Friday 20 November 2020

It's all science

Every now and then I think about science. I don't know why. I just do. So many scientific questions cross my mind so I go on the Internet and in the library to find the answers. And having found the answers, I share them here with you. It is part of the service I offer my readers on this Blog. 

Service - that is something that is not as it used to be. In the olden days people got good service generally and were welcomed by staff in supermarkets, hotels, restaurants and so on. "Have a nice day!" was a lovely phrase to be told as you leave such an establishment. Today, if someone said that to you, and you had a rotten day, you'd probably sue them for it.

I was at a very posh hotel recently. Now before any of my readers think, or write in, asking why I go to such hotels when others are available and less expensive. Or why not just put up a tent in the local park and spend the night there. (Oh yes - I get such e-mails). Let me explain that I was there on business and the firm I work for booked it.

On the day I was leaving such posh hotel I had breakfast there, and at about lunchtime I rang room service and asked for a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich in a bun. My intention was to have it on the train instead of lunch together with a can of lemonade. I'd had such a repast before and I can vouch that this hotel makes a fantastic BLT. (See ... I know all the latest lingo! Street-wise or what?)

They delivered said BLT sandwich and a can of lemonade to my room. It wasn't until I was on the train speeding at the rate of whatever speed trains speed, and as we passed a field full of pigs grazing, (do pigs graze?) I remembered the BLT sandwich. I opened my briefcase and the BLT was not there. Neither was the lemonade. I had forgotten both in my hotel room. And I had paid for them when I settled my bill as I left the hotel.

I rang the hotel on my cell-phone and asked them to send me the sandwich at my home address. They refused. They said the room was cleaned after my departure and no doubt the sandwich was thrown away. I think that's a fib. No doubt the cleaner ate my BLT, and drank my lemonade. Either that, or re-sold it to someone else. The person on the phone asked whether this was a hoax phone-call and then hung up on me.

Now I can see you all thinking! What has that to do with science - the subject of this conversation? Monologue actually - not to be pedantic about it. It is not a conversation until some of you comment here below and I answer back.

So, as I was saying. What has this to do with science? Well, the train was speeding at a certain speed. And we know that light is faster than the speed of sound. But which one is heavier? Light or sound? If you had some light in one hand, and an equal amount of sound on another; which one would be heavier?

Speaking of which, did you know that if you weigh yourself in an elevator using a bathroom scales, you would weigh heavier as the elevator is going up, and lighter as it is going down? But you'll way the right weight if the elevator is going sideways. In which case you are probably in a train or a bus.

And did you know that most people in Europe weigh themselves in kilos. It is called kilograms. We also have kilometres to measure distance and kilolitres to measure volume.

Do you know how many bytes in a kilobyte? 

It depends on the size of your BLT sandwich. That is if you've not forgotten it in your hotel room.

23 comments:

  1. Enjoyed the post. Reminds me of an adage whose premise seems to have been diminished in society recently:
    "Service to Humanity is the Best Work of Life"

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    1. Hi Chuck, it's great to see you visiting me here. Thanx. Please call again and invite your friends.

      You make a great point here.

      God bless always.

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  2. ...in this country you would like that science was un-American!

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    1. What nationality is science? My science teacher at school was French. He invented electricity. He was called Ivan Voltaire.

      God bless, Tom.

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  3. Loved today's "science" lesson, Victor! And boy, I'd hate it if I'd left my lunch behind when getting on a train. Talk about grouchy!
    Blessings!

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    1. It was annoying because it was a good BLT; not like the one served on the train restaurant.

      God bless you, Martha.

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  4. Dearest Victor,
    Oh dear, sad that you got literally zero bytes from your sandwich! Even after living for 37 years in the USA, both of us still adhere to kilogram and our bathroom scales are showing that too. We brought a special letter scale back from Europe, to weigh all letters and small parcels, it can be switched to pounds as well. That has been oh so handy!
    Legally the USA is metric but it does not show in daily life. Only if you get your meds, they are mentioned in mg. Wonder why not converting like other countries have done?
    People love to keep things complicated and annoy immigrants with the different Herz between continents and so on. Forcing you to purchase new appliances. So much about real ECO thinking.
    You are so right about genuine service and courtesy. It still exists, mainly at some better Hotels. We realized that recently when not staying at our favorite Hyatt hotel (Hyatt Place is the economic version) as there was none. Right after checking in I got such a rude treatment by the lady at the desk... wonder why she acted like that. On the website it stated including breakfast but they did not even serve coffee! So we had to look up the supermarkets and go shopping. Luckily it was only 2 minutes away and we found us everything for a healthy breakfast. A fridge was inside the room and a coffee maker.
    But you at least tried to use common sense for taking a sandwich for enjoying on the train... Forgetting is an other subject for some science.
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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    1. Here in the UK it is metric also except for some things. You go to the pub and buy a pint of beer. Yet milk is sold in litre containers. So is petrol for the car. Food is sold in grams and kilos. Speed limits on the road are in miles per hour. And we drive on the left - not the wrong side like the rest of the world.

      God bless you, Mariette.

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    2. Haha, Victor we lived in Indonesia for about 3 years and had to drive left too... HATE it. In Australia we both took turns, and early morning it took quite some brain manipulation for taking that roundabout in reverse! Humans are such ROBOTS, doing most motions as a habit animal.

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  5. I love BLTs and would have been bummed out if I left it behind.

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    1. That's exactly what I thought, Bill. I asked the train driver to stop and wait for me so I could get the sandwich from the hotel, and he gave me a hand sign suggesting I get two sandwiches. But he did not stop the train.

      God bless.

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  6. Having worked in the (so-called) hospitality business for years, I'm chuckling at the hotel's response. Of course, this was not your case, but you wouldn't believe the number of people who call to report missing items, even accuse the maids of theft -- only to discover their (fill in the blank) was discovered in their suitcase. I'd just chalk up the missing BLT as a charitable expenditure.

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    1. I know what you mean, Mevely. I did once phone a hotel to say I could not find my wife, then I found her in my suitcase.

      God bless you.

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  7. What amazinh transitions you made here. . .I'm speechless, but laughing!! Oh, I love a good BLT! Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

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    1. My mind is always in transition, Cathy. Who said that? I don't know, said what? Said my mind is always in transition. I don't know who said it. Perhaps it was Cathy.

      God bless you.

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  8. That was a fun post and I could go for a BLT, that's a scientific fact!

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    1. I'd love a BLT right now, Brian. With cheese too. But the only cheese we have is in the mousetrap.

      God bless you.

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  9. You've now got all your readers wanting a BLT :)

    Have a lovely weekend Victor.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Yes, come to think of it, I'd like one too.

      Best wishes, Jan. God bless.

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  10. I could go for a BLT too! :)

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  11. There is a science to knowing how to make people laugh. You have studied it well. Hope you are having a wonderful, blessed and beautiful Sunday.

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    1. Well, it makes me laugh too, Mimi. Ideas come to my head, I laugh, I write, and hopefully others laugh too.

      God bless always.

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