4 Comments
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Daas Yochid's avatar

Orthodox Jews have used the perfect ratios of the sun and moon as an argument for a designer for a long time. (I think Maimonides makes such an argument).

SDG's avatar

Very interesting, Daas! Maimonides might have found that argument even more impressive had he known just how immensely different in size the Sun and Moon actually are—and how exactly proportionate is the immense difference in their distance from the Earth! What are the chances? 😁

Knowing you, I think you’re going to enjoy tomorrow’s eclipse-themed post. 😎

Michaelangelo Allocca's avatar

What, NO comments? Unbelievable.

I remember the April 8 (my late brother's birthday) eclipse in 2024 -- I made a spontaneous pinhole projector from a piece of notebook paper, on the plaza outside St. Peter's Prep, and was pleasantly surprised (as were a bunch of students) that it worked so well.

I enjoyed reading this, and it makes me think it would be fun to have you in class the next time I teach Newton's Principia!

SDG's avatar

Did we know that your late brother and Suz shared a birthday, Michael?! I don’t know how we would work out guest appearances in one another’s classrooms, but I’d love to see it!