3 ms·

Falling. Falling towards a planet, star, or galactic core is all pretty much the same. Tidal forces will be a bit different, but those aren't on a feelable scal

Falling. Falling towards a planet, star, or galactic core is all pretty much the same. Tidal forces will be a bit different, but those aren't on a feelable scale with most objects.

solardev 2y ago
OK, but as a poor earthling who's never experienced low gravity... surely the force of gravity affects the feeling of "falling" even if you're not in an orbit around some nearby planet sized thing? Does that feel substantially different than, say, falling down an elevator shaft on earth?
- ahazred8ta 2y ago
  "the feeling of falling" -- That's called weightlessness, free-fall, and zero-gee. Being in interplanetary space, being in earth orbit, being in the parabolic Vomit Comet, being in a drop tower capsule, being in an elevator compartment falling down a shaft, stepping off a diving board, there's no difference in the 'feeling'. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drop_tube https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drop_tube -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reduced-gravity_aircraft https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reduced-gravity_aircraft -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_fall https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_fall
amelius 2y ago
In a hypothetical universe that contains only you + space, what would you feel?
- blueflow 2y ago
  If there is no gravitational field, you don't need a fall to cancel it out.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
- solardev 2y ago
  lonely?
  - sdwr 2y ago
    :(
- ijidak 2y ago
  If you spent your entire life in an area with gravity prior to that moment, you would feel like you are falling even though you are NOT. Our brain is used to gravity. That is why weightlessness feels weird. But falling and weightlessness are indistinguishable to your brain. They are exactly the same thing. So, if all the gravity around you suddenly disappeared, your brain would initially tell you that you are falling. Only after some time would you convince yourself that, "No, I'm not falling... Gravity just disappeared. I'm just weightless."
- itishappy 2y ago
  Same thing: falling. The opposite of falling is accelerating, and you feel acceleration. A rocket rocketing in an empty universe would feel the same as a rocket rocketing in orbit would feel the same as a rocket just sitting around on Earth. Wait, that last one's different... We happen to live most of lives in a somewhat exceptional case of constant acceleration (with respect to falling). The ground below our feet has gotten us pretty used to acceleration. But, if you jump, you'll feel like falling too!
s1artibartfast 2y ago
more accurately, you dont feel falling because the magnitude is so low.

Falling. Falling towards a planet, star, or galactic core is all pretty much the same. Tidal forces will be a bit different, but those aren't on a feelable scale with most objects.

solardev 2y ago

OK, but as a poor earthling who's never experienced low gravity... surely the force of gravity affects the feeling of "falling" even if you're not in an orbit around some nearby planet sized thing? Does that feel substantially different than, say, falling down an elevator shaft on earth?

ahazred8ta 2y ago
"the feeling of falling" -- That's called weightlessness, free-fall, and zero-gee. Being in interplanetary space, being in earth orbit, being in the parabolic Vomit Comet, being in a drop tower capsule, being in an elevator compartment falling down a shaft, stepping off a diving board, there's no difference in the 'feeling'. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drop_tube https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drop_tube -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reduced-gravity_aircraft https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reduced-gravity_aircraft -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_fall https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_fall

amelius 2y ago

In a hypothetical universe that contains only you + space, what would you feel?

blueflow 2y ago
If there is no gravitational field, you don't need a fall to cancel it out.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
solardev 2y ago
lonely?
- sdwr 2y ago
  :(
ijidak 2y ago
If you spent your entire life in an area with gravity prior to that moment, you would feel like you are falling even though you are NOT. Our brain is used to gravity. That is why weightlessness feels weird. But falling and weightlessness are indistinguishable to your brain. They are exactly the same thing. So, if all the gravity around you suddenly disappeared, your brain would initially tell you that you are falling. Only after some time would you convince yourself that, "No, I'm not falling... Gravity just disappeared. I'm just weightless."
itishappy 2y ago
Same thing: falling. The opposite of falling is accelerating, and you feel acceleration. A rocket rocketing in an empty universe would feel the same as a rocket rocketing in orbit would feel the same as a rocket just sitting around on Earth. Wait, that last one's different... We happen to live most of lives in a somewhat exceptional case of constant acceleration (with respect to falling). The ground below our feet has gotten us pretty used to acceleration. But, if you jump, you'll feel like falling too!

s1artibartfast 2y ago

more accurately, you dont feel falling because the magnitude is so low.