3 ms·

So we now have 8 continents and 8 planets? Just making sure my scientific knowledge is up-to-date.

umanwizard 9y ago
It's not clear to me that there is a rigorous definition of "continent", since different cultures enumerate them differently. For example, in the US, North America and South America are counted separately, whereas in many cultures "America" is one continent (and, a related issue is that many people in Latin America would consider the US and Canada and NOT Mexico as part of "North America"). Also in some cultures Europe and Asia are separate, and in some they are one continent.
- KGIII 9y ago
  When this first cropped up, I asked a few geologists and not even they know what a continent is. As near as I could tell, they preferred we stop using the term.
alok-g 9y ago
A power of two always helps! ;-) Anyone now for 8 days in a week? (Just kidding.)
- deathhand 9y ago
  An 8 day week would actually alleviate the pressures of modern society. Give people another day of rest. We have had enough efficiency increases that the extra day of rest wouldn't 'break the efficiency bank' so to speak. This would probably be in lieu of a basic income. I'd much rather have more time than some baseline of economic necessities but that is IMHO.
  - Girlang 9y ago
    Except that the day of rest needs to be on a 7 day cycle, corresponding o the day following the 6 days of creation.
forkLding 9y ago
And HN strikes again: A possible "Planet Nine" in Earth's solar system would orbit far beyond Neptune
- InclinedPlane 9y ago
  There are actually two hypothesized planets orbiting beyond Neptune. Planet Nine is pretty well accepted as a reasonable theory in the scientific community, sufficient enough to dedicate millions of dollars worth of observing time on some of the biggest telescopes on Earth to try to look for it. Planet Nine is expected to be around 10 Earth masses and have an orbit that reaches out to several hundred times farther from the Sun than Earth (AUs). The evidence pointing to a "Planet 10" is not nearly as strong but intriguing nonetheless, it's hypothesized to be a roughly Earth mass planet (or less) orbiting only maybe 2-3x as far from the Sun as Neptune

It's not clear to me that there is a rigorous definition of "continent", since different cultures enumerate them differently. For example, in the US, North America and South America are counted separately, whereas in many cultures "America" is one continent (and, a related issue is that many people in Latin America would consider the US and Canada and NOT Mexico as part of "North America"). Also in some cultures Europe and Asia are separate, and in some they are one continent.

KGIII 9y ago
When this first cropped up, I asked a few geologists and not even they know what a continent is. As near as I could tell, they preferred we stop using the term.

alok-g 9y ago

A power of two always helps! ;-) Anyone now for 8 days in a week? (Just kidding.)

deathhand 9y ago
An 8 day week would actually alleviate the pressures of modern society. Give people another day of rest. We have had enough efficiency increases that the extra day of rest wouldn't 'break the efficiency bank' so to speak. This would probably be in lieu of a basic income. I'd much rather have more time than some baseline of economic necessities but that is IMHO.
- Girlang 9y ago
  Except that the day of rest needs to be on a 7 day cycle, corresponding o the day following the 6 days of creation.

forkLding 9y ago

And HN strikes again: A possible "Planet Nine" in Earth's solar system would orbit far beyond Neptune

InclinedPlane 9y ago
There are actually two hypothesized planets orbiting beyond Neptune. Planet Nine is pretty well accepted as a reasonable theory in the scientific community, sufficient enough to dedicate millions of dollars worth of observing time on some of the biggest telescopes on Earth to try to look for it. Planet Nine is expected to be around 10 Earth masses and have an orbit that reaches out to several hundred times farther from the Sun than Earth (AUs). The evidence pointing to a "Planet 10" is not nearly as strong but intriguing nonetheless, it's hypothesized to be a roughly Earth mass planet (or less) orbiting only maybe 2-3x as far from the Sun as Neptune