Why the Sun Really Shines

Spring has finally arrived and with it: the Sun! Why does the sun actually shine? In the 1950s, the educational song Why Does the Sun Shine? was written, based on information that was then believed to be accurate. In 1983, They Might Be Giants, an original band from Brooklyn, New York, covered this song.

Many years later, in 2008, they discovered that the information in the original song was incorrect. The band then wrote an “answer song” in which they updated the outdated information about the Sun. It is called The Sun Is A Miasma Of Incandescent Plasma. The lyrics in the new song reflect our current state of knowledge regarding the Sun.

First read the definitions of the following underlined words.

• The sun is a miasma = a heavy cloud of something unpleasant or unhealthy

• incandescent = white or glowing because of great heat

• The sun is a quagmire = an area of soft, wet ground

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.



Answer the questions in writing or in a group discussion.

1. Listen carefully to all the things the Sun is not. Write them down. Compare your notes to those of your classmates. 


2. Which four states of matter are repeatedly mentioned in the song?


3. What state of matter exists on the surface of the Sun?


4. Complete the following lines:
   The sun is a quagmire,
   it’s .......... ........... ........... ..........


5. “That thesis has been rendered invalid.” What does the last line mean? Explain in your own words.

Discuss the following question in smaller groups or as a class:
What does the experience of They Might Be Giants teach us about how we respond to changing facts?

Extra writing exercise
Can't get enough of the song? Listen again and write out the lyrics.