artificial gravity

[Paul of Eugene OR]

what would life be like on a ferris wheel type of space station?
how would simple games like pitch and catch be affected?

Once upon a time when life was riskier and they let children play on those rotating thingies you had to push to make rotate . . . I had fun sitting on one of them and attempt to toss a ball towards my friend also sitting on the whirly thingy. (What DID they call those things?). The ball would appear to curve away from the person to whom you threw the ball. To those outside watching, the ball appeared to move straight.

 

[SkyWriting]

But the floor, going in an arc, would move up to impact YOU. If you are focused on the floor as being stationary, it will seem as if you fell to the floor.

Right. The rotating floor continues to try to change your direction, creating an artificial gravity.

 

[Armoured]

But the floor, going in an arc, would move up to impact YOU. If you are focused on the floor as being stationary, it will seem as if you fell to the floor.

Only if you're moving, though. There would be no gravity analogue to pull you toward the floor

 

[Armoured]

If you could get the net forces on all sides to zero, yes. But then you'd have the illusion of flying rapidly over the floor. And air resistance would eventually pull you back down.

That's the sort of thing I'm thinking

 

[whois]

Once upon a time when life was riskier and they let children play on those rotating thingies you had to push to make rotate . . . (What DID they call those things?).

merry-go-round.

 

[Davian]

Why are books about anti-gravity such good reads?

 

[The Barbarian]

Inside the train, you would land where your feet left.
Outside the train, the wind would blow you backwards.

From a stationary observer's POV, there is no wind. You're merely moving forward and encountering air resistance. And you wouldn't go backwards; your forward motion would be slowed and eventually stopped, if you didn't hit the ground first.

 

[SkyWriting]

From a stationary observer's POV, there is no wind. You're merely moving forward and encountering air resistance. And you wouldn't go backwards; your forward motion would be slowed and eventually stopped, if you didn't hit the ground first.

True.