• Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca
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    8 days ago

    tilted 31.5 inches…? Tf are you talking about. How do you rotate something by a linear distance…

    • Windex007@lemmy.world
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      8 days ago

      The linear travel of a point on its surface as a result of the rotation.

      It’s like saying you have a friend who lives 15 minutes away.

      • Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca
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        8 days ago

        The earth isnt a perfect sphere though; that measurement is different for the same amount of angular rotation, depending on where you measure from. Just use degrees…

        • Windex007@lemmy.world
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          8 days ago

          The earth is a more perfect sphere than a billiards ball is.

          We forgot how big the earth is. Despite the obvious variance we see from our perspective… We are microscopic.

          Again, I understand your point, but I better not ever catch you describing distance in terms of time. That would be peak hypocrisy.

          • shalafi@lemmy.world
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            8 days ago

            No, Earth is an oblate spheroid. What you’re thinking of is the fact that Earth is smoother than a billiard ball. Freaky, but true!

            • Windex007@lemmy.world
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              8 days ago

              No, I still mean it. The variance from pole to equator is 0.5%.

              Although it’s technically an oblate spheroid, technically anything you think of as a “sphere” isn’t a sphere either.

              This is why it makes sense to talk about the earth scaled to objects you can comprehend. Is a ping pong ball a sphere? Is a basketball a sphere? When you blow bubbles, are those spheres?

              Be consistent with your pedantry. Either they are and so is the Earth, or none of them are.

              • shalafi@lemmy.world
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                8 days ago

                True enough! Still, I can’t imagine a billiard ball with tolerances like that. I’ve shot 1,000 games and a ball being .5% off would be noticeable.

                Enough anecdotes! Let’s get to evidence. Leaving in a few to hit the river, but this looks really interesting for when I get back:

                https://possiblywrong.wordpress.com/2011/01/03/is-the-earth-like-a-billiard-ball-or-not/

                Other sources agree, the ball’s .005% spherical tolerance is an order of magnitude tighter than Earth’s. However, haven’t read the whole thing, gotta go.

    • hansolo@lemmy.today
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      8 days ago

      It’s in the article.

      Did you…read the article?

      The point on the planet that is true north, where an imaginary arrow pokes out of the top of an Arctic glacier and we all spin around it, the north pole where Santa lives, moved due to groundwater use shifting the mass distribution of the planet. Our wobble is extra wobbly and shouldn’t be.

      • Scipitie@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        8 days ago

        But this is an American outlet reporting on science…

        “”"

        Earth's pole has drifted toward 64.16°E at a speed of 4.36 cm/yr during 1993–2010 due to groundwater depletion and resulting sea level rise
        

        “”"

        That was two clicks away - so you’re right: the property science wasn’t some in fridges or football fields or any of the US scales.