Re: Interesting concultural ideas

Fabian wrote:
>
> > On Tue, 4 Dec 2001, D Tse wrote:
> >
> > > <<
> > >
> > > Anyone else's people live on a ringworld or (yikes!) a Dyson sphere?
>
>Anyone who wants realistic science will be in for a shock. I have been
>nformed by many people wiser than myself than the gravity of the inside of
>a ringworld or a Dyson sphere will be zero. There is a certain
>mathematical proof that the internal gravity of any hollow sphere at any
>point on the inside will be zero. This would be equally true for a
>ringworld. The only gravity would be what the star (and assorted space
>debris) provides.
I'm not sure of the exact definition of a "ringworld", but assuming that
they work on the "ratating wheel" principle, the centrifugal force will
mimic gravity very well (if it's reasonably big). A spinning spherical world
would be great fun - as you approach the poles "gravity" deacreases!
However, it also gets titled, ceasing to be perpendicular to the floor. A
cyindrical world would work too - think Rama.

                                            Andreas

PS Another cool idea for an artificial world is a hollow sphere centered on
a black hole. The hole's gravity would keep air, people etc on the (outer)
surface, and the hole could be used as an energy source. Some SETIites
seriously believe that this is how really old and advanced civilizations
array themselves.

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