Which is Heavier?

When I was a very young boy one of my mentors asked me, “Which is heavier, a pound of lead or a pound of feathers?”

I was about eight years old and that question required a little bit of thought. I knew from watching Road Runner cartoons that whenever the coyote is carrying a case of Acme lead off of a cliff he falls faster than the lead so that it lands on top of him after he hits the ground. This made me think that lead must be lighter than a coyote. […]

Living in a Road Runner Cartoon

You know the cartoons I’m talking about. They start with the Road Runner running down the highway. The bird goes “Beep beep!” as it runs past the Coyote. The Coyote gets an idea and sends away to Acme, A Company that Makes Everything. Moments later a package arrives followed with furious hammering, sawing and sanding by the Coyote until a new, road runner-trapping method is born which is invariably unsuccessful. […]