Subject: (urth) Lune's surface gravity

From: Michael Andre-Driussi <mantis at siriusfiction.com>
Date: Sat, 06 Apr 2002 15:18:13 +0000

Jeff Wilson wrote:
>	No, because 1) Lune shows signs of Urthlike gravity in TBOTNS

I can't recall any detail from the Urth Cycle that shows Lune as having a
surface gravity of 1 g.  Please remind me.

I know that I have speculated upon Lune's local day being shortened to more
habitable levels (from 1 month to less than 96 hours; i.e., the tidal lock
being broken so that Moon no longer keeps only one face towards Earth), and
along with that terraforming I may have touched upon increased gravity as
another desired trait for greater habitability, but I don't recall that any
supporting evidence was ever found that, for instance, Lune visibly rotates
in the sky.

On the somewhat related thread of "Lesser gravity leads to larger
creatures," there was some talk about the exultants and their height.

Yes, there is a suggestion by association that the exultants came from
another planet, probably in another star system (they came with Typhon to
Urth; Thecla's birthday is in the sign of the Swan, which is impossible in
our solar system yet quite possible in any other system), and if this is
granted, there is the possibility that they grew so tall and willowy in a
lower gravity.

However!  The exultants have been on Urth for 1000 years and presumably
would have lost that low-g body type if it were purely natural.

We have evidence that the exultant stature on Urth is directly due to the
use of their khaibits.  Here is a neat system: one is never confused as to
who is the original and who is the clone--the original has grown to
exultant height on materials harvested from the clone and the clone has
remained at commoner level of height.

=mantis=

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