Question from a discussion with a friend the other day.
By shoreboy31
@shoreboy31 (1433)
United States
November 11, 2006 11:57am CST
If you were to stretch a string across the Atlantic Ocean from the East coast of the US to the west coast of the UK, would that string, if pulled tight follow the curvature if the earth and never go underwater, or would it follow a sraight path and end up underwater at it's midpoint?
This is actually a test in perception. If the latter is true then that must mean that what we percieve as straight is always curved.
I'm realy interested in what this discussion may turn up.
3 responses
@babygirl3212001 (302)
• United States
11 Nov 06
actually im not sure but i do total agree with #1 they have a good point
@shoreboy31 (1433)
• United States
11 Nov 06
it seems #1 is becoming the best response so far, but again I reiterate...if it was possible to stretch it tight enough...I suppose we have to add a hypothetical here....
@shoreboy31 (1433)
• United States
11 Nov 06
I guess this a more of a "what if" scenario...if it were possible, by mechanical means to pull a cable, rope, etc. tight enough...
@zeeterman (1066)
• United States
11 Nov 06
You couldn't pull it tight enough. The total weight of the string would be enormous and so would go into the water. Pulling it tighter would cause the string to break. Now if it were a super strong cable, and you could pull it tight enough, then I believe it would be in the water because of the curvature of the Earth.
@shoreboy31 (1433)
• United States
11 Nov 06
Interesting theory...I do agree that a string would probably snap under the pressure,, I guess I just meant that as symbolic. You could replace string with anything you wanted. But thanx for that response. I'm kinda riding the fence here...I could see this going both ways...
