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Advice to Pres. Obama: go for wind power | 90 comments (90 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)
Plan.. (4.00 / 2)
No, we get everyone on earth to run in the same direction and speed it back up.
by tjbuff (timhess@adelphia.net) on Fri Jan 23rd, 2009 at 10:19:02 AM EST
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Re: Plan.. (none / 0)
Actually the accusations are probably true. Wind power can slow the motion of the earth. Using the forces of the tide definitively takes its energy from the rotation of the earth, and the more friction the tide has to overcome, the more energy gets lost from the rotation.
But with ~ 10^26 J stored as rotation energy, this is not a short term issue to worry about.

However, I think you can run some distance in front of the tide, to speed earth up again. The trick is more to be in the right position to the moon, than to run ultra fast.

Der Amerikaner ist die Orchidee unter den Menschen
Volker Pispers

by Martin (weiser.mensch(at)googlemail.com) on Fri Jan 23rd, 2009 at 05:32:06 PM EST
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Re: Plan.. (none / 0)
if you want to go into great detail, skyscrapers increase friction enough to slow rotation,  but it's offset by clearcuts in the Amazon.  Can't imagine you want to quibble on such insignificant detail.

Or do you want to discuss this with the two Hopi brothers who control poles and rotation?

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

by Crazy Horse on Fri Jan 23rd, 2009 at 06:49:29 PM EST
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Re: Plan.. (none / 0)
What are Hopi brothers?

I didn't want to quibble with YOU, but yes, with regard to the question if despite conservation of angular momentum (for sure on the scale that matters) it is possible to change the speed of the rotation by moving around on earth and how.
If I wouldn't care for irrelevant stuff, I would have the wrong job.

Der Amerikaner ist die Orchidee unter den Menschen
Volker Pispers

by Martin (weiser.mensch(at)googlemail.com) on Fri Jan 23rd, 2009 at 08:10:27 PM EST
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Re: Plan.. (none / 0)
In this thread i was just having some fun.  In Hopi Indian cosmology, the tilt and rotation of the Earth is controlled by two brothers who live at the poles.  Mythology says they shift every once in a while.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin
by Crazy Horse on Sat Jan 24th, 2009 at 04:32:47 AM EST
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Advice to Pres. Obama: go for wind power | 90 comments (90 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
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