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The Off Topic Topic

Started by Korea, March 10, 2009, 06:24:26 AM

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Syt

I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein's brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops.
—Stephen Jay Gould

Proud owner of 42 Zoupa Points.

chipwich

If Galileo drops two balls from the Tower of Pisa on Tuesday, requiring gravity to pull the balls down, and drops no balls on Wednesday, how is the conservation of energy not broken since the earth was using more gravity on Tuesday?

If a massive fleet of spaceships constantly dropped foreign objects on a planet, would the planet run out of gravity with which to pull them down? If not, how does that not violate the conservation of energy?

Jacob


Liep

Quote from: chipwich on September 15, 2013, 02:44:14 PM
If Galileo drops two balls from the Tower of Pisa on Tuesday, requiring gravity to pull the balls down, and drops no balls on Wednesday, how is the conservation of energy not broken since the earth was using more gravity on Tuesday?


Galileo was a late bloomer?
"Af alle latterlige Ting forekommer det mig at være det allerlatterligste at have travlt" - Kierkegaard

"JamenajmenømahrmDÆ!DÆ! Æhvnårvaæhvadlelæh! Hvor er det crazy, det her, mand!" - Uffe Elbæk

Zanza

Quote from: chipwich on September 15, 2013, 02:44:14 PM
If Galileo drops two balls from the Tower of Pisa on Tuesday, requiring gravity to pull the balls down, and drops no balls on Wednesday, how is the conservation of energy not broken since the earth was using more gravity on Tuesday?
By carrying the balls up the tower, Galileo used kinetic energy that increased the potential energy of the balls. When he dropped them, this potential energy was converted into kinetic energy which accelerated the balls down.

QuoteIf a massive fleet of spaceships constantly dropped foreign objects on a planet, would the planet run out of gravity with which to pull them down? If not, how does that not violate the conservation of energy?
Same thing. By moving foreign objects into the gravity well of a planet, you increase their potential energy.


frunk

Quote from: chipwich on September 15, 2013, 02:44:14 PM
If a massive fleet of spaceships constantly dropped foreign objects on a planet, would the planet run out of gravity with which to pull them down? If not, how does that not violate the conservation of energy?

Note that the conservation of energy only applies for a closed system.  If you look at just the earth it has a certain total amount of energy.  Now all of a sudden you add a fleet of spaceships in orbit that's not the same system and energy isn't conserved.

The earth is far from a closed system anyway.  Too much energy coming in from the sun (and to a much, much, much, much lesser extent other external sources) and some energy is also being lost into space as well.

PDH

Quote from: chipwich on September 15, 2013, 02:44:14 PM
If Galileo drops two balls from the Tower of Pisa on Tuesday, requiring gravity to pull the balls down, and drops no balls on Wednesday, how is the conservation of energy not broken since the earth was using more gravity on Tuesday?

If a massive fleet of spaceships constantly dropped foreign objects on a planet, would the planet run out of gravity with which to pull them down? If not, how does that not violate the conservation of energy?

Magic
I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had an underlying truth.
-Umberto Eco

-------
"I'm pretty sure my level of depression has nothing to do with how much of a fucking asshole you are."

-CdM

Ed Anger

MOTHERFUCKING SKUNKS HAVE RETURNED
Stay Alive...Let the Man Drive

Ed Anger

Oh god, the smell. Engage escape protocol Hawkins-Alpha!
Stay Alive...Let the Man Drive

Ed Anger

*gasp*

There is no escape. To the basement!
Stay Alive...Let the Man Drive

jimmy olsen

Popped up on facebook today, pretty interesting from a historical perspective vis a vi gender and photography.

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2012/07/29/bosom-buddies-a-photo-history-of-male-affection/
It is far better for the truth to tear my flesh to pieces, then for my soul to wander through darkness in eternal damnation.

Jet: So what kind of woman is she? What's Julia like?
Faye: Ordinary. The kind of beautiful, dangerous ordinary that you just can't leave alone.
Jet: I see.
Faye: Like an angel from the underworld. Or a devil from Paradise.
--------------------------------------------
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Josquius

Quote from: CountDeMoney on September 15, 2013, 07:04:01 AM
Figured it was chilly enough this morning to go ahead and fire up the gas fireplace for the season, and the cat didn't even wait for me to get out of the way before she tried camping her chunky ass right in front of it.
:lol:
My dog has been known to shout at the fire if its a cold day and my mam hasn't gotten around to turning it on yet.
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derspiess

Quote from: CountDeMoney on September 15, 2013, 07:04:01 AM
Figured it was chilly enough this morning to go ahead and fire up the gas fireplace for the season, and the cat didn't even wait for me to get out of the way before she tried camping her chunky ass right in front of it.

Poor kitty doesn't know the awesomeness of a proper wood-burning fireplace :(
"If you can play a guitar and harmonica at the same time, like Bob Dylan or Neil Young, you're a genius. But make that extra bit of effort and strap some cymbals to your knees, suddenly people want to get the hell away from you."  --Rich Hall

CountDeMoney

Poor kitty doesn't care.  Toasty nipples is toasty nipples.

derspiess

Anyway I got the chimney swept (dude tried to soak me for $700 to coat it with this stuff called Smoktite) and a bunch of seasoned hickory in the back.  Bring on the cold.
"If you can play a guitar and harmonica at the same time, like Bob Dylan or Neil Young, you're a genius. But make that extra bit of effort and strap some cymbals to your knees, suddenly people want to get the hell away from you."  --Rich Hall