earth's gravity

jessica1994 · #1 10-23-2007, 04:46 AM

let's assume we could make the earth have any mass we wanted. right now the gravitational acceleration at the surface of the earth is 9.81 m/s^2. what is the minimum and maximum g that would still allow humans to live indefinately?

Nielsio · #2 10-23-2007, 05:18 AM

Everything is interlinked, so it's a stupid question. There would be no man without everything else being as it is.

TomCollins · #3 10-23-2007, 11:57 AM

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Everything is interlinked, so it's a stupid question. There would be no man without everything else being as it is.

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My god you are obtuse. If it changed to 10 instead of 9.8, I doubt humans would be wiped out. Basketball might get more interesting though.

bocablkr · #4 10-23-2007, 12:02 PM

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Everything is interlinked, so it's a stupid question. There would be no man without everything else being as it is.

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My god you are obtuse. If it changed to 10 instead of 9.8, I doubt humans would be wiped out. Basketball might get more interesting though.

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Wouldn't it be more interesting if the pull was less?

jessica1994 · #5 10-23-2007, 12:14 PM

how much could g go up and down for the moon to stay in orbit

kerowo · #6 10-23-2007, 03:18 PM

Forget the moon, how much extra mass would cause the Earth to slide out to an orbit that is too cold, or pulling away mass would push us into a killer hot orbit? Or do I have that backwards?

soko · #7 10-23-2007, 04:36 PM

I'd agree that everything is interconnected and it's a silly question with no possible answer. It would still be quite possible for life to exist with a different gravity but even changing the number a little from the birth of the planet earth would have changed it's entire history considering every atom on earth is subject to gravities pull from all the water in the oceans, volcanoes, plants, cells, everything.

Nielsio · #8 10-23-2007, 04:49 PM

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I'd agree that everything is interconnected and it's a silly question with no possible answer. It would still be quite possible for life to exist with a different gravity but even changing the number a little from the birth of the planet earth would have changed it's entire history considering every atom on earth is subject to gravities pull from all the water in the oceans, volcanoes, plants, cells, everything.

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Furthermore, gravity is interconnected with *everything*, with the nature of reality itself. And things like gravity effects and the speed of light are not something that works rule-based, but it works behaviour-based. Things act from their nature. You can't change the rules; there are no rules.

tame_deuces · #9 10-23-2007, 05:51 PM

Rules be damned then - there certainly are properties, which we can measure, model and use to expand our knowledge. To refute a 'what if' on the grounds that 'things just happen' is detrimental to advancement.

Nielsio · #10 10-23-2007, 06:03 PM

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Rules be damned then - there certainly are properties, which we can measure, model and use to expand our knowledge. To refute a 'what if' on the grounds that 'things just happen' is detrimental to advancement.

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The purpose of knowledge is to understand reality. OP's question showed a lack of understanding which was addressed. Perhaps he can now rephrase his question.