Hey, Dr. Science-Patterson! I forget, what’s that popular mnemonic device we were all taught as youngsters to remember the order of the planets in our solar system? - Forgetful in Philadelphia

Dear Forgetful in Philadelphia - The answer to your question is two-fold: First, I’m smarter than you. Secondly, I don’t know what you learned, but the mnemonic device I teach my students at the University is “Mary said that Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are planets.” The “m” in Mary stands for Mercury, the “s” in “said” for the planet Sorion, the “that” doesn’t stand for anything, and the “p” in “planets” stands for Pluto.

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