Tonight, for the umpteenth time, I wished I had majored in some sort of astro physics or chemistry or molecular biology. I think I should go on a speaking circuit and inform all would be mothers to major in science, nursing or psychology. I had no idea I would one day need every single one of those fields of study as an arsenal of knowledge to draw from in order to answer questions posed to me by my own children.
As I'm tucking Gavin in tonight he asks me, "Mom, what type of matter is light?"
Hmmmm.
"Is it plasma, like the sun?"
Hmmmm.
"What is light, Mom?"
Hmmmm.
I have a wealth of untapped knowledge hidden somewhere in my brain, I just know it. But it's not choosing to reveal itself at this moment - so I feign 'deep thoughts'. I decide to answer his question with a question, "Is light and sun the same thing?" That should stump him for a while.
After the two of us stare blankly at each other for an awkward 2 minutes I respond, "That sounds like a great question for us to Google! Nite-nite Honey, sleep tight." Like he can just flip a switch and not ponder life's deepest questions anymore simply because it's bedtime. If it were me, I'd beg to go find the answer out right now!
Not that scientific questions typically linger very long in my head, but this one was. I just couldn't sleep without putting this question to bed. Come to find out there is a whole website called "Ask A Scientist". Where have you been all my life?! I have needed you for the past 11 years?! I think I'll also include this little gem in a list of handy references that I pass out to future mothers who have no clue of the gold I'm giving them and how valuable it will be when little people start asking them questions.
In case you're wondering, here's one scientist's theory to Gavin's question.
