say we made a 45 degree tunnel into the ground. it never ends, and it goes the same direction (45 degrees) in context to the original point.



because of the shape of the earth, the tunnel would eventually come out on the surface of the opposing side of the axis (which would be the direct surface location of the halfway-point of the tunnel).



Now say this tunnel was a vacuum, and there were no objects in the way, nothing on the inner edges so no appreciable friction.

Then theoretically, you would fall in, and gravity would keep you going and the force would get stronger as you go in. But then once you reach the half-way point, it starts to become less strong as you go out the 2nd half, because you're going TO the surface.

Say you were sent down in a capsule. At your destination point, there is a clamp/arm that catches the capsule and prevents it from falling back into the whole. Then you've successfully revolutionized travel as we know it, especially international travel.

Why? The force of gravity will always be the same no matter what the start points and end points are, so it will always take roughly 42 minutes to get from the starting point to the end point.



unfortunately, there is no way a man-made structure would survive when you go so deep, even 20-30 miles down we'd face a lot of pressure which would probably squeeze and crush it. However, its quite possible that within the next decade, there will be material that could survive.

So long as its a vacuum, and there are no obstacles, theoretically we could travel from here to China, or Kenya, or New Zealand, or ANYWHERE in 42 minutes. We could be sending entire trains down in 100 years or so. And there is NO propulsion required (except maybe for emergency, if the receiver on the other side fails to grab a hold of the subterranean vehicle.

Cool, huh?

If you didn't understand what I meant by axis point being the half-way point's surface location, here:

We can't even put a tunnel under Tysons Corner, let alone underneath an entire continent!! :))

Not only the pressure... the tunnel would have to pass through the mantle.

It would be easier to improve scramjet technology in that time. Mach 10 has already been achieved, which would get you from Ghana to Brazil in 29.5 minutes without the nasty heat rash.

Actually,

Due to Earth's gravitational forces being central, after the object reaches the halfway point, theoretically it would slow down, and move back to the center, where gravity is strongest, and swing back and forth until it comes to a halt.

That is, unless you have an engine or some kind of propulsion which would take over for gravitational forces, and allow the object to continue to its destination.

This would not be feasible for at LEAST another hundred years. There is NO material that could withstand that kind of pressure.

Awakened Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Actually,
>
> Due to Earth's gravitational forces being central,
> after the object reaches the halfway point,
> theoretically it would slow down, and move back to
> the center, where gravity is strongest, and swing
> back and forth until it comes to a halt.
>
> That is, unless you have an engine or some kind of
> propulsion which would take over for gravitational
> forces, and allow the object to continue to its
> destination.
>
> This would not be feasible for at LEAST another
> hundred years. There is NO material that could
> withstand that kind of pressure.

IF you could maintain a low enough vacuum and perfected a Maglev or some other system to keep friction as close to zero as possible, you wouldn't need any propulsion, possibly only need the "catcher" slightly closer to the center than the "releaser". These are big ifs, as the volume of that vacuum would be enormous and the energy expended maintaining the vacuum would likewise be huge.

But in any event, Alias, START DIGGING!!!

No thanks, Radiophile. Although, the concept of traveling through the Earth to catch an event at the Olympics and still be home in time for dinner has enormous appeal, I think I’ll let you go first.

Anyway, I’m more interested in time travel.

Physicist,
Any theories on how to create an actual time machine? Is it true that the faster we move the more slowly we age?

Alias Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Physicist,
> Any theories on how to create an actual time
> machine? Is it true that the faster we move the
> more slowly we age?

Yes, that is true. It's been proven. Extremely sensitive and accurate time measuring equipment showed that time elapsed at a slower rate in orbit than on the surface.

Physicist Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> Then theoretically, you would fall in, and gravity
> would keep you going and the force would get
> stronger as you go in. But then once you reach the
> half-way point, it starts to become less strong as
> you go out the 2nd half, because you're going TO
> the surface.
>
>
This part is not right. The force of gravity is strongest at the endpoints on the surface. As you get closer to the center of the earth, the net effect of gravity is reduced. If the tunnel went through the center of the earth, then the net force of gravity at the tunnel midpoint would be zero. As far as acceleration through the tunnel due to gravity, that will be always be zero at the midpoint of the tunnel. You would still experience gravity at the midpoint, but the gravitational force would be perpendicular to the tunnel, and not cause any acceleration within the tunnel. From starting point to midpoint, acceleration is positive, from midpoint to endpoint, acceleration is equal but negative.

If there were enough travel between point A and Point B, I could possibly see this working, hypothtically. But Alas, there isnt I dont think.

For instance, let us assume a DC to Tokyo Route. If you are going to Tokyo, Fanatastic! If you are going anywhere else, why bother. You would still have to board a plane and fly to melbourne, Moscow, or New Dehli if that was your final destination.

So unless there are many tunnels, simillar to a spoke and wheel, business wise, it makes little sence.

Fright on the other hand, mayt be different. It would avoid the toll at the panama canal which is 100,000 and up for the larger vessells



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/14/2008 02:13PM by Radiophile.

Well dont just stand there and theorize. Here are your
"classroom tools"

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp;jsessionid=D2GRHMPVUAQ5FLAQBBISCOFMCAEFEIWE?id=0020025516435a&type=product&cmCat=froogle&cm_ven=data_feed&cm_cat=froogle&cm_pla=0470305&cm_ite=0020025516435a&_requestid=57235

Alias,
you can only travel forward in time. read up on the theory of relativity. the key is to move near the speed of light to make a lot of time pass. alternatively, extremely high gravity (eg a "black hole") will distort time in the same manner but the key is to be able to survive and leave the gravity source. "slingshotting" yourself (in a ship) around the event horizon of a massive gravity source would be the "best" way to do this though you would be killed in the form of matter and the stress would likely rip your ship apart. so if you are looking to travel forward in time at an accelerated rate, take a ship that would accelerate to near the speed of light. unfortunately specks of "space dust" will hit your ship and rip it to shreds. the most viable way so far is cryogenic freezing, though i doubt you will be re-animated. though, if someone manages to invent a matter to energy converter, you can be stored in energy state and then be rematerialized at a later date without time passing from your perspective.

in short, it's not going to happen, you are not going to travel through time any faster than anyone else and you most certainly wont be going back in time.


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

It’s difficult to imagine hundreds of tunnels with thousands of people all zigzagging inside the Earth. What would happen if you’re on your way home from Sydney and suddenly an earthquake blocks off the tunnel you just happen to be zooming through? Would there be little connecting bridges between the tunnels? Would they have to be at 45 degree angles, also?

Now, if my time machine could also travel through physical space....

Cool article released today for you fans of theoretical physics.... scientists found something that appears to be moving faster than the speed of light... (does that mean backwards thru time is possible?)


http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080813/full/news.2008.1038.html?s=news_rss



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/14/2008 04:12PM by TheMeeper.

,



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/25/2012 06:49PM by Alias.

Gravis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Alias,
> you can only travel forward in time. read up on
> the theory of relativity. the key is to move near
> the speed of light to make a lot of time pass.
> alternatively, extremely high gravity (eg a "black
> hole") will distort time in the same manner but
> the key is to be able to survive and leave the
> gravity source. "slingshotting" yourself (in a
> ship) around the event horizon of a massive
> gravity source would be the "best" way to do this
> though you would be killed in the form of matter
> and the stress would likely rip your ship apart.
> so if you are looking to travel forward in time at
> an accelerated rate, take a ship that would
> accelerate to near the speed of light.
> unfortunately specks of "space dust" will hit your
> ship and rip it to shreds. the most viable way so
> far is cryogenic freezing, though i doubt you will
> be re-animated. though, if someone manages to
> invent a matter to energy converter, you can be
> stored in energy state and then be rematerialized
> at a later date without time passing from your
> perspective.
>
> in short, it's not going to happen, you are not
> going to travel through time any faster than
> anyone else and you most certainly wont be going
> back in time.


Alias and his "conservative" "Alias's" here do not believe in Evolution, yet the possibility of time travel facinates him. Ponderous, F-ing Ponderous.

http://www.fairfaxunderground.com/forum/read/40/93148/93210.html#msg-93210

,



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/25/2012 06:48PM by Alias.

]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/14/2012 10:05PM by Alias.

Looks like Elon Musk is looking into this for realsies.

Build it and they will come.

F

Who wants to be the first to be buried alive by a collapsing vacuum a mile down at hundreds of degrees?

Alias Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Physicist,
> Any theories on how to create an actual time
> machine? Is it true that the faster we move the
> more slowly we age?


Sure, time dilation is well known.

Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev technically lives in the future due to his extended period on the International Space Station.

After spending almost 804 days in space arrived back in Earth 0.02 seconds in the future thanks to a process known as time dilation.

If travel near light speed were possible you'd be able to make a loop in space and come back to Earth 10's 100's 1000's or even millions of years in the Earth's future.

Time travel.

There is no absolute time. We are traveling through the universe and also experience a time dialation because of this. He isn't in the future. He aged less.

the truth is, as a math problem that's been in (math) books for a while to teach gravity calculation. with that, anyone seeing it wonders for a few (moments) if it's possible before assuring themselves it's a stupid idea.

HOWEVER - any book or fucking foreigner trying to teach it as a way to commute should be sent back out of the USA

anyone dealing that crap is a brain washer from a foreign country trying to frag usa officers