How much Bordeaux wine will fit in an Airbus A380?
This post is an exposition on science and nature. It did not start out as an exercise in the scientific method, but evolved into an unequivocal exploration of the boundaries of the space wine continuum.
One of the few things I recall from high school chemistry is that you should always start with a hypothesis. A hypothesis is an unproven statement which provides a framework to perform various tests in the attempt to prove the statement true. You are now sufficiently versed in the scientific method to be ready for the Nobel Prize selection committee or to appreciate the significance of the previously mentioned unwitting experiment.
The Hypothesis: Airlines claim that the “lounge” or “in-flight snack and refreshment bar” is available for refreshments, leg-stretching and enervating conversation with your fellow passengers.
Three of our intrepid group tested this hypothesis. Unwittingly. The dinner service of our flight included a very nice red Bordeaux. It was not just nice by airplane standards but really a nice glass of wine.
After dinner we decided it would be a good idea to go to the “snack bar” for another glass of Bordeaux and a chance to chat. We had ten hours to kill after all. One thing led to another. Various crew members cycled through the portion of the kitchen allocated to the “in flight refreshments” and after discovering that another bottle of the Bordeaux had disappeared suggested that NOW was a great time to return to our seats. We persevered. Including when the Captain turned on the return to your seat light. And then turned it off. Ominous warnings of supply limitations began to surface.
Is this the last bottle? When it become apparent that “big” science was underway we were joined by a few more passengers. The conversation became more fluid, the anxiety of some of the crew grew, the concern more emphatically stated that “this was the last bottle”. As each wave grew to crescendo one intrepid steward rummaged around and managed to find another bottle. Finally even his herculean efforts and the Bordeaux supply were exhausted. Or he had also tired of our shenanigans.
Conclusion: The stated hypothesis has been modified. The new hypothesis: Only a small percentage of airline crew staff are committed to the notion that the in-flight “refreshment bar” actually believe that BS.
Science.