h a l f b a k e r yFree set of rusty screwdrivers if you order now.
add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, best, random
news, help, about, links, report a problem
browse anonymously,
or get an account
and write.
register,
|
|
|
LIGO: Laser Interferometer Gravity-wave Observatory. [link-o]
A couple of four kilometer long tunnels, situated at ninety degrees to one another on a horizontal plane, measure the differences in lengths of time that two cohesive beams of light take to return to their respective starting point
in order to detect gravity waves.
Very cool.
I can't help wonder if we might be able to help these fine folks out in their experiment by participating in the first collective human endeavor since the time that there were only two of us.
With atomic clocks it is possible to very accurately have an event happen simultaneously world wide if that certain moment is anticipated by all and counted down like New Year.
Ok, so now this gets a bit sketchy because I don't know if the physics behind this idea is shite.
If, at a give instant, all of humanity decided en-masse to jump, the mass of the planet would be decreased by 420 Billion kilograms or so, and may produce a measurable wave for the people manning LIGO.
Or would the second thermodynamic law prevent this because of the force exerted to launch 420 billion kilograms?
http://www.ligo.cal...edu/LIGO_web/about/
[2 fries shy of a happy meal, Apr 26 2009]
[link]
|
| |
Hate to say it, but this is very similar to the idea requiring every
human to jump simultaneously in an effort to shift the planet's
orbit. Different purpose entirely, but the mechanics of the idea
are identical. The problem, as I see it, would be the risk of how
much damage to the Earth might be caused by a 420 billion kilo
impact. It has long been a tradition for military formations to
suspend the synchronized lockstep and have the troops walk "at
ease" when crossing bridges and overpasses because the impact
of so many feet striking the bridge simultaneously is thought to
cause bridges to collapse. I don't know if there is any truth to it
or not... (neutral) |
|
| |
a totally ridiculous proposal = [+] |
|
| |
//how much damage to the Earth might be caused by a 420 billion kilo impact// - "none at all" is the phrase that springs to mind, if the 'impact' is reasonably evenly spread over the surface of the Earth.
//the mass of the planet would be decreased by 420 Billion kilograms or so// - if the mass of the Earth is about 6x10^24kg, this is a decrease of about 1x10^-11%, so, not very much, and if the force imparted to the planet by everyone jumping is distributed over the surface, the net force on the planet will be zero. |
|
| |
//this is a decrease of about 1x10^-11%// - not even that, as the people do not jump very far out of the gravity well (~30cm?). |
|
| |
Getting all of the worlds population to join a communal effort might solve some other problems along the way, though. |
|
| |