Amusing Child Stories #2635264
Last night we had huge trouble getting Bethan to go to sleep, so at my wits end 2 hours after bedtime I settled her in with Cerys' suggestion that I explain the Large Hadron Collider to her. Talking about the giant loop of particle death led on to the subject of the Big Bang and the beginning of the universe, and she drifted off to sleep with me explaining the origins of carbon and the beginnings of life. Bethan made my eyes bulge at one point, when I asked her "before there was anything, before anything existed yet, what was there?" and she thought about it and replied "Nothing."
So, fast forward to today, and I asked her "When we were talking last night, do you remember what started the universe?" and she responded by tapping her beaker against the side of the big bowl of popcorn she was eating. Thinking it an accident, I repeated the question... and she tapped her beaker against the bowl again, making a loud, resonant "DING!" I responded with "Does this mean you understand string theory?" and she grinned and looked away.
Next time someone tells you everyone is a believer until they get old, or everyone has a little magic until they get old, just remember this: Everyone intuitively understands complex concepts from the world of physics until they get too old and stupid to keep up. Probably around about the age of 5.
So, fast forward to today, and I asked her "When we were talking last night, do you remember what started the universe?" and she responded by tapping her beaker against the side of the big bowl of popcorn she was eating. Thinking it an accident, I repeated the question... and she tapped her beaker against the bowl again, making a loud, resonant "DING!" I responded with "Does this mean you understand string theory?" and she grinned and looked away.
Next time someone tells you everyone is a believer until they get old, or everyone has a little magic until they get old, just remember this: Everyone intuitively understands complex concepts from the world of physics until they get too old and stupid to keep up. Probably around about the age of 5.