Physical Impossibilities

12-14-10 6:39AM

So yesterday Anthony came back to visit. He graduated last year and now goes to CalTech - and I ended up with him in 3 classes.

In MV yesterday, we started a new topic, so of course no one knew what was going on (except Anthony, of course!) Vector fields and flux and curl.

So put those together. After Reinstein's attempt at explaining flux and curl...
"Does that make sense?"
Class: "No...."
R: "Let's see if Anthony can explain it"
Anthony: "Okay...."
*approaches board to applause*

He draws a magnet in the middle of the board and explains that there's no flux because what goes out has to come back in. It cancels out. Then he erases the south end of the magnet.

A: "So if you have a magnetic monopole, then there's flux, because it just goes out. Get it?"
*Class nods*
R: "Wait you don't get it but when he starts talking about magnetic monopoles, it makes sense?!"
Anna: "I guess our understanding is based on physical impossibilities, then."
*laughter*

After 5 minutes of reading a handout proving the equations for flux and curl...
R: "Any questions?"
Anna: "Yeah...can you explain that again?"
*laughter*

Poor Mr. Reinstein.