CONVERSATIONS WITH EINSTEIN

They're asking why are we?

Ach. Typical. So few know where are we.

Well, I know where I am.

And where is that?

C'mon Doc. We're sitting on my deck looking at the stars. See, there's Venus.

Ah, Venus. A planet. You know the Venuvian day is longer than the Venuvian year, don't you?

Huh?

It takes 243 Earth days for Venus to entirely rotate once around its axis but only 225 Earth days for Venus to make a lap around the Sun.

Then all I can say is that is a very slow rotation.

True. But Venus also rotates in the opposite direction of Earth and most of the other planets.

How's that?

It could have collided with a very large object. Or maybe rock clumpage. Back when it still had rocks. Who knows.

So, what happened to its rocks?

Pulverized by the atmosphere. Venus is the ultimate greenhouse machine, so close to the Sun the surface temperature is 484 degrees helping to trap all the carbon dioxide radiating up from it into a soupy dense atmosphere whose surface pressure is 92 times that on Earth at sea-level. Which is ironic.

Ironic?

Yes, in that both Venus and Earth have emitted near equal amounts of carbon dioxide over the eons.

So, what's the difference? Why isn't our atmosphere soup too?

Carbon sinks, liebchen.

Okay, carbon doesn't float. What does that have to do with anything.

Not that kind of sink. Think oceans. Think plants. Carbon Sinks, not carbon sinks.

I'm with you, Doc. Why didn't you just say water and photosynthesis?

Yes, yes. Everything breathes most symbiotically.