Frequently Asked Questions ...

---

"Why is the sky blue?"

Rayleigh scattering is a physical phenomenon in which light scatters when it passes through particles that are much smaller than the wavelength of the light itself. In earth's atmosphere, blue is scattered more efficiently than the other colors.  On a clear day, the blueishness you see is all of the atoms in the atmosphere scattering blue light at wider angles than red, yellow, green, and the other colors, which aren't scattered nearly as well, so that makes them less perceptible than the blue light since the rays approach you at a much narrower angle. 

---

Which begs the question, "How do I know that the blue I see is the same as the blue you see?"

Researchers have recently determined that the number of color-sensitive receptors in the human retina differ by up to 40 times among individuals, yet most people appear to perceive colors the same way. The neuroscientific findings would seem to suggest that how we see color is determined more by our brains than by our eyes.

---

"Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" 

The most recent conclusion drawn by those who contemplate this topic is that the egg came first since genetic material does not change during an animal's life, so a full-grown chicken could not have become that way if not first as an egg.  This conclusion pre-supposes, however, that God did not decide to plop the first chicken onto earth in it's fully formed state.

Speaking of which, "Can God make a rock so heavy that He cannot lift it?"

This question has supposedly been a conundrum to theists for ages, but the relatively recent scientific conclusions of the Big Bang and Einstein's Theory of Relativity have rendered it more or less moot, or at least neutered, as the question only applies as a difficulty to a God who is limited to the

four dimensions of time, space, matter, and energy, whereas a God who is the creator of those dimensions and therefore exists at least in part outside of them would have no inclination to address such a silly question.

"What is wrong with you?"

This is usually the first question people ask.  I'm not really sure how to answer it.  I will say that there is absolutely no ill intent with any of the postcards; I just want to provide some fun and mystery to the mailboxes of random individuals across social strata.  Hopefully the postcards make them laugh as opposed to creeping them out.  

"How do you determine who to send postcards to?"

It's pretty much random.  I don't have a big giant box to pull names from randomly, but I'm working on it.  In the meantime, it's mostly searches by any old name and state on the big giant internet.  For celebrities, it's just whoever happens to catch my imagination at a particular time.  For researchers, it's mostly by interesting disciplines.  I also look for various occupations, both common and unusual.  Politicians and corporate heads are always a hoot.  Job applications can be a blast too.  Pretty much everyone in the continental United States is a potential postcard recipient (sorry to you outlanders, but postage is too expensive outside the borders). 

"Do the recipients know who sent them the postcard (is that "© postcardstostrangers.com" reference on the actual postcards)?"

No, they have no idea, which is part of the joke, at least in my twisted mind.  The thought of anyone, from ordinary citizen to Hollywood mogul to lofty politician to scholarly professor, or anyone else besides, receiving one of these and being left to ponder the same questions, like "Who on earth sent this to me?" and then perhaps accusing their friends and family to no avail, just tickles my fancy.  The "postcardstostranger.com" reference is included only on the site images.  The first batch of 50 or so postcards were sent before there even was a website, so it couldn't have been included on those.  That being said, enough people have tried to convince me that it makes sense to eventually let the strangers in on the joke and complete the loop, like the big reveal on the old Candid Camera and new Punk'd shows, so I ought to do the same thing with these postcards.  Maybe they have a point.  It might be fun to get some responses.  So perhaps I'll plan to send follow-ups to the recipients so far and then, going forward, figure out a way to clue folks in shortly after they receive a postcard.  What do you think, does this spoil the fun or enhance it?  Please let me know.