Planet Pluto Has Been Demoted

In our earliest grade school science classes, we are taught the basic solar systems. We are told pneumonic phrases to help us remember all of our planets, “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pickles.” Now what will our mothers serve us.

This scientific “finding” irks me beyond all reason. For weeks 2,500 astronomers were sitting around, fighting each other, on whether or not Pluto should be considered a planet. They came up with a simple, straightforward, and to be honest, ridiculous conclusion.

“Pluto should no longer be considered a planet! We will now create a new subclass of planets just so we can change the history books. We will call it a ‘Dwarf Planet!’ And while we are at it, let’s make another class of stuff even smaller called… ummm… ‘Small Solar System Bodies,’ it doesn’t really flow off the tongue, but we will make a big deal and change that term later on too. That should cover just about all the thingies floating around in space,” was probably what was going on in their heads.

“Jocelyn Bell Burnell - a specialist in neutron stars from who oversaw the proceedings - urged those who might be "quite disappointed" to look on the bright side.

"It could be argued that we are creating an umbrella called 'planet' under which the dwarf planets exist," she said, drawing laughter by waving a stuffed Pluto of Walt Disney fame beneath a real umbrella.” (CNN.com)

This goes to show the professionalism of our scientists at work, waving plush toys around as scientific evidence, and joshing around.

These scientists are being paid exorbitant amounts of money to make astronomical findings, predict pathways of massive objects traveling through space, and create theories and discoveries. This is in NO WAY, a step forward in any direction for our society’s education, or even a necessary change to science. If you really think about it, what difference will this make except confuse children, or make the universe that much more complex.