Power of the Parallax Story

For years I have told my students about the number one problem in dating. They are very eager to hear. After a dramatic pause I tell them it is parallax. What?

I have told them about the guy driving down the road and his date hugging the passenger side door since it is the first date. Before the light finally hit me at the place of enlightenment, Kosciusko High School, I had said she hollers out, "You are about out of gas!" (She is looking at the gas gauge with an angle other than ninety degrees - parallax error). To which he responds, no I have a quarter tank. (He is looking at the gas needle straight on at ninety)

However, I suddenly realized when I had a student raise their hand to represent the needle and I stood where the girl would be sitting - that I WAS WRONG. Ah hah, she does not see that he is about to run out of gas but has more gas than he really has!  So there is a new problem. The guy can quietly run out of gas and she will think he has a quarter tank!

I also suggested that there be a new date night designated this year. Are you ready for this disruption of the natural order of things?  Drum roll.  .  .   .   .   .

. . . . . . The girl drives and the guy rides. What do you think?  We can set a date for the girl drive date night and see what happens.

What do you say place of enlightenment?

Back to the point. The story of parallax was so powerful that they read their graduated cylinders like true scientists -straight on at 90 degrees.