or winter. It’s the autumn solstice, which means the number of hours of day and night is equal – 12 hours.

And yeah, if Earth will stop rotating on its own axis, then it would definitely disobey the simplest postulates and rules in Physics.

People, relax. This is just a fallacy. Nothing will happen on the seventeenth day of October. It would be one of my dullest days ever, unless I have commitments for that day.

The problem is this: there are some things that can’t be wholly explained by Science.


Unless…