2 Common Science 



against it. If you push on the ceiling, you float back 

 toward the floor. But you cannot tell whether the 

 floor is above or below, because you have no idea as to 

 which way is up and which way is down. 



As a matter of fact there is no up or down. You dis- 

 cover this quickly enough when you try to pour a glass 

 of water. You do not know where to hold the glass or 

 where to hold the pitcher. No matter how you hold 

 them, the water will not pour point the top of the 

 pitcher toward the ceiling, or the floor, or the wall, it 

 makes no difference. Finally you have to put your 

 hand into the pitcher and pull the water out. It comes. 

 Not a drop runs between your fingers which way can 

 it run, since there is no down? The big lump of water 

 stays right on your hand. This surprises you so much 

 that you let go of the pitcher. Never mind ; the pitcher 

 stays poised in mid-air. But how are you going to get 

 a drink? It does not seem reasonable to try to drink a 

 large lump of water. Yet when you hold the lump to 

 your lips and suck it you can draw the water into your 

 mouth, and it is as wet as ever ; then you can force it 

 on down to (or rather toward) your throat with your 

 tongue. Still you have left in your hand a big piece 

 of water that will not flow off. You throw it away, 

 and it sails through the air of the cabin in a straight 

 line until it splashes against the wall. It wets the wall 

 as much as water on the earth would, but it does not 

 run off. It sticks there, like a splash-shaped piece of 

 clear, colorless gelatin. 



Suppose that for the sake of experimenting you have 

 brought an elephant along on this trip. You can move 



