What Happens When...

You let your guard down, and think you know what to expect?

 

A couple of nights ago Archer told me a story about how he had asked his 5th grade teacher, "If you travel to the center of the earth, wouldn't you just get stuck there and never be able to go through to the other side of the earth?" His teacher never answered. But I have to wonder, isn't Archer right? Wouldn't Earth's gravity always be pulling you towards the center, so you could never go THROUGH? You'd only be able to get closer to the center, and not able to get back out.

 

Last night I was reading an interesting little book to Eli about travelling to the center of the earth. Its a combination of science fact and science fiction. It was much longer than I realized. And there were lots more words on every page than I expected. But whatever, we forged ahead.

 

We got down past the earth's crust to the the mantle. We were on the page about magma. I started talking about how when rocks get super hot, they MELT. You know, like how cheese melts when it gets hot? Eli asked if rocks could melt in your hand when you're holding them. No, don't worry, that can't happen. And then it came.

My smart kid came up with this serious question that completely blindsided me. "What about magic rocks? Do they melt?" I told him I didn't know much about the properties of magic rocks, but what does he think? He proceeded to tell me that YES, magic rocks can melt while you're holding them. They only burn you a little, not a lot.

 

We decided to leave the rest of the book for later, said our goodnights, and went our separate ways. To ponder magic rocks, and unexpected little questions.

Check out Leo Geo and His Miraculous Journey Through the Center of the Earth by Jon Chad - I think Eli picked it out because of its unusual shape, but its an entertaining read.