# very puzzling question not found on the internet **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 31, 2003, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-puzzling-question-not-found-on-the-internet/192045 "2003-07-31T02:57:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![vasyachkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c5a1d2/32.png) [@vasyachkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vasyachkin)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-puzzling-question-not-found-on-the-internet/192045/21 "2003-07-31T11:23:17Z")
wow. what a deep question šŸ™‚ one definitely requires a PHD in physics to answer it. i remember when i was about 10 years old i was asked this question: a candle is under a glass dome in a moving car. the car suddenly stops which way does the flame swing ? the answer is that the flame goes in direction opposite to that in which the car was moving. and damn, i feel stupid for not having had figured this out at the time šŸ™‚ this question is not hard but it really tests reasoning ability šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-puzzling-question-not-found-on-the-internet/192045/22 "2003-07-31T11:43:17Z")
Even cooler, **vasyachkin** : Put a helium balloon in the passenger seat of a car. It floats up and touches the ceiling. Then make a narrow left turn. Observe the balloon. Ainā€™t science great? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-puzzling-question-not-found-on-the-internet/192045/23 "2003-07-31T11:55:18Z")
Gravity and acceleration are the same; the balloon is buoyant in the opposite direction to the force - forward acceleration in a car presses you back into your seat in the same way that gravity presses you down onto the ground, a balloon is buoyant in the opposite direction for the same reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-puzzling-question-not-found-on-the-internet/192045/24 "2003-07-31T12:07:23Z")
Yep, **Mangetout**. And thatā€™s cool. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-puzzling-question-not-found-on-the-internet/192045/25 "2003-07-31T13:17:48Z")
Ainā€™t science great? Did you know that if you took all the veins out of a manā€™s body and laid them end to end, that man would die? ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-puzzling-question-not-found-on-the-internet/192045/26 "2003-07-31T13:37:06Z")
Ah, an Empiricist. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-puzzling-question-not-found-on-the-internet/192045/27 "2003-07-31T14:58:10Z")
Given that the OPs long answered and weā€™ve moved on to aphorisms: Did you know that if you laid all the economists end to end they wouldnā€™t reach a conclusion? ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-puzzling-question-not-found-on-the-internet/192045/28 "2003-07-31T15:27:30Z")
But theyā€™d be happy. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-puzzling-question-not-found-on-the-internet/192045/29 "2003-07-31T15:30:04Z")
If, pound for pound, a giraffe could jump as high as a grasshopper, heā€™d avoid a lot of trouble. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-puzzling-question-not-found-on-the-internet/192045/30 "2003-07-31T15:34:07Z")
ā€œIf all the girls who attended the Yale prom were laid end to end, I wouldnā€™t be a bit surprised.ā€ Dorothy Parker ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-puzzling-question-not-found-on-the-internet/192045/31 "2003-07-31T17:21:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Skammer \* > \*\*If, pound for pound, a giraffe could jump as high as a grasshopper, heā€™d avoid a lot of trouble. \*\* Is that a fact?šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-puzzling-question-not-found-on-the-internet/192045/32 "2003-07-31T18:24:44Z")
Back to the OP: The simplest answer is that the train **isnā€™t moving**. At least, in the reference frame of the guy in the train, it isnā€™t. And if the train is going at a constant speed, that reference frame is just as good as the reference frame of the guy standing outside on the ground. Always use the easy frame of reference. ---
**Author:** ![Martiju](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@Martiju](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martiju)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-puzzling-question-not-found-on-the-internet/192045/33 "2003-08-01T13:04:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pulykamell \* > \*\*ā€œIf all the girls who attended the Yale prom were laid end to end, I wouldnā€™t be a bit surprised.ā€ > Dorothy Parker \*\* Is spitting your chewing gum over the keyboard a new oneā€¦?! šŸ˜ƒ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-puzzling-question-not-found-on-the-internet/192045.md?page=1)