We describe to the kids how tremendous ice sheets rose as high as a tsunami and pummeled mountains into the debris of a thousand rocks. Then, someone corrects us.
The hammer of a glacier wasn’t the source of this destruction. The bedrock was split by water freezing inside the granite, so more like rot than any outside force.
The kids take in these facts without concern, though we now argue over what they heard and whether science should have the last word.
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
That what seems solid might be rent apart, not by blows, but by failure at its heart isn’t the truth that we’d wanted them to learn.
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
