| > "andy everett" <vze2q...@verizon.net> wrote in message news:d2ukh.8437$6Z5.239@trndny01...
| > | h...@yahoo.com wrote:
| > | > Hi all,
| > | > I have a not-very-earth-shattering question, but in my mind a very
| > | > mysterious physics phenomena. You out there with broader minds than
| > | > myself can make a curious student of physics very happy by answering
| > | > this question: Why does fire have a shadow?
| > | >
| > | >  In a very dark room, I have seen the flame of a stick candle cast a
| > | > shadow of itself on the surface immediately below it.
| > | >
| > | > I understand that fire contains particles (mass), whether they be
| > | > plasma or gas. However, these particles themselves emit light if I
| > | > understand correctly. Why would a light source cast a shadow of itself?
| > | >
| > | > Thanks,
| > | > Chloe H.
| > | >
| > |
| > | I got some candles out and lit them but could not see this effect. What
| > | was your setup? I did however see some interesting diffraction effects
| > | by shining a flashlight at a candle flame in a darkened room and
| > | observing the "shadow" on a white wall.
| >
| > I shone a laser pointer right through a flame and noticed nothing.
| > Why does he still kick his mother in the stomach?
| >
|
| I did the same thing, nothing. Try a flashlight.

No way. If want to see diffraction the easiest way is a CD or DVD.
 http://www.mrfiber.com/images/cddiffract.jpg
 http://static.flickr.com/47/147127866_48f2193c2c_m.jpg

My point was his question was presumptuous.
Do you still beat your mother?
a) Yes:  
   You are an evil tyrant.
b) No:
 When did you stop, evil tyrant?

In this newsgroup, such questions are all too common.

Why does fire have a shadow?
That's not a question I can answer because it doesn't.

Why does it take longer for a bus to stop than a car?

Along comes an idiot like Poe and tries to answer it,
but the simple truth is, it doesn't.  

*We* know the universe began with Big Bang, but *I*
don't know that at all. To me, the whole concept is
totally ridiculous to begin with, the raving of a lunatic.