Return-Path: Received: (qmail 4814 invoked from network); 8 Jul 2002 21:12:48 -0000 Received: from marstons.services.quay.plus.net (212.159.14.223) by mailstore with SMTP; 8 Jul 2002 21:12:48 -0000 Received: (qmail 7051 invoked by uid 10001); 8 Jul 2002 21:16:38 -0000 Received: from post.thorcom.com (193.82.116.70) by marstons.services.quay.plus.net with SMTP; 8 Jul 2002 21:16:37 -0000 X-SQ: A Received: from majordom by post.thorcom.com with local (Exim 3.33 #2) id 17RfgR-0005im-00 for rsgb_lf_group-outgoing@blacksheep.org; Mon, 08 Jul 2002 22:04:35 +0100 Received: from mta7-svc.business.ntl.com ([62.253.164.47]) by post.thorcom.com with esmtp (Exim 3.33 #2) id 17RfgR-0005ih-00 for rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org; Mon, 08 Jul 2002 22:04:35 +0100 Received: from ian ([62.252.204.57]) by mta7-svc.business.ntl.com (InterMail vM.4.01.03.27 201-229-121-127-20010626) with SMTP id <20020708210433.RICN302.mta7-svc.business.ntl.com@ian> for ; Mon, 8 Jul 2002 22:04:33 +0100 Message-ID: <000001c226bc$18a88680$39ccfc3e@ian> From: "Ian Kyle" To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org Subject: LF: Off topic but good for a grin or two Date: Mon, 8 Jul 2002 13:37:24 +0100 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2600.0000 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1106 Precedence: bulk Reply-To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org X-Listname: rsgb_lf_group Sender: I am indebted to my son-in-law for this gem. Is Hell exothermic or endothermic? The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington chemistry mid-term. The answer was so "profound" that the professor shared it with colleagues. Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)? Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law, (gas cools off when it expands and heats up when it is compressed) or some variant. One student, however, wrote the following: "First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate that souls are moving into Hell and the rate they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Some of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there are more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project then that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand as souls are added. This gives two possibilities: 1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose. 2. Of course, if Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over. So which is it? If we accept the postulate given to me by Ms.Teresa Banyan during my freshman year - that it will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you, - and take into account the fact that I still have not succeeded in having sexual relations with her, then it cannot be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and will not freeze. The student received the only "A" given." This guy obviously studied Eric Frank Russells diabologic! 73 de Ian GI8AYZ/MI0AYZ