Any science majors out there?

[shrinetolust]

Or sci-fi majors? *G* I'm needing to get some hypotheticals/facts from someone regarding stuff like what would happen if a planet started losing gravity...or what would happen if the air gradually lost oxygen, etc

Comments

[green_grrl]

You can try posting your question over at science_beta -- they have a pencil icon on the profile page for non-members to use to post. :-)

[shrinetolust]

Thank you very much! Brilliant...that looks like a great comm!

[clockwerkdragon]

How gradual are you talking both cases? Decades? Centuries? Weeks?

Gravity does important things like keeping out moon in orbit (stable orbit) and our atmosphere from spinning off into space. It's a tricky thing to lose thou, as it's entirely dependent on the mass of the planet. So the planet would have to actively lose mass, which would be a much more noticable problem.

Something a planet can lose, and that can cause all sorts of problems is it's magnetic field. Without our field, more solar radiation would bleed in (global warming among other things) as well as the impact it would have on most migratory animals.

Time matters though...slow bleed of oxygen could cause species to die out...if all the oxygen bled out, plant life would die off as well.

[shrinetolust]

Hmmm...I ask you this question in an email and I get nada...ask it on my LJ and here you are with loads of info! :P

I haven't actually worked out all the details yet--because of my lack of facts. But what my thought was of a planet who had an artificially created atmosphere/gravity because they had totally destroyed the planet in a variety of ways.

So the planet would have to actively lose mass, which would be a much more noticable problem. Firstly, LOL...yes, that would be noticeable. Not to be retarded, but if a planet did intense mining, drilling huge craters into the surface and stripping everything out--over a loooong period of time until there wasn't much viable land left--is that something that could change the mass of a planet? Or would it have to be something more like a meteor hit and took off a whole chunk

[stains_of_blue]

Hm I really don't think mining would get a planet to that point - I mean the earth crust in which mining can take place is such a small part of the planet - and then there are apparently many many layers where I don't think you can actually mine and then there's the firey core.
And even with a chunk out - I mean don't they say the moon is a chunk of the earth that somehow got broken off? - we'd still have gravity.
I mean the moon has gravity and he's tiny in comparison to our earth and still it's gravity can cause our oceans to rise and fall.
Obviously people on the moon can jump 10 meter`s and if it's that what you mean loosing gravity... but seriously that would have a be a huge huge chunk to go away.
And - but here I'm really not sure about - if were to be a very slow process, people should adapt to it actually. I think. *lol* no idea!
Ha this is fun, lol am I spamming your lj?

[shrinetolust]

Thank you for your thoughts on the mining aspect. It was just something I was throwing out there as a possibility...luckily I didn't have my heart set on that or anything...hee.

As for my plan it would be something that wouldn't be a slow process--it would be artificial gravity/atmosphere that would be grinding to a halt. But I may have to give up on the losing gravity idear as that may be something too catastrophic to work for my plot.

You are not spamming, all ideas are welcome! I haven't cracked any form of a science book in prolly 15 years and I wasn't very good at it then, either...hee...so I need all the help/study I can get.

[stains_of_blue]

Um... ok why not here's my shot at it ;)
a) as far as I know a planet can't actually loose gravity, unless it looses lots and lots of mass.
b) And without oxygen (so without enough plantlife) well - we'd all die - wouldn't we? Well unless I guess we would walk around in in spacesuits.
*lol* I'm rubbish at this and this probably wasn't very helpful - sorry!

[shrinetolust]

Hee...no, actually I had planned on spacesuits. I'm thinking of a planet with artificially generated atmosphere, and when the machinery that's keeping it all together starts to break down...I'm just wondering how quickly things would fall apart if something like that happened.

Thanks for your thoughts, the more opinions on this the merrier! :)

[moody_girl]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/13/science/13magn.html?ei=5088&en=fa82fcc07615ed08&ex=1247544000&partner=rssnyt&pagewanted=print&position=... )

[shrinetolust]

That's cool as I wasn't set on the mining idea anyway...it was just a throw-out-there idea for the subject in question. The magnetic field idea does sound interesting, and the popular way to go. :) Thanks so much for the link; this is very helpful!

This will also give me more stuff to keep me up at night about our own planet's future...heh... :P

[idlesloth]

But Shriney, I fail to see how this will help Sean and Viggo with their Touching?? I know the earth moved for Viggo and all that, but still... And beautiful, spoiled Paris says it is sorrow not gravity that is weighing down his beautiful young heart....

[yellow_oranges]

:D
Personally I'm hoping it's for "Waiting for the Future"!

[shrinetolust]

Hee...so nice to know I have fans! I was just thinking about that one the other day. I would like to get back to Adrian and Lysander and Galen and... *dreamy sigh* I *will* get there! *is determined*

[lady_deirdre]

Me too!

*prods*