Re: Interesting concultural ideas

Fabian scripsit:

> 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.
Absolutely.  Classic ringworlds (specifically Niven's, of course), therefore
have to be spun very quickly, which means they need to be made of
unreasonably strong materials (Niven calls it 'scrith').

Ringworlds, however, aren't stable with respect to their suns, and will
drift away from heliocentricity quite quickly.  This can be cured with
attitude jets that use the solar wind for fuel.

--
John Cowan           http://www.ccil.org/~cowan              cowan@ccil.org
Please leave your values        |       Check your assumptions.  In fact,
   at the front desk.           |          check your assumptions at the door.
     --sign in Paris hotel      |            --Miles Vorkosigan

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