stabilization (was Holdings Loyalty)

[Birthright-L]

This is completely tangential to the argument, but I felt an urge to
comment anyway. Moderate me into silence if you wish. =)

On Thu, 25 Apr 2002, Peter Lubke wrote:

> Anyone ever seen a game called "Freedom in the Galaxy" ? It had a
> Mega-Weapon called a planetary stabilizer. Which sounded benign until
> you found out that it stabilized a planet - that is - it abruptly
> stopped the normal rotation of the planet causing it to break up - death
> star style.

But stability is enhanced by rotation, because angular momentum is
resistant to torque! Bicycles become more stable (i.e., harder to tip
over) the faster you spin the wheels. Rifles are more accurate than
muskets because the grooves in the barrel cause the projectile to spin.
American footballs can only be thrown accurately for long distances if you
spin them as you throw. Gyroscopes are incredibly stable things,
precisely because they are spinning very fast indeed.


Ryan Caveney

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[Birthright-L]

This is completely tangential to the argument, but I felt an urge to
comment anyway. Moderate me into silence if you wish. =)

On Thu, 25 Apr 2002, Peter Lubke wrote:

> Anyone ever seen a game called "Freedom in the Galaxy" ? It had a
> Mega-Weapon called a planetary stabilizer. Which sounded benign until
> you found out that it stabilized a planet - that is - it abruptly
> stopped the normal rotation of the planet causing it to break up - death
> star style.

But stability is enhanced by rotation, because angular momentum is
resistant to torque! Bicycles become more stable (i.e., harder to tip
over) the faster you spin the wheels. Rifles are more accurate than
muskets because the grooves in the barrel cause the projectile to spin.
American footballs can only be thrown accurately for long distances if you
spin them as you throw. Gyroscopes are incredibly stable things,
precisely because they are spinning very fast indeed.


Ryan Caveney

************************************************** **************************
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[Peter Lubke]

Ryan B. Caveney wrote:

>This is completely tangential to the argument, but I felt an urge to
>comment anyway. Moderate me into silence if you wish. =)
>
>On Thu, 25 Apr 2002, Peter Lubke wrote:
>
>>Anyone ever seen a game called "Freedom in the Galaxy" ? It had a
>>Mega-Weapon called a planetary stabilizer. Which sounded benign until
>>you found out that it stabilized a planet - that is - it abruptly
>>stopped the normal rotation of the planet causing it to break up - death
>>star style.
>>
>
>But stability is enhanced by rotation, because angular momentum is
>resistant to torque! Bicycles become more stable (i.e., harder to tip
>over) the faster you spin the wheels. Rifles are more accurate than
>muskets because the grooves in the barrel cause the projectile to spin.
>American footballs can only be thrown accurately for long distances if you
>spin them as you throw. Gyroscopes are incredibly stable things,
>precisely because they are spinning very fast indeed.
>
Yeah I know, it should have been a planetary de-stabilizer.

>
>
>
>Ryan Caveney
>
>************************************************* ***************************
>The Birthright Homepage: http://www.birthright.net
>To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM
>with UNSUB BIRTHRIGHT-L in the body of the message.
>

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