This Week I Learned: Bunkers, Space Rocks, Chinese Testing

I learned some things this week that truly are random. One was a clarification on something I’ve semi-wondered about for years. Another provoked a bigger question on politics, government, and the human condition. And the last, well the last thing I learned is just insane and something that shouldn’t be true, but unfortunately is.

Building Bunkers and Trusting the Government?

I will state the factual part first, that Sweden built nuclear bunkers during the Cold War so if something was launched, their citizens would have a safe place to go. Next, I’ll introduce the opinionated analysis of Dr. Bradley Garrett, who marks this time in history as when American’s began distrusting their government.

His thought is that because the United States decided against building fallout bunkers for citizens, said citizens started down a path of thinking the government doesn’t actually represent and care about them. Compared to Sweden, where people still think highly of their elected officials. Now there obviously are many factors playing into that, and some that I would say are more important than others, but still an interesting analysis from Dr. Garrett.

Meteors, Asteroids, and Meteorites, Oh My!

I have spent my entire life thinking meteors, asteroids, meteorites, and meteoroids were all the same things. Rocks in space. Well, I was partially right, kinda, but this week I learned the real differences. Asteroids and Meteoroids are rocks in space. Asteroids are large rocks, ranging from a few feet to mini-planets, and some of the largest ones even have their own atmosphere with moons. Meteoroids are very very small rocks in space. Think millimeters.

The other two, meteors and meteorites, are when these rocks enter the earth’s atmosphere. If a rock vaporizes when it enters the earth’s atmosphere, like a shooting star, it’s called a meteor. If the rock makes it all the way to the earth’s surface, it then gets the title of being called a meteorite. The difference being whether or not the former asteroid or meteoroid makes it to the ground.

Prison for Cheating on a Test?

I’m sure most of us know about the emphasis placed on education in China. At this point it might just be a stereotype that could be true for any range of families, where we only hear the craziest of the crazy. However, there has apparently been a history of cheating on the primary college entrance exam for Chinese students, to such a strong degree that the Chinese government has taken an extreme approach. Up to seven years in prison for cheating. On a test. And I’m sure we don’t need to look much further for other overstepping by the Chinese government.