Culture antigrav devices

Tree

So if they only work on planets and not againts orbitals where the gravity is produced by the spin of the orbital itself, does this mean that they can be used to tell the difference between gravity and simmilar accelleration due to another force?

azezil

Can you expand a bit on what you're talking about?

CiDeRmAn

You are referring to the dipstick who plummets to his demise on the Megaship during Consider Phelbas, the incident happening on board an Orbital which generates an equivalent gravity acceleration via spinning?

Well sure, I guess you could use an AG device to tell the difference, but why would you?
I mean, be it on and orbital or on a GSV pulling some serious acceleration I guess switchingon an AG and seeing if it makes any difference would do it, but most vehicles in the Culture novels are kitted out with intertial dampers, ala StarTrek, so the acceleration won't be felt anyway.

Most artificial constructs, like the Shellworlds of the latest book, have artificial gravity generated, this is interacted with by an AG field.

Presumably, because drones are happily living on Orbitals without the aid if wheelchairs, it is simply a matter of retuning the devices to repel the centrifugal forces in the Orbital instead of standard gravity.


Good thing it's all made up, isn't it?

Tree

just popped into my head while reading some history of science stuff relating to general relativity and teh idea of not being able to tell the difference between acceleration due to gravity or other causes.

!_Brian_!

As is Sci-Fi/Fantasy fans didnt have enough of a nerd image!


Interesting question tho. I know none of the science behind it but if gravity is a result of a body spinning, be it land mass or orbital, wouldnt a AG device work off the same principles? Does gravity from a planet have different properties than artificial gravity produced by a spinning station? And are the properties manipulated by a anti gravity device different enough from land mass to orbital that the AG device is useless?

mcgovern

!_Brian_! wrote: »

As is Sci-Fi/Fantasy fans didnt have enough of a nerd image!


Interesting question tho. I know none of the science behind it but if gravity is a result of a body spinning, be it land mass or orbital, wouldnt a AG device work off the same principles? Does gravity from a planet have different properties than artificial gravity produced by a spinning station? And are the properties manipulated by a anti gravity device different enough from land mass to orbital that the AG device is useless?

Gravity from a planet is based off the mass, not the spinning.
You can simulate gravity by spinning something fast enough and using centrifugal force but it doesn't have all the same properties e.g. corolosis effect.

azezil

So in essence what you're saying is, if we spin it the opposite way we'll have anti-gravity!!!

Mantel

Tree wrote: »

So if they only work on planets and not againts orbitals where the gravity is produced by the spin of the orbital itself, does this mean that they can be used to tell the difference between gravity and simmilar accelleration due to another force?

I'm sure you could use an AG field to see if gravity or artifical gravity was present but other means to detect actual gravity must exist that would work better, especially in the world of the culture

mcgovern

azezil wrote: »

So in essence what you're saying is, if we spin it the opposite way we'll have anti-gravity!!!

Well if you stand on the outside, then yes, you'll in essence have the effects of anti-gravity since you'll get flung off!

Johnny Storm

mcgovern wrote: »

Well if you stand on the outside, then yes, you'll in essence have the effects of anti-gravity since you'll get flung off!

Now we're gettin' somewhere !!!!!

CiDeRmAn

I guess it would all depend on the AG process itself, if it is interacting with the local space time frame, and negates the gravity there then no it won't operate on an orbital, which is a pity given that thats were most drones live.
However, if it operates against the apparent acceleration of gravity, then it won't matter what the source is, be it gravity or rotation, it'll float anyway.

Orbitals and other artificial habitats are where most of The Cultures inhabitants live anyhow, not having an effective means of AG would make things a tad awkward.

And as for the means of detecting a gravity field, well, aside from letting a rock go and seeing if it falls or stays put, the Minds, those conscious beings at the hearts of Orbitals and GSVs and the like all are aware of the fabric of space time, they have to be to allow the drives they employ to work, they are able to perceive gravities effects, the bending and puckering of the skein of spacetime, and the interactions with Infra and Ultraspace above and below it, together with the energy grid, where The Culture gets its power from.

See this site for all your questions answered
http://www.cs.bris.ac.uk/~stefan/culture.html