Something just occurred to me.....

[Reply #40 on:]

I think that the Wongs have been on Mars for a few centuries, because wouldn't they have had to gotten the planet off the Martians before the University was founded in 2636?

[Reply #41 on:]

 

Originally posted by SpaceCase:


[*Warning* Sarcasm Follows *Warning*]

In lieu of my posting a reply consuming unnecessarily large amounts of bandwidth, here.

That's all very interesting but I fail to see how it relates to the statement "Actually, Australia is known as a western continent, rather than a southern continent." (Note the conjunction.)

As I said, I've never heard the term 'western continent' before. Sure, I've heard of a western country, western civilization, the western world, western influence, western culture, western hemisphere, even Western Union. But somehow 'western continent' must have slipped under the radar. I'll obviously have to be more vigilant in the future, brush up on my idioms, and keep abreast of what passes for the cool lingo these days.

Oh well, there you go.

[Reply #42 on:]

Australia is a contenent, unlike america or eurupe, Australia is the only country on the continent. Smallest continent, biggest island if you count it as an island.
So, western contenent, there you go.

[Reply #43 on:]

I just watched the episode again and still have some questions.

Fry (the "original martian" ) lands on Mars in what year?

Over the course of around 1000 years, the colony develops into a Native Martian tribe?

New Earthlings give them a gigantic diamond in return for land?

And nobody remembers "the original martian"??

[Reply #44 on:]

1) We don't know what year, but given the average human lifespan at the time (and all the stuff he did BEFORE he went to Mars) I assume sometime in the middle of the 21st century.

2) I think the Martains have been there since before the "Mars Landing;" it's possible that they just never discovered them until decades or centuries later because they landed in the wrong place at the wrong time.

3) Well, it was a trade with a Wong.  Perhaps it was one of his least impressive diamonds and that's why he was so willing to part with it.   

4) *pokes her first post in the thread*

[Reply #45 on:]

Just fyi, officially the western hemisphere is everything west of the Greenwich Meridian and east of the 180 degree meridian, or international dateline. So, geographically, that puts Australia in the eastern hemisphere...

That said, I still have a school geography book from 1992 (don't ask why) that has a sociopolitical map of the world which defines Australia as part of the "rich north". But not New Zealand. Yeah I don't get it either.

[Reply #46 on:]

I could be wrong, but I think Australia was defined as part of the Rich North due to it's history of originally being a penal colony for english prisoners.  These prisoners were worked to the bone, at no wages, for wealthy land owners, who got wealthier through the use of slave labor.  Or something like that.

or maybe it could be because the French love them so much...