An old true... um... ism, a thought about real love, and a note to Peter Jennings

1. This is old as dirt, but I read it in a book again today and thought it was worth revisiting.

The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington Chemistry midterm.

"Bonus question: Is hell exothermic or endothermic?" Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (how gas cools when it expands and heats when compressed). However, one student wrote this:

"First, we need to know how the mass of hell is changing with time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets into hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving.

As for how many souls are entering hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Some of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in hell to increase exponentially.

Now we look at the rate of change of volume in hell. Because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in hell to stay the same, the volume of hell has to expand as souls are added. This gives two possibilities:
1) If hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter hell, then the temperature and pressure in hell will increase until all hell breaks loose.
2) Of course, if hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until hell freezes over.

So which is it? If we accept the postulate given to me by Ms. Teresa Banyan during my Freshman year- that ‘it will be a cold day in hell before I sleep with you.’- and take into account that I have still not succeeded in having sexual relations with her, then #2 cannot be true; and thus I am sure that hell is exothermic and will not freeze.”

2. I feel terrible about Dana Reeve and her news from today. But the entire time I watched her with her ailing husband, I completely gushed in private admiration for her, the grace with which she carried herself, and the absolute unconditional love she exhibited for her husband.

Hang in there, Lois. Lots of people are pulling for you.

3. I don't know if you went by Pete to your friends or not, but that's what I'm going to call you. Pete, if you're looking back, I hope you appreciate the way that people remember you. Not very many people are talented and personable enough to enjoy tribute like your memory is receiving now. I suspect that we wouldn't have agreed with each other on a lot of things, but it sure would have been fun to waste an afternoon trying. Men like you and Brokaw are what I would choose to be if I wanted to be someone other than myself.