Michael Strong talks with five-year-old Alana about why glass reflects and why some birds can't fly. They wonder together about wings, weight, and whether helium makes balloons float. Michael shows her how to think through questions instead of just giving answers.
Hello, Michael Strong.
How are you?
Good, how are you?
I'm well. Where are you?
I'm outside in my balcony.
Are you lying down?
No, I'm sitting up.
Oh, okay. It's funny, I'm disoriented. I thought it was like a mattress. Okay, so you're sitting up and you've got trees behind you. Now I get it. Wonderful. Have you had any—
Reflections in the trees.
Oh, I see, I see, it's glass, it's windows, and I saw the reflections of the trees. Thank you. So actually, do you know how— why do some things reflect? Do you have any idea what a reflection is?
I don't know, but I think I probably know, but it's in my idea.
So, but you know that mirrors reflect, right?
It probably bounces off of the glass so it can reflect.
And what is the "it" that bounces off the glass? The—
the reflection that comes to the window, but it's actually staying right there. But it's bounced, the light is bouncing off the window so it can show the tree.
So this is interesting. So the light bounces off the window and how does it get to your eyes?
Well, it actually just goes right back, but you can see it. Because it's reflecting from the light all the way to the window.
Okay, so the light comes to the window or the mirror, either one, because sometimes windows can reflect like the ones behind you. So it comes in and then it bounces into your eye?
Yes. Okay, that's what I was trying to talk about.
Okay, that makes sense to me. Um, then why do you think some things don't reflect?
I don't know, but maybe they don't like— they're not in the light or something.
So what's interesting about— I know, I think that's an interesting question, and I'm going to go to— because mirrors, mirrors really reflect well, right? And but like my hand doesn't reflect, you can't see anything bouncing off my Well, I don't know, do you think, is my hand reflecting anything?
No, but if you're facing a mirror, it does.
Okay, but windows are interesting because windows, sometimes you see right through a window, and other times, like right now, the windows behind you are reflecting. Why do you think sometimes you see through a window and other times it reflects?
I don't know, but it's probably because the windows are more like glass— like plastic shape instead of like a little— a lot more glass.
So it's the glass has something to do with it, is that what you're saying?
Yes.
But why do you think sometimes you can see right through the glass and other times it reflects back. You know what I mean? Sometimes one way, sometimes the other?
Yes, I know what you mean.
Any ideas?
No, I don't have any.
Okay, these are interesting and hard problems, but what I like about what you are doing and what I really loved about your description of the light reflecting is that you are trying to figure out how the world works. Make sense?
Yes, it makes sense.
You remember when we were trying to figure out why some things fly?
Yes, I remember.
And what did we come up with in terms of why some things fly?
It's because they have wings.
Do you think every single thing with wings flies?
No.
Why do some things with wings fly and some things without wings— I mean, some things with wings do not fly?
Maybe it's because they live in a really cold place that maybe they can't really fly.
Cold place?
Like a cold place.
Got it. So that maybe that could do it. Um, and then why will like I'm thinking of big, heavy birds. Have you seen really big turkeys?
No, I haven't.
Okay. How about ostriches? Do ostriches have wings?
They do, but they don't fly.
What do you think is going on there? Because they live in hot places, not cold places.
Maybe they're a little too heavy?
Okay, and that's actually why I was thinking of turkeys too, is there are some turkeys— wild turkeys can usually fly, but domestic turkeys, the kind we raise for, you know, Thanksgiving, they're kind of too big to fly too, I think. So I think, yeah, ostriches are huge and their wings are tiny, so I suspect that's why they don't fly very well. They don't fly at all. They don't fly at all. I don't think ostriches You can. How about things— some things without wings fly, right? Can you think of something that doesn't have wings that flies?
Um, I don't know.
Would you say that some balloons fly?
Oh yeah, balloons don't have wings, but they fly. Why do you think?
What's going on there?
Maybe it just has a little bit of air so it can float up, or maybe a little bit of low air.
What kind of air?
Like helium.
And why would helium in the balloons make them fly?
It's probably because the air around them might carry them up.
That's an interesting hypothesis. How would the air around the helium carry them up? And can you figure out exactly how that works?
I'm not sure.
Okay, these are hard problems. Wouldn't you say these are pretty hard problems to figure out?
Yes, I would say.
Okay, I actually like it when you really think about something and then you realize you don't have a good explanation yet, because what that tells me is that you're really trying to think through things on your own. Does that make sense?
Yes, it does.
Sometimes there are people, including students, who give teachers the answers they think the teachers want rather than thinking it through on their own. Is that— do you know what I mean? That sometimes— do you sometimes give people the answers you think they want rather than think it through on your own?
Yes, I sometimes do.
Okay, do you see why it might be useful to learn how to think through problems on your own?
Yes.
Why? Can you explain why?
Well, you get to try to think of the answers that maybe it's true or not true.
I think that was a wonderful answer, Alana. So I bet it's a beautiful day there and you want to go and have fun today, yes?
Yes, I am.
Okay.
Plus my family.
What about your family?
Plus they're here in San Diego.
Okay, in which case, I am going to let you have a wonderful week. I really like your thought process about the light reflecting off windows and glass and about the wings and the air in the balloons. So thank you for a great little conversation about thinking, okay?
Okay, goodbye.
Bye-bye, Alana.
