Study: Kansas Is Flatter Than a Pancake

Yahoo! ^ | Monday, July 28, 2003 | The Associated Press

[Willie Green]

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Scientists have confirmed what many cross-country motorists long have suspected: Kansas is flatter than a pancake.

A study published recently in the tongue-in-cheek Annals of Improbable Research compares the geography of Kansas to that of a griddle cake purchased at International House of Pancakes.

"Simply put, our results show that Kansas is considerably flatter than a pancake," wrote the researchers from Southwest Texas State University and Arizona State University.

Blame Brandon Vogt, a doctoral student at Arizona State University, for the topic. Three researchers were eating breakfast when the talk turned to how flat their pancakes really were.

Vogt suggested comparing the pancake to Kansas. While a student at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Vogt made frequent trips across the state on Interstate 70 to visit friends in Columbia, Mo.

"It's flatness — there's nothing to see, nowhere to stop," Vogt said.

The researchers used a confocal laser microscope to map the terrain of a flapjack. And then, they compared that data to elevation data for Kansas from the U.S. Geological Survey.

The researchers discovered the pancake is much bumpier than it first appears.

Not everyone is buying into the research.

"My guess is you could put Colorado in there, the way they're calculating it, and it would be flatter than a pancake," said Lee Allison, director of the Kansas Geological Survey. "I think this is part of a vast breakfast food conspiracy to denigrate Kansas. It's a cheap shot."

[PatrioticAmerican]

Well, it would be better with a few IHOPs scattered about.

[StriperSniper]

Sort of makes you wonder what it might be like exploring a cue ball the size of the Earth.

Hey! Don't bogart that, pass it here. ;-)

[boris]

Something tells me we're not in Kansas anymore...

[bicycle thug]

flat-earth.org

[BnBlFlag]

If you think Kansas is flat, come down and see the Louisiana and Texas Gulf Coast.

[rwfromkansas]

The Flint Hills sure as heck aren't flatter than a pancake.

Eastern Colorado is more dull than western Kansas, and that is saying something.

Florida is flatter than KS in many spots.

[rwfromkansas]

lol

[rwfromkansas]

How'd you like the airport? Small, isn't it?

[squidly]

Ever since I drove the length of Kansas, I've wondered if Kansans fall asleep behind the wheel with greater frequency than other people.

[rwfromkansas]

Here is a picture of the Flint Hills, which, quite frankly, is much hillier than any place I saw in Florida, though granted I basically saw the east/west coasts, central Florida and the Keys, no other areas:

[MarkL]

This reminds me of a business trip I was on to Wichita flying 1st class. The stewardess was interested in what why we were going there. I told her we were researching a new location for a ski resort.

Hey, don't laugh! There IS a ski resort on Kansas (and no, it's not for cross-country skiing!) It's called Mt. Trashmore, and it's a closed landfill.

Mark

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Pancake Ping

[djf]

True. Mt Rainier, about 30 air miles away.

[rwfromkansas]

Another pic from KS:

[rwfromkansas]

I think I saw that on the evening news once....:) lol

[djf]

People probably throng there from far and wide, as much as 15 miles away!

Don't get bent, I'm just joshin ya!

[frodolives]

The only way to really tell would be to pour Mrs. Butterworth's syrup all over Kansas and see how much runs into Colorado and Nebraska.

[cmsgop]

What Lake is that?

[rintense]

Oh. I thought Sheryl Crow was flatter than a pancake.

[rwfromkansas]

:)