The Straight Dope 08/20/2004

The Straight Dope -- By Cecil Adams
http://www.straightdope.com

You are subscribed as: [[email protected]]

To unsubscribe CLICK on the URL below this line:
mailto:[email protected]
If you can't "click" above, then send a blank email to:
[email protected]
____________________________________________
THE STRAIGHT DOPE 08/20/2004

Dear Cecil:

Whenever I run into references to Ben Franklin I'm struck by what an
absolute stud he was. He discovered electricity, founded the postal
system, had a passel of kids, hit the French like Jerry Lewis, and
published Poor Richard's almanac. How much of this is hype and how
much is the truth? The other founding fathers seem to get much more play
even though they look like chumps in comparison. Why? Is there some deep
dark secret about ol' B.F. that makes him less attractive than Thomas
Jefferson or Sam Adams? --Chris DeHart, Poulsbo, Washington

~~~~~~
Looking for the perfect gift for that wedding, birthday, or
bar mitzvah? Straight Dope books are the very thing! See
http://www.straightdope.com/store.html
~~~~~~

Cecil replies:

Now, Chris. Sam Adams is remembered today mainly because he's got a beer
named after him. Thomas Jefferson, on the other hand, was president of
the United States and principal author of the Declaration of
Independence, which surely still warrants some public attention. As it
is, however, Jefferson gets his mug on the next-to-worthless nickel,
whereas Franklin, whose highest executive position in government was
postmaster general, is commemorated on the $100 bill, beloved by high
rollers, drug dealers, and other national role models. How fair is
that?.

In fact, if you ask me the real question is whether Franklin is more,
not less, famous than his accomplishments would seem to warrant. Let's
run through his qualifications for immortality, starting with those
alluded to in your letter: 

For more, see:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/040820.html

STAFF REPORT

Dear Straight Dope:

A summer infestation having turned the long lip of my kitchen counter
into an ant version of Route 66, I began to ponder: just how far away
can an ant nest be located from a food source? At some point, the ants'
foraging activities have to use up more energy than they're able to haul
back home, right? I began the process of outlining the standard
assumptions--average ant weight of 1 mg, each ant might carry ten times
as much . . . at this point the laziness factor kicked in and I thought
I might have better luck with this problem, not to mention fewer
mistakes, if I employed the services of your Science Advisory Board. So
how about it? --Robert Knecht Schmidt, Cleveland, Ohio

SDSTAFF Doug replies:

You ask a good question, although the energy calculation you were trying
to do doesn't enter into the answer at all--an ant colony can have a
column of workers going to a food source even in the unlikely event
individual ants lose energy on the deal. (I say unlikely because a
forager doesn't use much energy, and can carry quite a lot.) 

For more, see: 
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mantforage.html

STRAIGHT DOPE CLASSIC - 11/21/1986

Dear Cecil: 

Here it is, autumn. The leaves are turning colors--I don't care why. The
insects are going off to wherever it is they go all winter--don't bother
explaining where. The roadside stands are filled with Indian corn, which
I probably wouldn't like even if I knew whether it was edible. Oh, yes,
and cider.  About that cider. Indifferent though I am to most
manifestations of the changing seasons, there is one thing I have always
wondered about: what makes cider different from apple juice? I mean, you
never see those big sludgy jugs sold as apple juice, and you never see
the little cans of frozen concentrate sold as cider. Is it all just
marketing? Legal terminology-- i.e., if you freeze it, it's not cider?
It seems to me that the two things taste different. Is this all in my
head? Please answer before the snow flies. --Will C., Baltimore 

Cecil  replies:  

Science tells us, William, that there are limits to what we can 
hope to know about the cosmos. Offhand you wouldn't think the
cider/juice dichotomy would present a particularly compelling
demonstration of this fact, but think again. I have checked around with
most of the major manufacturers and with various reference books, and
the end result is that I have come up with three logical, plausible, but
totally contradictory explanations of the difference between cider and
apple juice. Take your pick:  

For more, see:
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_048.html

____________________________________________
Here's how you can get your OWN FREE Subscription:
Send a blank mailto:[email protected]
____________________________________________
Copyright 1995 - 2004 Chicago Reader, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
You may forward this document by email ONLY if you
include the entire document INCLUDING the information
at the bottom of this publication
____________________________________________
Visit our good friends at Joke A Day http://www.jokeaday.com
They're kind enough to mail THE STRAIGHT DOPE for us.
Join the World's Largest Daily Humor List and receive daily
laughs in your email by sending mailto:[email protected]