this post was submitted on 05 Jul 2023
100 points (97.2% liked)

Showerthoughts

29791 readers
1643 users here now

A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. A showerthought should offer a unique perspective on an ordinary part of life.

Rules

  1. All posts must be showerthoughts
  2. The entire showerthought must be in the title
  3. Avoid politics
    • 3.1) NEW RULE as of 5 Nov 2024, trying it out
    • 3.2) Political posts often end up being circle jerks (not offering unique perspective) or enflaming (too much work for mods).
    • 3.3) Try c/politicaldiscussion, volunteer as a mod here, or start your own community.
  4. Posts must be original/unique
  5. Adhere to Lemmy's Code of Conduct

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
quinten
vatlark
forkball
Thekingoflorda
100
due to the curvature of the Earth a really long building can't have walls that are both parallel and level. (self.showerthoughts)
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by linearchaos to c/showerthoughts
27 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Aparently, I've conflated Level with Plumb, the walls cannot be parallel and plumb. Due to the curve, the center of gravity for the walls would require them to angle in slightly together or not be plumb.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You know how they say that gravity curves space-time?

And you remember from geometry class they told you all the rules you were learning were for “Euclidean” geometry, which had to do with flat space, and then they never mentioned it ever again?

Well basically this is a great example of where non-Euclidean geometry exists in the real world. Gravity bends space-time.

[–] Cylarc 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The original post has nothing to do with the curvature of space time, or non-Euclidean geometry.

This only has to do with the fact that on a plane (e.g floor of a building, of literally any size), above a gravity source (here, we can treat the earth as a point source), the gravitational vector will only be perpendicular to the surface at a single point. All other points will experience gravity at an angle.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Yeah I realized that before I submitted it but it still sounded cool.

Also I’m not entirely convinced that the fact we can model and real-world gravitational mass as a point is entirely independent of the fact that gravity curves spacetime.

Like, we don’t have infinite sheets of gravitational material out in space. Gravity tends to clump material together into spheres and, for quickly-rotating masses, discs. What are those shapes other than equipotent shells drawn around that curved space?