My assignment for history is to pick one of the following examples from aristophanes clouds and explain how it may seem silly, but it is actually scientific. I don't know how I can explain these scientifically.
1. The example of the flea. (Socrates asked a student how many of its own feet a flee can jump. The student dipped the fleas feet in wax. He then took the wax "shoes" off the flea and used them to count in "flea steps," how far the flea had jumped.
2. The example of the gnat's sound.
3. The study of the lunar orbit.
4. The explanation for Socrates being in the air (rather than on the ground). (Socrates is sitting in a basket suspended in the air. He says this helps him learn better because the air up high is drier. Where are the air down low is moist. There's a note at the bottom of the page about a guy who studied animals and said they were stupider because they breathed all the moist air on the ground and humans breathed all the dry air on top.)
5. The cause of rain, thunder, and lightning.
Any help would be appreciated. I'm thinking of doing the two that I elaborated on, but the other are fine, if you've read the book.
I just have to explain it scientifically, and I don't know how that would work?