Gravity satellite feels the force

It's *never* too late to be an engineer.

I guess the only turnoff was later on when his obvious penchant for homosexuality and pedophilia started to become apparent. For example, "Imperial Earth" had an almost obsessive thing with young boys in love, heartbreak, etc etc.

Also, his co-writing with Gentry Lee introduced Mr. Lee's weird obsession with young girls who smoke. Some really weird s*** going on

But if you looked past all that, Clarke's mind was brilliant right up to the end. Probably not as sinister as Edward Teller

I don't recall there being much math in Fountains of Paradise. Maybe I'm thinking of a different book?

Like a lot of things, the hardware took a *long* time to catch up to the idea. Ever hear of Charles Babbage? He is credited with inventing the first computer, which he called a difference engine. It actually did have much more in common with an engine than our idea of semiconductors

The Babbage Engine | Computer History Museum

Fascinating to watch it in action. Downright hypnotic. Similar mechanical computers were used on WW II battleships to aim the guns.

The Babbage computer couldn't have been built in the early 1800's as sufficiently precise machining didn't exist until much later

Well, gravity is proportional to 1 over R squared, where R is the distance from the center of the earth, or radius. The radius of the earth is usually assumed to be 6400 km. We can assume gravity on the hypothetical surface of the earth is 9.8 m/s squared

No, I'm not going to get into centripetal force due to the rotation of the planet. I'm also not going to get into how our effective gravity does not actually point to the center of the earth, but perpendicular to the surface of a geoid. Let's keep this simple for sake of discussion

If we play with numbers, at an altitude of 40 km, the apparent gravity to the person on the bicycle would be around 9.67 m/s squared. That's what, around 1% decline? Let's not factor in air resistance either

When cycling around on the ground, we're dealing with minor wind resistance, friction in the gears, friction between the tires and ground. But overall, it's pretty easy to cycle around level ground

Now imagine a *very* steep grade. You're changing down to the lowest gearset you have, pedaling like mad, barely moving, huffing and puffing. This is only an increasing fraction of your total apparent weight.

Now imagine the grade has turned into a vertical surface. Instead of tires, you have some sort of gear to cog arrangement with guide rails to move yourself upwards. The increase in force/work you must exert will now be very apparent.

I guess a close approximation to this would be climbing a rope. I used to be quite good at that but am starting to slow down in my grumpy middle age (Tom, are you listening?). It takes a *lot* of work to climb yourself up a rope

Me, I'd just poke the button labeled "Up" and patiently wait for the space elevator car to arrive and the doors to open

 

You need to spend more cycling time climbing steep hills.

 

What a bunch of hooey. There's no such thing as gravity. Everybody who's not brain dead knows by now that "gravity" is really the FSM pressing down on us with his noodly appendages. All you need to do to put stuff in orbit is pray to the FSM to stop pressing down on the object.

 

Let's not discuss centripetal force ... oops, too late

 

I suppose I could always nibble on the noodly appendages. Would that be sacrilegious?

 

Just the opposite Bra...

Did YOU forget the passage:

"And each creature begotten by me must eat of my dangling noodles whenever they know I am near. For unlike that manna fellow, that left it upon the earth, my noodly appendages dangle down from the heavens, or are placed upon a plate bearing meat and sauce as an offering to you, my creation. And do not forsake the preparation of your meal plus three... for you are commanded to prepare enough to eat for yourselves, and the midget, and the two pirates, in whom my favor rests."

 

The FSM is not wrathful. That's the Jewish/Christian/Muslim god that's always going around spewing wrath. The FSM is pretty laid back. Probably because of the beer volcano.

Not at all. Spaghetti is the sacrament. Along with beer.

But the thing is that if gravity were a force, you'd need energy to move contrary to that force. Since it's really just the FSM pressing down with his noodly appendages, you merely need to ask him (nicely!) to stop pressing down on the object you wish to place into orbit.

 

Mmmmmmmmm slurp!

 

No fair! I want a beer volcano too!

Sign me up for the FSM

I think I have a plan to deal with potential annoying neighbors ...

 

And you will have one in heaven. Guaranteed. (That is, not one all to yourself. There's just one for everyone, but there's plenty of beer for all.) That's why Pastafarianism is the world's fastest-growing religion. Who wouldn't convert to a religion that has a beer volcano in heaven?

 

Mmmmmmm beer volcano

It had better not be a "lite" beer volcano ....

 

I understand it depends entirely on your submission to FSM in your daily life...

I'm working on a Boilermaker volcano my self...

 

I have days where a boilermaker volcano would be good to indulge in

 

I've been wishing I didn't have those kinda days... for days.

If I can drown out the discomfort of other's pain before I go to bed... it would be wonderful. Till I can do that... I'm using tequila, medicinally of course, and hoping for a boilermaker volcano in the hereafter as my reward in Paradise.

As for the OP's point about the Ion Engine... and subsequent posters comments of the Proof that the FSM is the reason the satellite was needed to measure the force of the noodly appendages holding us onto the planet, and the wiggles of appendages that are nearby and influencing the gravity by waving around... technology IS impressive... especially when you concider that just some 10,000 years ago all of humanity was still tribal folks looking up at the moon thinking it was a god.






Me... I know I am reconstituted stardust... that understands my body is the result of forces I'm only now being able to grasp... and I'm finding that the triviality of life itself is still worth looking into to understand... even if it can't be changed by me...

Like gravity for example...

I used to be a pilot... I fully grasp gravity... and have been active most of my life to defeat it, and boredom/mediocraty... with any luck... this satelight will help us to defeat gravity... and I am all for that.

Now for my last tequila... :tea:

 

Tequila = good

VERY good

 

Thank you Bra... that is actually pretty damn accurate...

And insightful...