Marital Dispute

Most recent answer: 10/22/2007

Q:
mu husband and i are having a converstion and he disagrees with me about the way the earth spins on its axis. i say it spins clockwise and he says counter-clockwise. This may sound strange but he wants it in writing on the computer before we can setle this debate. i am a high scholl grad fron 1973 and i am almost certain that if the earth spins like a top ot has to clockwise. i personally have never seen a top spin any other way. Thank you
- sue martin (age 47)
gaston,sc,usa
A:
Dear Sue- University Counsel has warned us never to intervene in marital disputes, but we’ll try to answer anyway.

You know that the Sun "rises" in the East. that means that the Earth is turning toward the East. Now try turning a globe like that.

If you were to look at the Earth from a point above the North pole, then, it would look like it’s turning counter-clockwise. But before your husband gloats too much, think what happens if you look from a point above the South pole. It looks like it’s turning clockwise! So the whole question, like many topics of marital disputes, is meaningless.

We assume that, if all goes normally, both of you will now be reconciled and mad at us.

Mike W.

(published on 10/22/2007)