World Travelling
For fans of QI, you'll know this....
What is the shortest time to theoretically get to anywhere on the planet? And how would you do it?
Whilst you may assume it would only take but a moment to move to just over there..... how long would it take to get to the furtherst point on the globe? The answer is fascinating, and impossible, hence theoretical, but could be done on the moon.... Bonus points if you know how long it would take on the moon....
- Karl Sharman
What is the shortest time to theoretically get to anywhere on the planet? And how would you do it?
Whilst you may assume it would only take but a moment to move to just over there..... how long would it take to get to the furtherst point on the globe? The answer is fascinating, and impossible, hence theoretical, but could be done on the moon.... Bonus points if you know how long it would take on the moon....
- Karl Sharman
Labels: SharedPuzzle
posted by ToM at
9:21 AM
31 Comments:
Karl ...
I was not familiar with QI ... just watched some of the bits on You Tube ... very funny stuff. Thanks you.
What does QI mean ?
Theoretically, people should be able to move about as fast as light, shouldn't they ?
That would be possible with teleportation, which would in my opinion convert someone/-thing into information conveyed at light speed or almost, to the other side of Earth.
I will neglect the converting process, and we have :
t=d/c,
t being the time of travel
c is light speed
d is the distance which would be about the diameter of Earth (just building a cable going through the core of Earth where it is about 5000 celsius degrees, that is to say a temperature to which everything would be liquid, so it is hard to build something in there, but I think people will find a solution...(even if it means freezing all Earth and ending all animal life on Earth, it should be possible with enough energy, which intelligent beings will surely find)
So :
t = 6378000000 (m)/ 299792000 (m/s)
t = 21 seconds.
Theoretically to get anywhere on the planet the shortest time would be 21 seconds.
Oops, at 5000°C, everything should be liquid or gas, at atmospheric pressure, I don't know what it would be like at pressures which could be find in there, but I assume we can't build anything in there yet, anyway, since forages don't go so deep yet.
AND I forgot to multiply by 2, which makes 42 seconds.
Karys
A globe is a three-dimensional scale model of Earth (terrestrial globe) or other spheroid celestial body .... (Wikipedia)
Oh, I was trying to think of all the "tricks". You did not give any speed limitations. And I thought of my "globe"... about a foot in diameter. I can reach both sides of it at the same time. So I deduce the time would to be instantaneous.
And for the moon? I don't have a model of the moon, but if I did, the time might be half of that of Earth... if the model was of equal scale.
If this was not the trick... well, just consider it a LOL.
"Could be done on the moon" -> my idea of something going through the center is possible there...
Karys.
Distance earth-moon, about 300000 km, about 40 times shorter than the diameter of Earth, so it would take 2 seconds to reach moon from Earth.
Diameter of Moon : 3400 km... about 4000 times shorter than Earth diameter... so it won't take a second. Assuming you're not in need of such a strict schedule, we can say it is instant.
Karys
The furthest journey would be approx π6400*10³ ≈ 20*10^6 metres. AT the speed of light 3*10^8 m/s that would take approx 0.07 seconds. That's academic though, we don't have have the technology.
The next limitation, will be the maximum g-force that we can sustain. I'd have thought 5 g would be suitable for ball park figures. That'd give about 21 minutes (of discomfort). Compare with a space craft at something lke 40 minutes to half orbit the world. Needless to say, this is also impractical.
I'd go for 5-10 hours as the best to go half-way. But there's an obvious gotcha or two lurking in this problem. e.g. landing on top of Everest wouldn't be straightforward.
Oops, I just noticed that I added 3 0.
It would be 0.04s to go to the furthest point on earth according to my explanation.
As I type, my toe is already on the other side of the world therefore it would take 0.00000 seconds to get to the other side of the world since a part of me is already there.
posted by The Godson
As I type, my toe is already on the other side of the world therefore it would take 0.00000 seconds to get to the other side of the world since a part of me is already there.
posted by The Godson
If tomorrow I went to the other side of Earth, then tomorrow I could say "Yesterday I was on the other side of Earth" and the time would be -1day...
Just stay put.
The earth's orbit and rotation will take you to that point in space where the other side is right now . . . (maybe).
Those of us who inhabit Gary Larson's "Far Side" have already got there anyway.
I was going to say, and since I'm saying it, I am saying, Quantum Time Travel... time to go from A to B would be instantaneous. However, the reason I decided not to say that, and therefore am not saying it, is because I don't understand why it would be different on the monn.
... or the moon .. ;-)
The answer is more bizarre than any one has so far stated.
Robert Hooke and Isaac Newton discussed it in the 17th Century on their blog of the time.
Anonymous - QI stands for Quite Interesting, and english tv programme hosted by Stephen Fry.
I'm off to bed and will post the answer tomorrow
42 minutes, by digging straight there, using noting but gravity (i.e. through the middle). ~55 on the moon?
.
I'm fairly sure that the "Gravity train" idea was posted up here a while ago.
PS fan of QI
It's the world's longest car I swear.
It reaches from Beale St. to Washington Square.
And once you get in it to go where you're going
you simply get out cause your there.
-Shel Silverstein
Is it as bizarre as maybe warping space such the place of origin and the place of destination, become one and the same.
Zaux,
I considered the tunnel thru the earth, where gravity makes every destination 42 minutes. I think you may have the answer Karl was thinking about. But I had forgot it was 42 minutes. I'll second your idea.
But I still like my globe answer best as a trick of mind.
I suspect that the gravity train is what it's about. Although a trip from A to B would be 42 minutes (using only gravity). In practice, you'd have to take several hops. I'd like a go on the one that comes out at the top of Mt. Everest ;)
On the moon, a gravity train would take 54 minutes.
Chris ...
I think you are probably right about the gravity train ... but why would it not be possible here and yet, be possible on the moon?
what about a gravity train whose destination is one of the deepest points in the ocean ... obviously, pressure would be a problem (but we are talking about a gravity train, so I believe we have already suspended our disbelief)... but it would be cool to see what is living at such depths.
The Earth is volcanic. I assume that the moon isn't.
This post has been removed by the author.
Yup, Gravity Train.
42 minutes and 12 seconds from sea level to sea level.
54 minutes on the moon.
Anonymous scores, with Chris getting the moon as his bonus prize...
Warping space seems even more outrageous than a gravity train, and travel would instantaneous... ;-)
I used to warp space, but getting hold of the spice melange is getting a bit tougher these days, and the side effects.....
Hi there blue eyes.
the possibility of traveling to anywhere on the planet depends all on the power of force thus gravity. if somewhere the volcanic activity is strongest its potential energy must be great as well. but, there's is always a but, if you go to a part of the planet say asia from america, gravity must be at its strongest point in which it pulls you and must be at a constant speed. but it would takeyou less than a second if you were to just teleport.
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