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Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Conversations with a Three-Year-Old: Physics

CHILD: Look! Look at my finger!

MOTHER: Don't stick your fingers in random holes in the computer. You know better than that.

CHILD: But, why shouldn't I do that?

MOTHER: Because you might get a shock or something.

CHILD: But why?

MOTHER: I've told you before. Because computers have electricity inside them.

CHILD: But why do computers have electricity in them?

MOTHER: Because computers run on electricity.

CHILD: But why do computers run on electricity?

MOTHER: Because computers need electricity to work.

CHILD: Why?

MOTHER: Because they need the energy from electricity to do things, just like how we need energy from food to do things.

CHILD: But, why?

MOTHER: Because!

CHILD: Why because?

MOTHER: Because I said so!

CHILD: Just because? Just because you said so?

MOTHER: Well, no, not really because I said so.

CHILD: Then, why?

MOTHER: Because e=mc². Can you say that? E equals M C squared.

CHILD: Because e=mc²?

MOTHER: Right.

********

I suppose this means he's feeling a bit better now. Right?

Too bad I'm not yet.

Edited to add: Bonus questions from the last hour:

"Mommy, what are Democrats and Republicans?"
"Is Hillary Clinton a Democrat?"
"Why is John McCain a Republican?"
"What does personal responsibility mean?"
"What does community mean?"

"Mommy, what is a virus?"
"Are viruses mean?"
"What do you mean viruses don't have brains? What is a brain?"
"But, why is my brain inside my head?"

"Mommy, why does your blog have all those whys on it?"

1 comment:

R said...

i want to come live with you for a week. i swear, your and isaac's conversations (or, uh, question/answer sessions) make my heart happy.