J is such a cool letter. It's the one you might hate to get when playing Scrabble (particularly near the end of the game). It's just one of those letters that starts some unique and interesting words, such as Jansky:
A unit of strength of radio wave emissions
The definition above is a very basic one, since this measurement actually deals with astronomy and/or astrophysics. It was named after Karl Guthe Jansky, who was a pioneering US radio astronomer.
Which leads me to another funny thought. Do radio astronomers act as DJs to the stars? You know, play a little Motown for the tiny green men on Mars? I can hear it now:
"Thanks for listening to K-ERTH, your local galactic home for the latest Motown hits. Before I spin out some Cloud Nine, let's take a call. K-ERTH, you're on the air."
"Squeeniormoe meeennerirqierngier puweere"
"What's that? You're coming through a little squeeky and rough? Oh well, try calling back later. For the rest of you floating through the stars, make sure you stop by...Cloud Nine with the Temptations..."
Anyway, what does this word remind you of?
2 comments:
This is the first I've heard of a Jansky, but the concept of radio waves in space. I've heard that certain stars and other bodies are transmitting radio waves. Maybe that makes them the dj's and the astronomers the listening audience.
Lee
A Few Words
An A to Z Co-host blog
At first I thought you had simply mis-spelt the name of our fellow blogger, "Jinsky" (blush). This is definitely a new word to add to my collection - I confess I've never encountered it before. Love the DJ train of thought it led you on (smile)
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