Saturday, January 29, 2005

Coriolis and Karaoke

About a month ago, I became obsessed with the magnitude of the Coriolis Effect for a perceived eternity (about three days). Devilicious determination had me on a mission. Mission being: learn if water really runs down the drain in different directions in the northern and southern hemispheres. I sent desperate pleas worldwide, begging my friends to check their bathroom sinks. I had my Japanese students watching the black water from their calligraphy brushes drain, and I cut holes in various Tupperware containers to watch what path my dish water chose for escape. Result: sometimes, water drained clockwise and other times, counterclockwise.
NOW, of course, I know that the Coriolis Effect (though powerful enough to influence weather patterns and thought-experimental-long-distance-flying cannonball performers) cannot shake hands with something so small as my bathroom sink. (here's some fun reading on that:
BadCoriolis
But, still, after last night out at a bar, watching 20-something, Japanese “cool” boys trying to sing English karaoke songs, I can't help but wonder if the spinning of the Earth doesn't affect global rhythm. I mean, really, what else could explain vocals like:
“Sweet home A la
Bam! A where the skies are
So Blue!”
?
So, I'd like to propose the possibility that the spinning of the Earth (along with the gravitational pull of future, orbiting landfills) significantly affects melodic and intonational exececution of covered songs.
Can anyone in the southern hemisphere back me up?