The tide doesn't actually come in and out

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Originally Posted by LarsMac

And, the "Twin Bulges" notion is not really a "Thing" other than as a logic tool created by scientists trying to develop analogies to help explain the phenomenon to the simple laymen.

I wish that was the case. It is not.

The big mistake is telling people there is a bulge on the opposite side of the world from the moon, and that the moon causes that bulge. This is to explain the second tide, in places that have two high tides a day. It's wrong. In fact, there isn't any bulge at all. On either side, or under the moon.

Originally Posted by LarsMac

So, question:
IF you wanted to explain the grander concept of the tides to your four-year-old nephew, would you present them with "LaPlace", or with the "Twin Bulges"?

I would use both, making it a brief history story. Starting the Newton, bringing in LaPlace, and ending with watching videos of the satellite data and models