So, I am well aware that I am not normal. This is what I had Irene take a picture of when we visited Notre Dame in Paris several years ago:
Is it a person in the crowd? Is the central facade? No, no, silly - it's that tiny circle on the ground. Here, take a closer look:
This is the literal origin point for distances in France. All locations in France are measured from this exact point. Of course the country that gave us the metric system designated its own national origin point. All distances are relative but in France, at least they know where they are relative from! I keep thinking I will work this into a physics lecture when I introduce displacement and velocity, but I never have...
Last week, we visited the port city of Gloucester, MA. Everyone else was busy snapping pictures of its famous fishermen-lost-at-sea memorial, but I took this picture on the ground just in front of it:
When you need some precision navigation this far north, you must distinguish between magnetic north and 'true' north. Another topic I love to bring up in class. Of course, as I took this picture, I was thinking "I wonder if they update that stone carving every few years as magnetic north moves around?" (I'm guessing the precision is poor enough that the accuracy is still okay for another 50 years or so).
On the waterfront walk to the memorial, we crossed over the Blynman drawbridge. Everyone else is looking at the boats speeding through the canal while the bridge is open. Me: "Oh boy - look at the size of those gears! Lots of torque needed to rotate that huge moment of inertia. Now this is sightseeing!"
And closing:
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