How to travel halfway across the world for free

[Kozmos]

The Earth is flat foo!

 

[Corlindale]

A word of caution: Do NOT attempt this on the Discworld.

 

[Leifmk]

There is no such thing as centrifugal force, so you must be wrong.

In an inertial frame of reference, this would be nearly correct (there is still such a thing as reactive centrifugal force, in cases where there is a centripetal force). However, in a rotating frame of reference (such as the one where the surface of the Earth is "stationary") the centrifugal force is as real as any other.

 

[ZiP!]

A word of caution: Do NOT attempt this on the Discworld.

ROFL

(... and 10)

 

[jamiethearcher]

Not at all. The 9.8ms¯² is only because the earth is pulling at us in one direction. At the center [its the logical spelling, use it, grr], the earth will be pulling on us in all directions, thus subjecting us to effectively no pressure at all.

Centre is the Canadian spelling IIRC.

 

[sysyphus]

Your world looks like a butt crack.

Fits well with his plan then doesn't it?

 

[Erik Mesoy]

In an inertial frame of reference, this would be nearly correct (there is still such a thing as reactive centrifugal force, in cases where there is a centripetal force). However, in a rotating frame of reference (such as the one where the surface of the Earth is "stationary") the centrifugal force is as real as any other.

I'm still waiting for the explanation on how one can get ripped apart by centrifugal force, and it only sounds more ridiculous when you say that it exists or not depending on your frame of reference.

 

[GenMarshall]

One way is to be a stoweaway. Just sneek aboard on a cargo plane .

 

[Leifmk]

I'm still waiting for the explanation on how one can get ripped apart by centrifugal force,

Well, not by the measly few cm/s^2 you can get from the Earth's rotation. An that is at the equator. In a thought experiment where you drill the hole from pole to pole centrifugal force would be a non-issue. If you tried the same with a tunnel between two different points you'd wind up bumping into the side of the tunnel, a bit.

If you want to be torn apart from "centrifugal force", you would have to be rotating. I'm not quite sure what the tensile strength of human flesh is.

and it only sounds more ridiculous when you say that it exists or not depending on your frame of reference.

I'm afraid that bit is standard relativistic physics. Non-inertial frames are kind of funky.

 

[Bluemofia]

If you were to dig a hole that way, directly through, and jump in:

Assuming no burning hot lava, no friction to slow you down, no earth spinning, only freefall, you should end up at the other side only if you grab hold onto an edge when you fall out.

Because you would fall, down, reach maximum velocity at the core, swing up, lose velocity slowly as allowed by gravity, and reach zero velocity the same distance away from sea level as the point which you jumped in.

But if there was friction in the form of air, you would not make it, and swing back and forth until you come to a stop at the core.

If we turn the earth's spinning force back on, you should be flung against the sides of the tube, causing friction, thus you won't make it.

If we were to turn the lava/heat on, you would be incinerated before you would get to the mantle, and the tube would close in on itself as the sides of it melt, and the solid rock that was once solid due to the pressure, melts, and seals the passage, possibly being forced upward, and creating a volcano.

 

[Swiss Bezerker]

Your world looks like a butt crack.

For once i agree with RS

 

[ZiP!]

If we turn the earth's spinning force back on, you should be flung against the sides of the tube, causing friction, thus you won't make it.

Unless the tunnel is between the geographic poles...

If we were to turn the lava/heat on, you would be incinerated before you would get to the mantle, and the tube would close in on itself as the sides of it melt, and the solid rock that was once solid due to the pressure, melts, and seals the passage, possibly being forced upward, and creating a volcano.

Now I'm sure that with all the creative minds we got here we could easily find a plausible solution to that.

 

[Bluemofia]

@ZiP!

Well, execpt there. I was under the impression that it was somewhere like your backyard or something.

That was just me stating the obvious for my own personal amusement.

 

[kingjoshi]

Unless the tunnel is between the geographic poles...

Like I'm going to take a trip to a pole just so I can tunnel to the other pole Actually, that sounds kind of fun. Assuming I would live through it without pain

 

[kingjoshi]

Because you would fall, down, reach maximum velocity at the core, swing up, lose velocity slowly as allowed by gravity, and reach zero velocity the same distance away from sea level as the point which you jumped in.

But if there was friction in the form of air, you would not make it, and swing back and forth until you come to a stop at the core.

Or as I said in my first post long ago, it'd be a pendulum with you as the objecting swinging back and forth. But thanks for the support

 

[Bluemofia]

Or as I said in my first post long ago, it'd be a pendulum with you as the objecting swinging back and forth. But thanks for the support

Bah! I'm too lazy to read those posts. I get bored after the 1st page.

 

[goldenflame53]

Accleration of course would not be constant. It would start being positive once you pass the center of the Earth. All the way out, you're fighting gravity and, like Eric Mesoy said, you also have friction to slow you down.
And how on earth would you prevent the hole from filling in? If you build a tunnel, wouldn't it melt through at the core?
If you have that much spare superstrong metal, I'd prefer you build a space elevator or something useful. >=(