There goes my alarm clock. It's 6 a.m. How does my alarm clock
know when to wake me up? I wonder how a clock works. What is time
anyway?
It's getting light outside. Wow! What a beautiful sunrise! I wonder
what causes those beautiful colors. I wonder why the sun rises
and sets every day. Why is most of the sky blue? What causes those
clouds? Where does the sun go at night?
It's time for breakfast. What's in the refrigerator? I wonder
how a refrigerator works. Why is the freezer compartment at the
top?
Maybe I'll boil some water and cook some eggs. I wonder why the
pot is made of aluminum but the handle is made of plastic. What
makes the heating element hot? How do they make the electricity
I use to run the fridge and the stove? Why are eggs the shape
they are? When I boil water to cook eggs, why does the water not
just keep getting hotter and hotter? Why does it stop at about
100 degrees? How does a thermometer work? Why do the windows get
all "steamed up" when I boil water on the stove?
How does the toaster know when my bread is toasted just right?
Let's turn on the radio. I wonder how a radio works. How does
a sound made in a studio twenty kilometers away travel to my radio
and come out of its speaker as if the announcer were inside my
radio? Why do I get different stations when I turn the tuning
dial? Why does the radio get louder when I adjust the volume dial?
Time for a shower. Why does the curtain "attack" me
when the shower is on? Where does the water come from? Why does
it come out of the showerhead under pressure? Why does the hot
water in the hot water tank rise to the top of the tank? How does
the water heater know when to turn itself on and off?
Time to leave for school. It's quite cool outside. I'd better
wear a sweater. Why does a sweater keep me warm? Why does weather
change from day to day and from season to season? Why are there
seasons? Why are there days and nights?
I'm off to school now. It sure is neat how my bike works. I wonder
why it has gears. I wonder why my bike keeps going straight when
I take my hands off the handlebars.
Here we are at school. First class this morning is physics. Why
do I have to study this stuff anyway? When will I ever use physics
in my everyday life? Why can't I study something practical instead?
Now biology, that's another matter!
Gordon R. Gore
962 Sycamore Drive, Kamlcops, BC,