We’ve all seen the sun’s rays streaming down between clouds to brighten up patches of a lake or forest. Why do the rays projecting from the sun form a triangle with the ground, as if the sun were only a few hundred meters above the surface? We all know the rays are almost parallel. Is there some optical or atmospheric effect that causes this? –Peter Collins and Catherine Iphigenie, Montreal, Quebec
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This is one of those explanations that’s a hell of a lot easier to show than tell, but unfortunately we haven’t got the video version of the Straight Dope hooked up yet. Our next best bet is an intuitive leap using the following magical key phrases: Railroad track illusion. Foreshortening. Lack of depth perception. Get it? Well, it was worth a try. Buckle down and we’ll do it the hard way.
Is there any major religion that believes there is no life after death or any continuation or reincarnation whatsoever? –Azbug, Berkeley, California
