Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: notesfiles - hp 1.2 08/01/83; site hp-pcd.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!cbdkc1!desoto!packard!ihnp1!ihnp4!mhuxn!mhuxr!ulysses!allegra!oliveb!hplabs!hp-pcd!john From: john@hp-pcd.UUCP (john) Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers Subject: Re: Asimov and scientific revenge (from Message-ID: <8200062@hp-pcd.UUCP> Date: Fri, 23-Aug-85 12:28:00 EDT Article-I.D.: hp-pcd.8200062 Posted: Fri Aug 23 12:28:00 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 26-Aug-85 01:09:39 EDT References: <149@rtp47.UUCP> Organization: Hewlett-Packard - Corvallis, OR Lines: 33 Nf-ID: #R:rtp47:-14900:hp-pcd:8200062:000:1658 Nf-From: hp-pcd!john Aug 23 08:28:00 1985 <<< < < I don't remember the title The Billiard Ball from his Asimov's Mysteries collection (Although he almost called it "Ditry Pool" < Sadly, it seems to me that there is a problem with Asimov's reasoning. < Such a field "should" act on the elementary particles that *make up* the < pool ball, not on the pool ball as a whole. Thus, since the particles < that make it up are vibrating every-which-way (in thermal motion), the < ball should have *exploded*, leaving a sizeable crater, rather than < turning into a pool-ball-diameter beam of hard radiation. Ah well, a < fairly nice short story with a twist ending, even so. < Even if you ignore thermal vibration it doesnt make sense. The point of a rolling pool ball that would first strike the field has a velocity vector that is straight DOWN into the pool table. The ball should start "Peeling" itself off into a beam of particles that would start off going down and move up and forward. When the axis of the ball hit the field it would punch straight through but the rest would be quite a mess. You can explain the balls actions if you assume that the field barrier acts more like an elastic membrane than a solid sheet. When a bit of matter strikes the field it depresses the surface without breaking it. After the matter is fully inside the original boundry the field will close around behind it leaving it in a bubble within a closed field. We all know that a closed antigravity field (Like Nivens Statis Fields) cannot exist within another closed field so the inner one will instantly cease to exist. At that time the matter instantly achieves light speed. John Eaton !hplabs!hp-pcd!john