Clear message (but mixed metaphor)

Mens sana in corpore sano [1]. This Latin quotation’s from a poem written around 100 CE by Juvenal [2]. It translates as ‘A healthy mind in a healthy body’. I reckon few people have both a healthy mind and a healthy body. I have neither. But no argument from me that a healthy body and healthy mind’s a worthy ideal. Young people are likeliest to have both – because their minds are developing, and they’e not old enough for their bodies to have been wracked by their lives’ vicissitudes. But accumulating evidence shows the bodies of average young Australians aren’t healthy [3, 4]. Recent survey data shows that among year 8-11 students 25% are overweight or obese, 85% aren’t sufficiently physically active, and 76% and 59% don’t meet the advised dietary guidelines for vegetables and fruit respectively. Damning, eh. For these kids, to hell with mens sana in corpore sano. This is a massive problem with massive implications for our nation’s future. So it must be tackled. Self evidently leaving it to the youngsters themselves and/or their parents isn’t working. So governments and perhaps NGOs must make the running (pun intended). Or cycling. ‘National Ride2School Day’ was last Wednesday [5, 6, 7]. As Neil Armstrong said in another context ‘That’s one small step…’ [8] But as Chinese philosopher Lao-tsu said over 600 years before Juvenal: ‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step’ [9]. Ho hum.

farmdoc's blog post number 457

It is 384,403 km from Earth – about 30 times Earth’s diameter. Its diameter is 3,474 km – about 27% of Earth’s. It’s almost spherical – its equatorial radius is 1,738 km and its polar radius is 1,736 km. Its volume is 2% of Earth’s. About 59% of its surface can be seen from Earth, but only 50% at any one time. Its force of gravity is about 17% of Earth’s. It orbits Earth each 27.3 days. Its average orbital speed is 1.02 km/second. Its phases repeat each 29.5 days. Its average surface temperature is 107°C during the lunar day and -153°C during the lunar night. It’s responsible for Earth’s tides. Its larger appearance when closer to Earth’s horizon’s an optical illusion. It has no magnetic field, no wind and no water. It’s the inspiration for many songs including these [1, 2, 3]; for the word ‘lunatic’ stemming from the Latin word ‘luna’ denoting the traditional folklore link between madness and its phases; and for a walk made famous by Michael Jackson. The first spacecraft that touched it and photographed its far side in 1959, were Russian. Twelve people – all American men – have walked on it. The last was Eugene Cernan on 13 December 1972. The first was Neil Armstrong (pictured) at 0256 GMT on 21 July 1969 which in Eastern Australia was 12:56 p.m. That was 40 years ago today. And seven days after my father died.