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July 21, 2003
It's true....
A scientist with a sense of humour decided to find out if Kansas really is as flat as a pancake. It turns out, Kansas is even flatter than that.
Essentially, he took the elevation pattern of the state of Kansas and the elevation pattern of a pancake and using a "flattening ratio" looked at how they would compare if they were the same size. The pancake won. Even though he used serious methodology to make the determination, Mark Fornstad, a geographer at Southwest Texas State University acknowledged that he did the study "just for fun".
When we first moved to Kansas (when I was 11), we were coming from Illinois - not exactly renowned for topographical diversity, either - my Dad warned me that Kansas was flat, but I didn't believe him until the day we went on a trip and drove through the vaunted "Flint Hills". Dad told me where we were, and I recall looking around and asking where the hills were.
It really is that flat here.
Posted by thorswitch at July 21, 2003 10:22 PM
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Comments
Holy shit, Toto. You mean there really is a Kansas?
Posted by: Christopher Key at July 22, 2003 02:33 AM
I HOPE so -- I've been here for - gads - about 12 years now (with another 11 before I took a Seattle break). If there is no Kansas, I don't wanna know where I've been all this time *g*
Posted by: Kriselda Jarnsaxa at July 22, 2003 04:02 AM