The Straight Dope 10/14/2005

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

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THE STRAIGHT DOPE 10/14/2005

Dear Cecil:

William Shakespeare was the greatest English-language writer
of all time. I know this because everyone says so. Heck, I
even read some Shakespeare back in high school. The hitch is
simple--I don't get it. Sure, Willy's plays are timeless
tales of love and revenge and whatnot. Lots of people die in
them. These attributes are found all over the place, though.
What makes Shakespeare's work so much better literature than
Tom Clancy's? --Mark, Pasadena, California

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Cecil replies:

Shakespeare versus Tom Clancy, eh? I admire you, Mark.
You're a bozo, but you're a bozo with brass. What's more,
you raise a question that deserves an answer. Fact is,
neglecting the handful of fey creatures who claim they
grokked Shakespeare upon first hearing "to be or not to be,"
few people get him right out of the box. The obstacle is his
lofty language, much of which can only be grasped with
footnotes, and sometimes not then. Because lofty language is
also Shakespeare's chief claim to glory--I agree, timeless
tales and whatnot are a dime a dozen--we've got a problem. I
don't promise miracles, but if you're willing to invest a
few hours in a guy whose reputation has endured for more
than 400 years, maybe you'll get a glimpse of what makes
Willy worth lending an ear.

Shakespeare was one of the most inventive English stylists
to hoist a quill, but for just that reason flirted with
incomprehensibility even in his own day--a problem
exacerbated at times by his, shall we say, occasional want
of craft. 

For more, see:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/051014.html

STAFF REPORT

Dear Straight Dope:

What is at the earth's core? Molten lava? Rock? Hell?
Someone told me no one knows for sure. --B

SDSTAFF Karen replies:

Making vacation plans, are we? 

The inner core of the earth is a hot, dense solid sphere,
composed primarily of iron, with some nickel. Its diameter
is about 2400 km, about 19% of the earth's diameter. There
is some evidence [1] that the core is in hexagonal
crystalline form, possibly one giant crystal! 

Surrounding the inner core is a layer of outer core 2300 km
thick. The outer core is liquid, again [2] mostly iron (85%)
with some nickel (5%) and some lighter element(s) (10%). The
heat-induced roiling in this liquid iron layer is what
creates the earth's magnetic field. Together the outer and
inner core comprise 1/8 of the earth's volume, but 1/3 of
the earth's mass. 

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

STRAIGHT DOPE CLASSIC - 12/20/1985

Dear Cecil: 

One night as I was about to nod off to sleep, I felt a lot
of energy hitting me. It felt great. As I was lying there
enjoying it, I saw a small black cloud in the corner of the
ceiling. It slowly came down and landed on my chest. I
couldn't move. I tried desperately to struggle but was
completely paralyzed. After what seemed an eternity, the
"cloud" was gone and I was able to move. I was scared
witless and stayed up the rest of the night with the light
on. The same thing has happened several times since, with
slight variations. I am able to avoid any paralysis by lying
on my side or stomach. Every time this has happened except
once I've been alone in the room. The one time someone else
was sleeping in the room they didn't notice anything. Cecil,
what's going on? --P.S., Washington, D.C.  

Cecil replies: 

Jeepers, P., I dunno. Could be it's a relatively harmless
phenomenon called "early sleep paralysis," which occurs in
about 15-20 percent of the population. On the other hand, it
could be a symptom of narcolepsy, epilepsy, or, for that
matter, dietpepsy, which results from excessive consumption
of sugar-free beverages. (Sorry, couldn't help it.) Signs of
narcolepsy include sleep paralysis and "hypnagogic
hallucinations"--"extremely vivid dreamlike experiences that
occur as the individual is falling asleep [e.g., descending
black clouds, one supposes]. Such dreams are often difficult
to distinguish from waking experiences" (W.C. Orr, in The
Sleep Disorders, 1982). Also sez here that "normal subjects
may have an occasional sleep paralysis when awakening;
[sleep-onset-only] paralysis suggests narcolepsy." By far
the most common symptom of narcolepsy, however, is excessive
daytime sleepiness, including frequent "sleep attacks." If
you've got that too, you poor guy, hustle over to a
sleep-disorder specialist for a confirmed diagnosis. Not
that it's going to help you much; narcolepsy has no cure. 

For more, see:
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_408.html

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