Problematic element in chronology

Sergei SOLOVIEV · 02 Jun 2011, 17:38 · from 2011-June.txt.gz

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From: soloviev at irit.fr (Sergei SOLOVIEV)
Date: Thu, 02 Jun 2011 19:38:44 +0200
Subject: (urth) Problematic element in chronology
In-Reply-To: <338FE273BF55421DAA98943A6330B0E0@jill>
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Message-ID: <4DE7CAA4.4010200 at irit.fr>

I made some computations (simplified) and it seems to me that indeed
GW does not pay too much attention either to physics or to chronology. 
Very roughly,
with constant acceleration of 1 m/sec^2 it is needed about 50 years to get
to relativistic speed, and the same to slow down. But for the hollow
asteroid such as Whorl where inside you have lakes etc, 1 m/sec^2
is already too much - if its rotation imitates ordinary gravity near Viron,
the effect will be as if the flatland near the city becomes inclined 
about 10%.
What will become to all liquids? Buildings? What will happen near the poles?
The point is, I think, that we should be not very critical to technical 
details
because the "convention" (between the author and the reader) is not
very rigorous.

Sergei


Gerry Quinn wrote:
>
> From: "Sergei SOLOVIEV" <soloviev at irit.fr>
>
>
>> Moses made Jews wander 40 years through Sinai. If you take the 
>> shortest way, it is
>> at most a few hundred kilometres. What makes you think that the Whorl 
>> had
>> taken the shortest path to its destination? It could very well go 
>> with relativistic
>> speed and make a detour. It seems also that the plan might include 
>> that the Whorl
>> will come back and repeople Urth (Ushas) after the floods etc. - in 
>> the end
>> of the Short Sun cycle it is going to be repaired and travel again - 
>> to go where?
>> Some hints are also in the end of "The Urth of the New Sun".
>
> It's not easy to turn a relativistic asteroid!  And it doesn't seem 
> like they stopped anywhere en route, so why waste all that energy?
>
> If Typhon wanted to repopulate Urth at a later time (but he says 
> nothing of any such plan when he meets Severian in BotNS) he could 
> have put sleepers on Lune or something.  But anyway he had no reason 
> to make any such plan.
>
> My impression is that the Whorl is intended to be repaired and explore 
> further among the stars.  Perhaps that was the original plan, derailed 
> by the death of Pas.
>
> - Gerry Quinn
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