SuperBowl for Dummies: Magnetic Moon Boots

Some time ago, a survey was conducted to show the poor state of science education among the American Public. They asked the man-on-the-street: If you were on the moon right now, would you be standing on the surface or floating above it??? A large percentage (I forget how many) said ‘floating’ as the answer.

I think most of our CT audience knows the real answer: there is gravity on the moon, so you’d be ’standing’ on the surface.

When the survey showed the man-on-the-streets pictures of the man-on-the-moon astronauts ’standing’ on the surface, a second question was asked: “How is this possible??” The public came up with the classic answer: They are wearing magnetic boots.

Which brings me back to the SuperBowl FedEx advertisement showing an office on the moon, with paper and supplies (and even a dog) floating around. When the scene moves outdoors, we see astronauts ’standing’ on the surface. Sorry folks, you can’t have it both ways. To add insult to injury, one of the astronauts then ‘jumps’ off the surface of the moon into space !!! You need a really low microgravity condition (such as is found on a relatively small asteroid) to do something like that .

I worry for the future of America. Or at least the future of the SuperBowl commercial.

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