Ribbon around the Earth

[brianvds]

To reduce Coriolis forces to livable levels, a rate of spin of 2 rpm or less would be needed. To produce 1g, the radius of rotation would have to be 224 m (735 ft) or greater, which would make for a very large spaceship

Perhaps, once you have lived in such an environment for a while, you'll get used to the Coriolis effect. Back on Earth, you'd need to adjust all over to the "normal" world again.

[Mefiante]

Perhaps, once you have lived in such an environment for a while, you'll get used to the Coriolis effect. Back on Earth, you'd need to adjust all over to the "normal" world again.

That’s no doubt true, but it wouldn’t obviate the appearance of weird counterintuitive motions that prevail in a Coriolis environment.

In any case, the interested reader can get a sense of this weirdness the next time s/he encounters a merry-go-round:  Set it spinning at a good clip, hold on facing the centre post, and swing one leg as if attempting to kick the centre post.

'Luthon64

[brianvds]

Perhaps, once you have lived in such an environment for a while, you'll get used to the Coriolis effect. Back on Earth, you'd need to adjust all over to the "normal" world again.

That’s no doubt true, but it wouldn’t obviate the appearance of weird counterintuitive motions that prevail in a Coriolis environment.

One can imagine that in the future, people may grow up in such an environment, and perhaps end up with very different physics intuitions than ours.

In any case, the interested reader can get a sense of this weirdness the next time s/he encounters a merry-go-round:  Set it spinning at a good clip, hold on facing the centre post, and swing one leg as if attempting to kick the centre post.

'Luthon64

Or let one person stand in the middle, and another on the edge, and then try tossing a ball to each other.

[Rigil Kent]

Set it spinning at a good clip, hold on facing the centre post, and swing one leg as if attempting to kick the centre post.

I'll make a point of going on my next merry-go-round ride sober. As a rule, I can totally relate to Tolla's analysis of the centripital trajectory of vomit.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPrHM-Jfprg


Rigil