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: Political Science : al Hartman October 07, 2005, 11:18:19 PM In refutation of the proposition that "Political Science" constitutes an oxymoron, I respectfully submit the following, which I received in an e-mail today: A major research institution has just announced the discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science. This new element has been named "Governmentium". Governmentium has one neutron, 12 assistant neutrons, 75 deputy neutrons, and 224 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 311. These 311 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert. However, it can be detected, as it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A minute amount of Governmentium causes one reaction to take over 4 days to complete, when it would normally take less than a second. Governmentium has a normal half-life of 4 years; it does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places. In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization causes more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes. This characteristic of moron-promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a certain quantity in concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as "Critical Morass". When catalyzed with money, Governmentium splits into three distinct but separate elements; Congressium, Administratium, and Judicium. Congressium radiates a tremendous amount of unfocused energy, as it contains over half the original neutrons, but nearly three times as many morons as the original element. Adminsitratium appears every four years and is viewed by many as an element of great promise, but no appreciable change in the original composition of Governmentium has been reliably observed. With only nine neutrons Judicium is the smallest of the elements, but recent measurements have revealed that it wields a great amount of control over the other two. Some are now positing that this may be the actual source of the hypothetical "Critical Morass". al ;) |