Some light reading

Grandboy (playing a video game): Look, my guy is in a lighthouse.

Me: That’s pretty cool, having a house you can pick up.

Grandboy: Huh?

Me: Because your house is very light. It’s a LIGHT house.

Grandboy: O no grandpa, it’s a house that MAKES light. It’s too heavy to carry. Except for the Hulk, he can pick it up. He can pick up ANYthing.

Me: I bet he can’t pick up GRAVITY

Grandboy: O YES HE CAN. He can pick up THE UNIVERSE

Me: Well, if he’s picking up the universe, what’s he standing on? He has to stand on SOMETHING to pick up everything else.

Grandboy: He just CAN, alright, gwumpa?

Me: Ok fair nuff.

Me (waiting a few mins): So how heavy is light? Can the Hulk pick that up?

Grandboy: Yes he- o wait, no cuz it doesn’t WEIGH anything. You can’t carry it around.

Me (waiting a few mins more): So if light doesn’t weigh anything, how fast can it go? It has to travel because if you’re in a dark room and switch on the light, it moves from the light bulb to your eyes.

Grandboy: Hm maybe BILLIONS and BILLIONS. It’s the fastest thing in the WORLD. That’s why the Flash has LIGHTNING on his costume.

Ok that’s general relativity framed up, on to quantum mechanics… just have to make sure he’s learning real science and not comic book physics 😛




What’s in a name?

Grandboy (reading a name): Maaarrco. Is that a boy or girl name?
Me: That’s a boy’s name. Usually names that end in ‘o’ are boys’ names. Names that end with ‘a’ are usually for girls. Like ‘Maria’ and ‘Sophia’ and
Grandboy: …and ‘Noah’




The Fall of Autumn

Me: O look. The leaves are falling because it’s FALL.
Grandboy: Autumn gwumpa. AUTUMN
Me: What are them Yankees learnin’ yew in thet thar school o’yers, youngun?