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QI: Nobody knows where the Moon came from!
WhatJoeThinks
Posts: 11,037 Forum Member
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I'm just watching this week's QI XL, which I recorded earlier, and they just made the disappointing claim that nobody knows where the Moon came from. I have to call bullshit on that one, Mr Fry.
The moon rocks brought back from the Apollo missions confirmed the theory that the proto-Earth collided with a massive planetoid that we call Theia, as the rocks contain the same elements (and isotopes) as the Earth's mantle, ergo they were once (briefly) connected.
The rival theory mentioned on the show was that the Moon was captured at some point, and may have previously orbited Venus.
They also showed an artist's impression of the impact, with the Earth complete with oceans and continents, notwithstanding the fact that the impact is theorised to have happened during the Hadean Eon, some 4.5 billion years ago. >:(
I expected better from QI, somehow. But now that I look it up it seems it's 'only' a hypothesis, rather than a full-fledged theory. Still, I feel that they underplayed what we do know somewhat, and made it sound like it's anyone's guess. Science is better than that, and it deserves better representation on supposedly authoritative TV programs.
The moon rocks brought back from the Apollo missions confirmed the theory that the proto-Earth collided with a massive planetoid that we call Theia, as the rocks contain the same elements (and isotopes) as the Earth's mantle, ergo they were once (briefly) connected.
The rival theory mentioned on the show was that the Moon was captured at some point, and may have previously orbited Venus.
They also showed an artist's impression of the impact, with the Earth complete with oceans and continents, notwithstanding the fact that the impact is theorised to have happened during the Hadean Eon, some 4.5 billion years ago. >:(
I expected better from QI, somehow. But now that I look it up it seems it's 'only' a hypothesis, rather than a full-fledged theory. Still, I feel that they underplayed what we do know somewhat, and made it sound like it's anyone's guess. Science is better than that, and it deserves better representation on supposedly authoritative TV programs.
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I have not seen tonight's episode but I call bullshit on that and I totally agree with you.
QI has got several things wrong before - especially about animals which has really annoyed me.
Well, not quite. John Lloyd supposedly envisioned QI as a compendium of interesting facts. It's a bit like the Guinness Book of Records; it's just a book, but it purports to be some sort of authority. If either of them begin pedalling bullshit there should be some finger pointing, IMO.
Guinness started as as serious volume to settle factual disputes and now it is shallow bullshit.
I remember as a child my Grandma and I going to a jumble and getting an old 1969 edition for a few pence, it was almost entirely text and hard fact.
Compare that to today's celebrity filled cobblers.
Did you know they're remaking The Clangers?.:)
Wensleydale of course.;-)
Knob cheese?
Do any of your posts ever refer to anything but sex?
I hope they have an adequate supply of Jacobs Cream Crackers.:)
I liked the Soup Dragon.
It's pretty clear how the Moon came to be and it's some form of variation on this theme (full and final details have to be settled but the bigger picture is clear):
The Origin of the Moon
The idea in a nutshell: At the time Earth formed 4.5 billion years ago, other smaller planetary bodies were also growing. One of these hit earth late in Earth's growth process, blowing out rocky debris. A fraction of that debris went into orbit around the Earth and aggregated into the moon.
http://www.psi.edu/epo/moon/moon.html
I bet the first edition was largely made up though. If they printed that the world's biggest pork pie weighed three stone, they could be fairly sure that someone would bake one even bigger and write to them in time for the next edition, saving them a Sisyphean level of research. I don't think it would be possible to write the first edition without making stuff up.
The modern records are ridiculous, I agree. Like the world's saltiest chip, or the most cucumbers karate chopped in 60 seconds.
..Okay, I made those up.
Precisely. But we're not 100% certain of the facts, so.. it could be made of cheese!
To be fair, they've probably got about 3 researchers getting `facts` off Google for the show, not real historians and scientists. It's only a TV program. A bit of fun.
What.. no Elves?
I have never read the first edition but I picked up the second (1956 IIRC) for two pence as a young teenager and it was really excellent for it's time - so I expect the first was just as good.
Far superior to the modern bullshit.
One of the best things in the edition (I got rid of it a few years ago) was the world's fastest computer at the time! :kitty:
(~27 mins - 29 mins)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKN_k9MANiM
I've watched that before.
(*He may admirable as a theoretical physicist, but as a "popularizer of science" he's an absolute joke.)
So much for a big bang being responsible for everything! ROLL EYES!