the Way of the Turtle

REST & REFRACTIVE DISPERSION
Tuesday, June 24, 2008

I went through several iterations of things I would do outside today, but in the end I drove straight back to Albany and got suffuciently distracted by things at home that by the time I tore myself loose it really didn't make sense to drive out somewhere for a short hike. So today ended up being a true rest day for my tired legs.

Refractive dispersion occurs because different wavelengths of light bend by slightly different amounts when the light enters a material where its speed is different (for example, when light passes from air into glass or water.) Since color is determined by wavelength, and white light is made up of a mixture of different colors, when white light enters a piece of glass or a drop of water at an angle, it emerges on the other side with its component colors split into a spectrum - the traditional ROYGBIV that most kids learn about in science and art classes.

Since it was a nice evening, I decided the get some fresh air by walking to the store about half a mile away to pick up some groceries. Along the way I was ambushed by a trio of extremely enthusiastic beagle pups (cute little buggers) and with about 1/3 of the distance to go, it started raining pretty steadily, leaving me good and wet by the time I got to the store (and anticipating a damp walk home.)

When I left the store I was pleasantly surprised to find that the rain had blown over and the sun was coming out. On the way home I was treated to the sight of a variety of birds, including a group of sparrows who appeared to be in sparrow heaven pecking away at a soggy chunk of bread along the curb, and a mockingbird. But the bigger treat came from the sun shining off into the rainstorm off in the distance, creating a broad rainbow over the rooftops - not something you see very often in Albany!

JMH