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Re: RollerCoasters
Posted By: Steve LevinsonDate: 12/14/01 7:54 a.m.

In Response To: Re: RollerCoasters (Trahojen)

: Just a corny suggestion for the physician while I've got the chance;
: I've followed the discussion well enough to learn that since stars
: doesn't move, that's a software limit, and orbital gravity in a small
: body isn't a good idea...
: so what would happen if this planet we're talking about was actually
: moving at so high a speed, the eye doesn't see motion.
: If the eye "updates" at 50Hz, then the rotation would be exactly 50
: orbits a second. Would this technically mean I would smash against a
: mountain, or would it all suddenly fit?

The eye doesn't update at all - it's not a video camera. Video communication is scanned, with the information transmitted serially. The eye uses parallel processing, with all of the information from all the eye's photoreceptors being processed in the retina and being sent in parallel to the visual cortex. The only limitation is the refractory period, during which each optic neuron cannot be restimulated. That is why a 50 Hz image appears flicker-free.

The main reason that astronauts don't perceive moving stars is that the stars are incredibly far away. For example, if you're driving along and see a mountain in the distance, you may not think that you're getting any closer to it, even though your traveling at 100 or more kph. Stars that appear to be very close together are actually many lightyears apart. You would have to travel at relativistic speeds (more than 99% of the speed of light) to perceive any motion of the stars. Rotation, however, is another story - your line of sight is constantly changing. BTW, a spaceship in orbit essentially *is* traveling in a straight line. It is constantly falling toward the object it is orbiting, but this is balanced by the linear motion of the ship that would otherwise tend to take it out of orbit. With nothing to slow it down, the ship could stay in orbit indefinitely because there is no acceleration involved and no need to burn fuel. The astronauts inside the ship feel waitless because they are in a constant state of free-fall.

Let's face it - Marathon must have some sort of artificial gravity field that doesn't involve rotation - that's the only explanation that fits with game play. Why in the world it was designed the way it was is beyond comprehension - but Marathon would be a boring game otherwise ;-)

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Pre-2004 Posts

Replies:

What kind of Chemical freak designed the MARAHTON?Ernie TMBM 12/12/01 4:30 p.m.
     Just an addendumErnie TMBM 12/12/01 4:35 p.m.
           This is normal.Djof 12/12/01 5:01 p.m.
     Re: What kind of Chemical freak designed the MARAHSiliconDream =PN= 12/12/01 6:27 p.m.
           Re: What kind of Chemical freak designed the MARAHSNoblitt 12/12/01 7:41 p.m.
           Re: What kind of Chemical freak designed the MARAHSteve Levinson 12/12/01 8:37 p.m.
                 Re: What kind of Chemical freak designed the MARAHSiliconDream =PN= 12/12/01 10:15 p.m.
                       Re: What kind of Chemical freak designed the MARAHSteve Levinson 12/13/01 5:00 a.m.
                             Re: What kind of Chemical freak designed the MARAHDjof@School 12/13/01 5:59 a.m.
                                   Re: What kind of Chemical freak designed the MARAHget azure 12/13/01 7:26 a.m.
                                         Re: What kind of Chemical freak designed the MARAHSteve Levinson 12/13/01 10:31 a.m.
                                               RollerCoastersDjof@School 12/13/01 11:36 a.m.
                                                     Re: RollerCoastersSteve Levinson 12/13/01 1:15 p.m.
                                                           Re: RollerCoastersTrahojen 12/14/01 3:41 a.m.
                                                                 Re: RollerCoastersSteve Levinson 12/14/01 7:54 a.m.
                                                           k then :)Djof@School 12/14/01 7:03 a.m.
                                                           Re: RollerCoastersAhruman 12/14/01 8:36 a.m.
                                                                 Re: RollerCoastersSteve Levinson 12/14/01 10:15 a.m.
                                                                       Re: RollerCoastersDjof 12/14/01 12:31 p.m.
                                                                             Re: RollerCoastersSiliconDream =PN= 12/14/01 5:24 p.m.
                                                                       Re: RollerCoastersRampant Document 12/15/01 6:03 a.m.
                                                                 Re: RollerCoastersSiliconDream =PN= 12/14/01 5:23 p.m.
                             Re: What kind of Chemical freak designed the MARAHSiliconDream =PN= 12/14/01 12:27 a.m.
                                   Re: What kind of Chemical freak designed the MARAHget azure 12/15/01 6:06 a.m.
                                         Re: What kind of Chemical freak designed the MARAHTru7h 12/15/01 7:03 a.m.
                                               Re: What kind of Chemical freak designed the MARAHRincewind MoG 12/15/01 8:27 a.m.
                                                     Re: What kind of Chemical freak designed the MARAHSteve Levinson 12/15/01 10:08 a.m.
           Chemical freaks indeedElectricSheepOne 12/16/01 10:55 a.m.
                 You're right - I remember that *NM* *NM*Steve Levinson 12/16/01 11:12 a.m.
     Re: What kind of Chemical freak designed the MARAHVid Boi 12/13/01 12:47 a.m.
           Re: What kind of Chemical freak designed the MARAHSteve Levinson 12/13/01 4:38 a.m.
                 Re: What kind of Chemical freak designed the MARAHShnu 12/14/01 7:08 p.m.
                       Re: What kind of Chemical freak designed the MARAHSiliconDream =PN= 12/14/01 11:43 p.m.
                             Re: What kind of Chemical freak designed the MARAHAhruman 12/15/01 9:48 a.m.
                                   Re: What kind of Chemical freak designed the MARAHSiliconDream =PN= 12/15/01 3:25 p.m.
     Re: What kind of Chemical freak designed the MARAHMark Levin 12/16/01 11:10 a.m.



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