Game Face

"So, tell me how you scored the goal that won the soccer game Caleb."

Okay, but you have to understand that everything in life--everything in the universe is connected to science, Mom. So I want you to think about physics.

"Physics?"

Yes. Physics. You know that kicking a soccer ball requires a lot of different physics rules and laws to come together. There's a lot of transferring of energy. Like there's potential energy in my foot. And I have to transfer that to the ball. And then it's kinetic energy. And it has to overcome inertia and gain um....something with an 'm'....

"Mass? Matter? Muscle? Monkeys?"

I'm serious, Mom. It means like, speed.

"Momentum?"

That's it!

"I just want to know about the goal, Cay."

Im tellilng you about the goal if you'd just listen.

"Okay. Go on then."

Where was I? Oh yeah. You want to transefer the energy and overcome the interia, right? So, then you have to think about the angle of the kick. And how the goalie could block it. Like if it's this high. Or maybe you could make it sink.

Or get it over his head. But that means that you have to kick it harder to overcome gravity.

And then you score! And it's all by science! By physics! Everything is physics! Isn't that great? Soccer is all physics!

"You know what, Caleb? You're right. I'm really proud of you. You did great. I wish I could have been there, but it sounds great."

Thanks, Mom...hey...

...why do you keep moving your phone around. Are you taking my picture?

"Um...maybe."

This is my child.**

He scored the only goal of the final game of the soccer season--the game winning goal of the ONLY game his team won, but all he could talk about was physics. I don't know it this is normal, but it sure is fun to listen to. We are planning a field trip to the planetarium soon because he wants to discuss this theories about photons and mass and the Higgs-Boson with real scientists. I'm torn between encouraging him and explaining that he should learn his eight and nine multiplication tables before he formulates theories about physics.

What the heck. I think I'll encourage him...but I'm keeping the camera handy.

**If I hadn't been there for his birth, I don't know if I'd believe he was really mine.