Recent content by Tom Winter

Inertia. Newton. The entire contents of the balloon, people and the sandbag alike, share the velocity of the overall vehicle. To negate the upward velocity of the balloon, the person would have to THROW it down, at a downward speed equal to the balloon's upward speed, rather than just drop it.

Aha! The exact words -- I've got the book in front of me. Page 111 of Arthur C. Clarke's 3001, The Final Odyssey: The Dean's complaining to his faculty. "Why do you scientists need such expensive equipment? Why can't you be like the Math Department, which only needs a blackboard and a...

My reply actually addresses the signature line request: The source of the quote is, I believe, Arthur C. Clark. I think you will find it in his __3001: The final Odyssey__. 'The tools of a mathematician are pencil, paper and waste paper basket. The waste paper basket distinguishes him from a...

Bigger wheel is equivalent to a higher gear; go faster ultimately, but take more time accelerating. Think of the radius as a lever arm.