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From: jgpo@iwu1c.UUCP (John, KA9MNK)
Newsgroups: net.movies.sw
Subject: Parsecs, etc.
Message-ID: <185@iwu1c.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 15-Dec-83 19:05:07 EST
Article-I.D.: iwu1c.185
Posted: Thu Dec 15 19:05:07 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 17-Dec-83 02:10:51 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, Il
Lines: 29

a

I guess we'll never know if Lucas just goofed or if this was one of his
(many) subtle jokes.  I suspect the latter, but anyway...Someone brought
up the point that the parsec is not, by any means, a universal constant
as it is based on the length of the (major?) axis of the orbit of the
definer's home planet (in our case, Good Ol' Terra).  This is so obviously
true once pointed out, that I was surprised that I had never considered it
before.  Every time I would read (or hear) the term "parsec" I would just
automatically convert it to lightyears and say, "Yep, that's quite a distance,
all right," and not give it a second thought.

Another thing I just realized, along the same line, is that the lightyear isn't
universal, either.  A Mercurian's lightyear would be a heck of a lot shorter
then a Plutonian's.

It's funny how these obviously parochial measures come to be considered
universal absolutes.  I guess it's what the developmental psychologists call
"irreversibility."  You just can't take the other {person|creature|???}'s
point of view.



	May the Force be with you,
	(And also with you),
	John (I used to be Catholic but I outgrew it) Opalko