September 27 – Ask a Stupid Question Day

Posted on September 27, 2013

Sometimes people say, “There are no stupid questions.”

But I'm not sure that's entirely true. For example, I once asked how the doctors and parents knew if a brand-new baby was a boy or a girl. You know, when he or she is first born, before there are clothes or a name to make the sex clear to all.

Okay, yeah, I was a little kid. But I was old enough to know better!

So maybe there are some stupid questions. But one thing I know for sure: we shouldn't worry too much about asking stupid questions. It's far better to ask a stupid question than to never ask a question!

This day was created by people who want kids to ask more questions. If you don't understand something, ask a question. If you aren't sure something is true, ask how someone knows that, what the source is. If you don't know how something works, ask!

(By the way, now that I am an adult, I realize that my stupid question above was not so very stupid, after all, because in 1 out of every 100 births, doctors and parents DON'T know if the child is a boy or a girl.)

Celebrate Questions!

Here are some awesome quotes about asking questions:

No question is so difficult to answer as that to which the answer is obvious. 

– George Bernard Shaw

A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer. 

– Bruce Lee

To the dumb question, 'Why me?' the cosmos barely bothers to return the reply, 'Why not?' 

– Christopher Hitchens

Here are some fun “stupid questions”:

• What if the hokey pokey really is what it's all about?

• How does a thermos know whether a drink should be hot or cold?

Here are some fun not-stupid questions:

• Which was the tastiest dinosaur?

Actually, real scientists have worked on that last question! And they came up with an answer, too. I wouldn't swear that it is the right answer...

•  How do we know we are real, and not just someone's dream?

Deep! Did you just watch The Matrix?

Also on this date:

Ancestor Appreciation Day 

French Community Holiday in Belgium

Google's birthday

Plan Ahead!

Check out my Pinterest pages on September holidays, September birthdays, and historical anniversaries in September.

And here are my Pinterest pages on October holidays, October birthdays, and historical anniversaries in October.