What a fun day our country had Thursday with the now-known-to-be-a-hoax Balloon Boy. The media was in quite a frenzy over the assumption that a child was floating over Colorado in a homemade balloon. 

How can we succumb to such stupidity?  In the article here, I read, 

While the balloon was in the air, Alderden said authorities contacted an expert who told them the helium balloon was capable of lifting the boy into the air.

"We did contact a professor at CSU with the expertise to determine the payload and lift (of the balloon) and he informed us that a balloon of that size would handle a payload of 80 pounds. The boy weighed 37 pounds, so it remains conceivable that a boy of that size could have been in the balloon," Alderden said.

I performed some simple math Friday and easily determined that the balloon would not lift a 37lb child + the weight of the balloon. Should I be applying for a professor's job at Colorado State? And I am aware that I am not alone ... dozens of folks tweeted similar proof for all to see.

What do we learn from this event? 

1. Our media is ultra-gullible; a story need not be true -- nor even plausible to meet the ever-falling threshold of attaining "newsworthiness." 
2. Sheriff, learn these words: "Professor, could you show your math, please?"
3. Professors - come clean! If you can't perform elementary math, give up the tenure!

YMMV