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GeneralRe: If you don't think this is weird... Pin
KarstenK22-Jul-15 23:01
mveKarstenK22-Jul-15 23:01 
GeneralRe: If you don't think this is weird... Pin
Slacker00723-Jul-15 0:55
professionalSlacker00723-Jul-15 0:55 
GeneralRe: If you don't think this is weird... Pin
Chris C-B23-Jul-15 5:24
Chris C-B23-Jul-15 5:24 
GeneralOh Heinlen, how could you? Pin
KP Lee22-Jul-15 15:00
KP Lee22-Jul-15 15:00 
GeneralRe: Oh Heinlen, how could you? Pin
Gjeltema22-Jul-15 15:27
Gjeltema22-Jul-15 15:27 
GeneralRe: Oh Heinlen, how could you? Pin
KP Lee22-Jul-15 16:38
KP Lee22-Jul-15 16:38 
GeneralRe: Oh Heinlen, how could you? Pin
_Maxxx_22-Jul-15 19:26
professional_Maxxx_22-Jul-15 19:26 
GeneralRe: Oh Heinlen, how could you? Pin
KP Lee23-Jul-15 10:27
KP Lee23-Jul-15 10:27 
Maxxx wrote:
the reason a top upends is because its point cannot move, but the rest of it can.
Sort of right, but not quite. The top upends because the point is not a stable platform. You try to balance a top on it's point and let go, within seconds it will have tipped over. (Unless you stick it in sand, but that just widens the support base.) It doesn't immediately topple when you release the spinning top because the gyroscopic force overcomes the natural desire to topple and the point is a quite stable platform. In fact if the top lands unbalanced it will spin in smaller and smaller circles until the point comes to a complete stop (Relative to the floor location) and spins in place. The point hitting the floor is an anchor point that tries to keep the top in one place. The gyroscopic action is the stabilizing force. It finally becomes an unstable platform as the top slows it's spin.
Maxxx wrote:
so is he assuming the tidal force is great enough to overcome the gyroscopic force?
I can't know what he is assuming. A spaceship with multiple rings ranging from 0.01 G's through 1 g levels would be massive, probably in the millions of KGms of material. Yes, the closer the orbit the bigger the tidal force, but the moon hasn't come close to stopping the Earth. I'm guessing putting a 100 Gm Top spinning in a 100 M orbit around the moon would take more than a month to stop spinning because of tidal forces. (It would fairly quickly start precessing.)
GeneralRe: Oh Heinlen, how could you? Pin
Mycroft Holmes22-Jul-15 17:18
professionalMycroft Holmes22-Jul-15 17:18 
GeneralRe: Oh Heinlen, how could you? Pin
Gjeltema23-Jul-15 14:49
Gjeltema23-Jul-15 14:49 
GeneralRe: Oh Heinlen, how could you? Pin
Mycroft Holmes23-Jul-15 15:09
professionalMycroft Holmes23-Jul-15 15:09 
GeneralRe: Oh Heinlen, how could you? Pin
Daniel Pfeffer22-Jul-15 19:10
professionalDaniel Pfeffer22-Jul-15 19:10 
GeneralRe: Oh Heinlen, how could you? Pin
_Maxxx_22-Jul-15 20:34
professional_Maxxx_22-Jul-15 20:34 
GeneralRe: Oh Heinlen, how could you? Pin
Daniel Pfeffer22-Jul-15 21:11
professionalDaniel Pfeffer22-Jul-15 21:11 
GeneralRe: Oh Heinlen, how could you? Pin
_Maxxx_23-Jul-15 0:24
professional_Maxxx_23-Jul-15 0:24 
GeneralRe: Oh Heinlen, how could you? Pin
Daniel Pfeffer23-Jul-15 0:29
professionalDaniel Pfeffer23-Jul-15 0:29 
GeneralRe: Oh Heinlen, how could you? Pin
_Maxxx_23-Jul-15 0:36
professional_Maxxx_23-Jul-15 0:36 
GeneralRe: Oh Heinlen, how could you? Pin
Daniel Pfeffer23-Jul-15 0:49
professionalDaniel Pfeffer23-Jul-15 0:49 
GeneralRe: Oh Heinlen, how could you? Pin
_Maxxx_23-Jul-15 19:15
professional_Maxxx_23-Jul-15 19:15 
GeneralRe: Oh Heinlen, how could you? Pin
Daniel Pfeffer23-Jul-15 21:58
professionalDaniel Pfeffer23-Jul-15 21:58 
GeneralComing soon to a store near you...not! Pin
Mike Hankey22-Jul-15 14:21
mveMike Hankey22-Jul-15 14:21 
GeneralRe: Coming soon to a store near you...not! Pin
W Balboos, GHB23-Jul-15 1:23
W Balboos, GHB23-Jul-15 1:23 
GeneralBug of the Day Pin
Chris Maunder22-Jul-15 10:16
cofounderChris Maunder22-Jul-15 10:16 
GeneralRe: Bug of the Day PinPopular
Cornelius Henning22-Jul-15 10:34
professionalCornelius Henning22-Jul-15 10:34 
GeneralRe: Bug of the Day Pin
908236522-Jul-15 10:55
908236522-Jul-15 10:55 

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