We all die 21/12/2012. Discuss

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[saltydog]

Let's not forget that the Americans were only able to go "supersonic" after having seen the "all-flying tailplane",
 a British idea..

"In 1946 a team of American engineers from Bell Aviation, who were also working on a supersonic aircraft project, visited the top-secret research facility of the Miles Aircraft company. The British government instructed the company to co-operate fully with the Americans, in return for data on the United States' own supersonic programme4.

It is known that the Bell company had been having serious problems with control of their aircraft as it approached the sound barrier. The Miles team had overcome this snag with a completely new idea - the all-flying tailplane.

Basically, up until then, the horizontal tailplanes of all aircraft had been fitted with small flaps on their trailing edges to aid with vertical stability. The all-flying tailplane did away with these flaps, which were just not large enough to counteract the enormous forces encountered at supersonic speeds, and designed an aircraft where the entire horizontal tailplane pivoted, thus giving a much greater movable surface area with which to control the vertical pitch of the aircraft. This was a significant breakthrough, in fact Chuck Yeager5 is on record as saying that the single most significant contribution to the final success of the Bell XS-1 was the all-flying tailplane. "

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A882272

[llamalord]

Wow... I just found myself asking what does this has to do with Magnetic North...

[The Ferry Man]

Hey Guys,
I promise I'll cite this later but...

I have just read something that states a fact that Magnetic North (For you pilots out there) is moving in the direction of Russia at 40 Miles Per Year. This indicates that Magnetic North and South may flip again in the near future.

To most people this seems unthinkable but! not only has this happened 5 or 6 times before in the history of the planet Every time it has happened before events surrounding it have been catastrophic!!!

Again, I'll find the source later...

The Poles are due a flip again soon...

[Wave Music]

The Poles are due a flip again soon...

Yes, thanks to Captain Cadet for making them every day! 

[Stuart2007]

The Poles are due a flip again soon...

What time?

I don't think this is something to worry about in your lifetimes- It isn't that quick... Me on the other hand, well I intend to live forever so I WILL see it...

[The Ferry Man]

It is one of these things we don;t really know - we know they will change, but when, well soon, but soon on a big scale, not a human scale, where soon could be tomorrow, or it could be a 1000 years from now...

[Stuart2007]

Yes, yes... And the Canary Islands will collapse into the Atlantic sending a tsunami across to America sometime in the next 20,000 years- just in time, no doubt, to quench the fiery pits of hell that will befall America when Yellowstone Park goes up... anytime in the next 50,000 years or so.

So, one disaster will help another one; no big losses then... Except that without America and its legions of Bruce Willis clones- there will be no one to save the human race from this asteroid/mutant stargoat/ supernova/ aliens...

The issue is that when geologists and such predict "soon" they mean 10,000 years being "soon". Also, one wonders that when their £/$/Eu grants depend upon their importance to society... would they perhaps enhance the likelihood of such problems just to secure research grants for anxious politicians... (Or is that just the global warming mob?)

[TerryRussell]

According to my pan-dimensional organiser, I have scheduled the next magnetic reversal for 1876787643871996787468574747854876.00256 nanoseconds from the universal start date in enviroment 12ABQ7.

As you'll notice, that day has a very special significance for me.  

But that isn't the one you need to worry about. It's the physical reversal of the planet Dirt that should worry you. You'll all be spun off into space when that happens.

PS Sorry, I meant "Earth", not "Dirt". Seems the same word to me, but I gather it's important to you mudlings. Not sure why you don't call it "Water", since there's far more of that (until the physical reversal).

[Stuart2007]

"Greetings earthling...Take me to your leader"
"Greetings mudling...Take me to your leader"
 

Hmmm...

An interesting point incidentally; since centrifugal force* and gravity balance out to just the right amount for human life to survive on planet earth (and keep Marmite jars on the brekkie table)... If the earth slows down enough, the balance of gravity/c.f. will be affected making us all 3ft tall...

*Just in case any bright sparks here (and you two KNOW who I mean  ) want to point out that there is no centrifugal force, I AM aware thanks... But explaining to some members what inertia is is hard enough, let alone the mathematics behind it and how it applies in this situation).

[The Ferry Man]

"Greetings earthling...Take me to your leader"
"Greetings mudling...Take me to your leader"
 

Hmmm...

An interesting point incidentally; since centrifugal force* and gravity balance out to just the right amount for human life to survive on planet earth (and keep Marmite jars on the brekkie table)... If the earth slows down enough, the balance of gravity/c.f. will be affected making us all 3ft tall...

*Just in case any bright sparks here (and you two KNOW who I mean  ) want to point out that there is no centrifugal force, I AM aware thanks... But explaining to some members what inertia is is hard enough, let alone the mathematics behind it and how it applies in this situation).

Centifugal Force exists in an accelerating Frame of Reference 

[TerryRussell]

"Greetings earthling...Take me to your leader"
"Greetings mudling...Take me to your leader"
 

Hmmm...

An interesting point incidentally; since centrifugal force* and gravity balance out to just the right amount for human life to survive on planet earth (and keep Marmite jars on the brekkie table)... If the earth slows down enough, the balance of gravity/c.f. will be affected making us all 3ft tall...

*Just in case any bright sparks here (and you two KNOW who I mean  ) want to point out that there is no centrifugal force, I AM aware thanks... But explaining to some members what inertia is is hard enough, let alone the mathematics behind it and how it applies in this situation).

I think you mean "centripetal" force (see http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/phy00/phy00305.htm for a really good explanation of the difference).

But if your assertion is correct, how come Eskimos aren't 3ft 6 and people in Singapore 8ft 3 (on average)?

In any case, I meant the fact that on average, you are spinning around at many miles/kilometeres/lepton lengths per second. When I stop the Dirt you will continue at that speed, briefly but long enough to wipe the surface clean.

[Firestar]

If we all die in 2010, does that mean even Terry? But Terry can't die on this Earth, his planet just won't allow it. Also, if everything dies, how will Terry get his Marmite?

[Stuart2007]

Centifugal Force exists in an accelerating Frame of Reference  

CF doesn't exist. It's an engineering phantom. I'm (thankfully) not an engineer or a professor of physics. Nevertheless:

I was led to believe that centripetal forces are those that INwards on a curve, not outwards. Anyway, the 3ft was a somewhat exaggeration... But lets take a more scientific approach to it: If a baby is born on a stationery object, that HAS gravity (1g), but no CF to act against it, would this have an effect...

Or put another way- if the world was to stop spinning (slowly not suddenly!!!) would that make the relative effect of gravity=2g?

[TerryRussell]

I'm (thankfully) not an engineer or a professor of physics. Nevertheless:

Many professors of physics are equally thankful about that  

Or put another way- if the world was to stop spinning (slowly not suddenly!!!) would that make the relative effect of gravity=2g?

No.

Consider this: ignoring the oblate spheroid shape of the earth (which causes the poles to flatten a little), how much heavier is an Eskimo at the North pole? Answer: almost no difference in weight. The outward force due to the Mud's rotation, even at the Equator, is almost negligible.

[saltydog]

Is there a McDonalds at the North Pole..?

[Kevinmcg_ships]

We all are going to die on 21st December 2012. Discuss.

Me first. This is based on Mayan (ancient civilisation) theory that the planet will end.

The Mayans probably ran out of stone slates, or simply got bored of doing the calendars so they stopped at 21/12/2012 and decided to mess about with the mind of their future forebearers by announcing that the world will end on that date. (i.e. like we are discussing about the end of the world on this topic)

The Mayans are not the only one who have prophised the end of the world.

Nostradamus said the world would end around 12 years ago. I remembered it would end on a day in July - it didn't. (I was actually working overtime on that day - rather than going AWOL and on a booze bender)

Jehovah Witness said several times that the world would end - it didn't. (in fact they stopped announcing when the world would end as they were wrong on each occasion)

Many people believed the Millennium Bug would cause the world to fall into chaos - aeroplanes dropping out of the sky during mid-flight and nuclear power stations going into meltdown due to the computers not recognising the year 2000 - it didn't.

When CERN ran the Large Hadron Collider, many people thought it would create a Black Hole, engulfing the world from within inside. Well, we are still here......


My advice is just to enjoy life as much as you could and stop worrying.

 

[Stuart2007]

Cheers Dr T for correcting my knowledge on that. It was explained really quite well by a rather well qualified gent (who has not, as yet, given permission for his PM to be made public). Although I think we can probably all guess what brain box it was!!!

---

Has anyone seen the film 2012? Is it really as bad as I've heard?

[Firestar]

Cheers Dr T for correcting my knowledge on that. It was explained really quite well by a rather well qualified gent (who has not, as yet, given permission for his PM to be made public). Although I think we can probably all guess what brain box it was!!!

---

Has anyone seen the film 2012? Is it really as bad as I've heard?

My friend says there are ships 3200 feet long in that film, so, yes.

[Stuart2007]

My friend says there are ships 3200 feet long in that film, so, yes.

3200 feet long... and built in the Himalayas... where the good people of Nepal are known for being extremely adaptable, roubust people... Unfortunately, their infrastructure isn't geared up for building ships up mountains...

[Firestar]

3200 feet long... and built in the Himalayas... where the good people of Nepal are known for being extremely adaptable, roubust people... Unfortunately, their infrastructure isn't geared up for building ships up mountains...

Let alone a "Mega super" sized vessel.

[HmhsBritannic]

Were Not Going To Die On The 21st Of December In 2012. Highly In-Logical. Impossible. 

[McGherkin]

Well the Nostradamus says we will all die in over a thousand years. And that has a habit of being right.

[Stuart2007]

Well the Nostradamus says we will all die in over a thousand years. And that has a habit of being right.

I take it this is some sort of sarcasm? Nice, I like it.

[McGherkin]

No sarcasm... It says we all die in the year 32and something. But I don't care, because I'll be dead then. 

[Stuart2007]

what has nostrodamus ever been right about? Apart from predicting his own death- which lets face it, was going to happen eventually.