Maybe you sci.astro.amateur and sci.astro readers can explain this

Common Man wrote:
For Pearl: Evidence that a rapidly spinning object would flatten out,
not become hollow.

It depends on the object, obviously.

If the Earth's crust were infinitely rigid, and its insides were made
of some compressible substance, then you could spin the Earth fast enough
to make it hollow out on the inside. It would not, however, be hollow
like a spherical shell. It would be more like a donut, encased within
the crust.

However, the Earth's crust is not infinitely rigid, so if one is going to
contend that centrifugal force pushes the insides out toward the periphery,
one is also going to have to explain why the Earth's crust isn't also
pushed out to infinity.

In particular, if the insides are being forced out against the crust,
it's clear that what's holding the insides in place is not the force of
gravity, but the integrity of the crust. That means that the linear
speed of rotation must exceed escape velocity. In that case, why doesn't
everything in and above the crust fly out into space? The fact that it
doesn't means that the insides aren't being flung against the crust.

But I'm afraid it's all academic. Maybe you don't have enough experience
with cranks, Common Man, but over here, it's de rigeur for them to ignore
any argument or observational evidence, no matter how sound, that goes
against what they desperately wish to believe.

Brian Tung
The Astronomy Corner at http://astro.isi.edu/
Unofficial C5+ Home Page at http://astro.isi.edu/c5plus/
The PleiadAtlas Home Page at http://astro.isi.edu/pleiadatlas/
My Own Personal FAQ (SAA) at http://astro.isi.edu/reference/faq.txt

Common Man wrote:
Thanks Brian. Perhaps you're right about trying to explain things
like this to cranks, but I still wish you had left the newsgroups
intact so Pearl could have read this. ;-)

I've restored alt.animals.ethics.vegetarian so that she can at least
read this reply and maybe gain some knowledge from your post.

As Davoud says, you fool! :-o

I did that because the odds are at least a hundred to one that Pearl
learns nothing, absolutely nothing from my post, and because I want to
limit "crank case leaking" between newsgroups. Now, of course, you've
foiled my carefully crafted plan.

Brian Tung
The Astronomy Corner at http://astro.isi.edu/
Unofficial C5+ Home Page at http://astro.isi.edu/c5plus/
The PleiadAtlas Home Page at http://astro.isi.edu/pleiadatlas/
My Own Personal FAQ (SAA) at http://astro.isi.edu/reference/faq.txt

Common Man wrote:
Thanks Brian. Perhaps you're right about trying to explain things
like this to cranks, but I still wish you had left the newsgroups
intact so Pearl could have read this. ;-)

I've restored alt.animals.ethics.vegetarian so that she can at least
read this reply and maybe gain some knowledge from your post.

As Davoud says, you fool! :-o

I did that because the odds are at least a hundred to one that Pearl
learns nothing, absolutely nothing from my post, and because I want to
limit "crank case leaking" between newsgroups. Now, of course, you've
foiled my carefully crafted plan.

Brian Tung
The Astronomy Corner at http://astro.isi.edu/
Unofficial C5+ Home Page at http://astro.isi.edu/c5plus/
The PleiadAtlas Home Page at http://astro.isi.edu/pleiadatlas/
My Own Personal FAQ (SAA) at http://astro.isi.edu/reference/faq.txt

"Common Man" wrote in message
news.com...
On Wed, 30 Jun 2004 22:11:49 +0000 (UTC), (Brian Tung)
wrote:

[alt.animals.ethics.vegetarian restored]

Common Man wrote:
For Pearl: Evidence that a rapidly spinning object would flatten out,
not become hollow.

It depends on the object, obviously.

If the Earth's crust were infinitely rigid, and its insides were made
of some compressible substance, then you could spin the Earth fast enough
to make it hollow out on the inside.

Why 'infinitely' rigid?

(The exterior shell would be solidifying in cold space.)

It would not, however, be hollow
like a spherical shell. It would be more like a donut, encased within
the crust.

Can you explain your reasoning?

However, the Earth's crust is not infinitely rigid, so if one is going to
contend that centrifugal force pushes the insides out toward the periphery,
one is also going to have to explain why the Earth's crust isn't also
pushed out to infinity.

Gravity helps hold things together.

In particular, if the insides are being forced out against the crust,
it's clear that what's holding the insides in place is not the force of
gravity, but the integrity of the crust.

Why is it "clear" that it's not gravity?

That means that the linear
speed of rotation must exceed escape velocity. In that case, why doesn't
everything in and above the crust fly out into space? The fact that it
doesn't means that the insides aren't being flung against the crust.

Try gravity + spin + cold space-cooling outer shell + ...


not interested in your presumptuous chit-chat

"Common Man" wrote in message
news.com...
On Wed, 30 Jun 2004 22:11:49 +0000 (UTC), (Brian Tung)
wrote:

[alt.animals.ethics.vegetarian restored]

Common Man wrote:
For Pearl: Evidence that a rapidly spinning object would flatten out,
not become hollow.

It depends on the object, obviously.

If the Earth's crust were infinitely rigid, and its insides were made
of some compressible substance, then you could spin the Earth fast enough
to make it hollow out on the inside.

Why 'infinitely' rigid?

(The exterior shell would be solidifying in cold space.)

It would not, however, be hollow
like a spherical shell. It would be more like a donut, encased within
the crust.

Can you explain your reasoning?

However, the Earth's crust is not infinitely rigid, so if one is going to
contend that centrifugal force pushes the insides out toward the periphery,
one is also going to have to explain why the Earth's crust isn't also
pushed out to infinity.

Gravity helps hold things together.

In particular, if the insides are being forced out against the crust,
it's clear that what's holding the insides in place is not the force of
gravity, but the integrity of the crust.

Why is it "clear" that it's not gravity?

That means that the linear
speed of rotation must exceed escape velocity. In that case, why doesn't
everything in and above the crust fly out into space? The fact that it
doesn't means that the insides aren't being flung against the crust.

Try gravity + spin + cold space-cooling outer shell + ...


not interested in your presumptuous chit-chat