“Clouds are weightless” and other cloud myths

Artist extraordinaire James Grasdal is putting the finishing touches on the 13^th book in the Superman Duffy comic series— MYTHCONCEPTIONS. Which, you may have guessed has a little something to do with common “myths.” 

I love myths! So for this year’s A to Z Blogging Challenge, I’m going to “bust” as many of them as I can—every day (except Sundays) on the blog, throughout April. 

Not familiar with the A to Z Challenge? Get the details here, and then hang on, because I’m about to blow your mind with my myth-inspired posts. 

P.S. Comment on the blogs throughout the month for a chance to WIN a complete set of the Superman Duffy comics, including lucky #13, MYTHCONCEPTIONS.

~ ~ ~

Clouds are weightless.

Sure, if you’re The Incredible Hulk, or something. That cute fluffy cloud you see in the sky actually weighs about the same as 100 elephants.

So where did this “weightless” myth come from? Good question, but the truth is, clouds are made up of water—about one half a gram of water per cubic meter, in fact. When you look up that cloud in the sky seems only a few feet big. In reality, it’s more like a kilometer. Cubed.

I know math isn’t my best subject but by my calculations—backed by Google—that cloud weighs about 500,000 kilograms, which is the approximate weight of 100 elephants or 7,000 people.  No wonder Chicken Little ran when he thought the “sky” was falling!

So if clouds are so heavy, this myth must be true: You could live in the clouds.

Sorry, wrong again. In the Superman Duffy comic Cloud 9, I—er, I mean, Chase—visits cities among the clouds, looking for a solution to Climate Change. Of course that’s fiction—but so is the idea that anyone could live on the clouds.

But what isn’t myth is that clouds actually have 10 times the impact on climate that man-made greenhouse-gas emissions do, particularly cirrus clouds, which are the wispy billows of ice you can sometimes see in the sky. As these clouds form, they can cover up to 30% of the Earth’s atmosphere at any given time, and as such have a BIG effect on the climate. I wonder if my grandpa knows that—he’s always wondering about whether his farming practices have an impact on Climate Change.

Busting these cloud myths hasn’t changed how I feel about them, though. In the summer, I like to stare up at the clouds and find different shapes—I’ve seen everything from people’s faces to monsters. And apparently I’m not alone. Check out THIS article!

If you think that’s spooky, check out this YouTube video of 10 Rare Cloud Formations:

Well, that’s enough science for one day—how about you? Check back tomorrow when I bust some DINOSAUR myths for my “D” post in the #AtoZChallenge. Have you visited any of the other blogs taking part in the challenge? Leave a link of your favourites so I can check them too!

~ Chase Superman Duffy

PS – Don’t forget to comment on this post, or share it on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for a chance to WIN a complete set of theSuperman Duffy comics. A winner will be chosen at random on May 1.

BUGS: Squashing the Myths

Artist extraordinaire James Grasdal is putting the finishing touches on the 13^th book in the Superman Duffy comic series— MYTHCONCEPTIONS. Which, you may have guessed has a little something to do with “myths.” 

I love myths! So for this year’s A to Z Blogging Challenge, I’m going to “bust” as many of them as I can—every day (except Sundays) on the blog, throughout April. 

Not familiar with the A to Z Challenge? Get the details here, and then hang on, because I’m about to blow your mind with my myth-inspired posts. 

P.S. Comment on the blogs throughout the month for a chance to WIN a complete set of the Superman Duffy comics, including lucky #13, MYTHCONCEPTIONS.

~ ~ ~

Bees gather honey from flowers.

Makes sense, right? Except for one myth-busting fact: Flowers don’t contain honey. They contain nectar. Honeybees then convert that nectar into honey. Ah! Now I get it.

Hey, did you know that Falher, Alberta is the honey capital of Canada? They even have a GIANT honeybee to remind you of it!

Bees are cool and all, but I know those aren’t the BUGS you really came to read about. My sister Amelia is the true “Bug Expert” in this family, but here are a few myths I busted on my own—well, erm, with the help of Google and library books. 

Warning: Spider talk ahead.

MYTH: We swallow an average of 7-8 spiders a year.

FACT: I am happy to report that this is not the case. There’s no evidence to support this. Plus, if your mouth is open when you’re sleeping, you’re likely breathing heavy, and THAT would scare spiders away. (Even if you brushed your teeth…)

MYTH: Earwigs lay their eggs in your ear.

FACT: Nope. But on an unrelated note, earwigs are one of the few insect species to care for its young. Just not IN your ear.

MYTH: An insect has 6 legs, attached to the abdomen.

FACT: An easy mistake to make, since we associate our legs with the bottom of our bodies. In fact, an insect’s legs are attached at the thorax (part of human body between the neck and the abdomen.)

MYTH: You can tell the age of a ladybug by counting the spots on its wings.

FACT: Actually, the colours and spots remain the same throughout an adult ladybug’s life. However, some ladybug species are named for the number of their spots—such as the 7-Spotted Lady Beetle which has—ha—seven spots.

MYTH: Spiders, insects, ticks and all other creepy crawlies are bugs.

FACT: I admit, I’m the first person to call any crawling invertebrate I see a BUG, but actually, there are some distinctions. Cicadas, aphids, hoppers and stink bugs are definitely BUGS. Spiders, ticks, beetles, and flies are not. (They all still give me the heebiejeebies!)

MYTH: All spiders make webs.

FACT: They don’t! Some hunting spiders—like wolf spiders, jumping spiders, and trapdoor spiders, for instance—pursue their prey rather than entrap them. Um…excuse me while I practice my sprints!

MYTH: All insects are bad and should be killed.

FACT: This one’s easy. In the Superman Duffy comic AMELIA XERCES DUFFY, my sister and I meet up with a whole bunch of bugs. Of course, I want to get rid of them ALL, but my know-it-all sister (I mean that in the nicest way…) teaches me which bugs are bad, and the ones that are necessary, especially for farmers like my grandparents.

I don’t know about you, but I will sleep MUCH better at night knowing my snoring won’t be an open invitation for spiders. What are some of your favourite BUG myths?

Gotta jet! The A to Z Challenge takes a break tomorrow, but I’ll “C” you Monday with some fascinating myths about CLOUDS.

~ Chase Superman Duffy

P.S. Don’t forget to comment on this post, or share it on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for a chance to WIN a complete set of the Superman Duffy comics. A winner will be chosen at random on May 1, 2016.

"Agriculture is a man’s world”—and other Farming Myths

Artist extraordinaire James Grasdal is putting the finishing touches on the 13^th book in the Superman Duffy comic series— MYTHCONCEPTIONS. Which, you may have guessed has a little something to do with common “myths.” 

I love myths! So for this year’s A to Z Blogging Challenge, I’m going to “bust” as many of them as I can—every day (except Sundays) on the blog, throughout April.

Not familiar with the A to Z Challenge? Get the details here, and then hang on, because I’m about to blow your mind with my myth-inspired posts. 

P.S. Comment on the blogs throughout the month for a chance to WIN a complete set of the Superman Duffy comics, including lucky #13, MYTHCONCEPTIONS.

~ ~ ~

“Agriculture is a man’s world!”

Ha. I hear this myth a lot from people who don’t really understand the agriculture industry. But anyone who knows my grandma knows that farming is definitely not just a “man’s” world.

Sure, my grandma spends time in the kitchen—nobody whips up a batch of delicious MONSTER COOKIES like Grandma (the recipe is in the Superman Duffy comic TASTING MY STORY)—but not only does my grandma know how to work all of the machinery on my grandparents’ canola farm, she also has studied chemistry, and graduated from an accounting program. (That’s not even counting her hands-on experience!)

But just like any business, my grandparents split up their roles, so no one person is doing too much. I have no doubt Grandma could run a combine if she had to. I’m not so sure how Grandpa would fare in the kitchen, though! <grin> 

Okay, so we’ve busted that farming myth, but here are a few others that might surprise you:

MYTH: Organic means better.

FACT: Nope. When it comes to nutrition and safety, food is food. Organic farmers may have different rules, but all producers have the same goal—to produce safe, quality products while caring for the land. And contrary to popular myth, organic farmers still use pest and weed management methods (including the use of specific pesticides) to keep their crops safe.

MYTH: Agriculture is a large contributor to greenhouse gases.

FACT: Innovation is busting this myth all on it’s own! The majority of farmers now practice no-till farming, which means that this year’s crop is planted in last year’s straw. This minimizes soil disturbance preventing erosion, and reduces the amount of fuel required to grow a crop. Plus, as machinery continues to improve, fuel efficiency goes up and emissions go down. That’s good news for everyone.

MYTH: Farmers are just in it for the money.

FACT: Not so! Most farms are passed down from generation to generation—and most farmers continue to farm because they love the lifestyle (all that country fresh air! And the quiet from  light and noise pollution). And most farmers take pride in managing their farms to protect the soil and the environment so that, should a child/grandchild wish to retain the family name. That’s why my grandparents keep farming too.

MYTH: There are no jobs in agriculture.

FACT: Total myth. Without even thinking too hard, I can list off a number of farming-inspired jobs—agronomists, vets, mechanics, tradesmen, marketers and transportation professionals, to start. But don’t take my word for it—watch for the 14^th Superman Duffy comic this year—it’s all about careers in agriculture.

MYTH: Most farms are owned by corporations.

FACT: Nope. Like I said earlier, most are family-owned, passed down through generations of farmers. There are good farms and bad farms, just like there are good businesses and not-so-great businesses—size has nothing to do with it.

MYTH: Farmers aren’t concerned about the environment.

FACT: Absolute hogwash. Farmers rely on the environment to help grow healthy crops, and are always looking for non-invasive or more efficient tools to produce your food.

Okay, I know, we’re just scraping the surface here, but I’ve gotta jet—there are thousands of blogs to visit during the A to Z Challenge, and I still have to prepare my “B” post where I’m going to bust some myths about….BUGS!

~ Chase Superman Duffy

P.S. Don’t forget to comment on this post, or share it on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for a chance to WIN a complete set of theSuperman Duffy comics. A grand prize winner will be chosen at random on May 1, 2016.