Can I Dig a Hole Straight Down Through the Earth with Google Maps?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of digging a hole straight down through the Earth using Google Maps, exploring the hypothetical endpoints of such a hole based on various starting locations. Participants share their experiences and results from using the tool, focusing on geographical outcomes and humorous reflections on the idea of "digging to China."

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants report ending up in the Pacific Ocean, with specific mentions of locations between New Zealand and Antarctica.
  • Others mention landing in the Indian Ocean, with one participant noting they ended up directly in the center of it.
  • A few participants humorously reflect on the myth of digging to China, noting that the opposite side of China is actually in South America.
  • One participant suggests that it would be more useful if the tool provided the length of the hole and the angle needed for digging.
  • There are mentions of technical issues with accessing the Google Maps tool, with some participants experiencing difficulties based on their computer systems or internet connections.
  • One participant humorously calculates that free falling through a straight hole in the Earth would take about 42 minutes, while another points out the impracticality of free falling unless the hole was drilled from pole to pole.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally share similar experiences regarding the geographical outcomes of their hypothetical digging, but there is no consensus on the feasibility or practicality of such an endeavor. The discussion remains light-hearted and exploratory without resolving the underlying scientific implications.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty about the accuracy of Google Maps images, noting that some images are outdated and do not reflect current developments in their areas.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in geography, humor related to myths about digging to China, or those curious about the use of mapping tools for hypothetical scenarios may find this discussion engaging.

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I'd end up in the Pacific, somewhere between New Zealand and Antarctica.
 
tried my luck, i ended up in pacific.
 
Middle of the Indian Ocean, which is about what I figured. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you have very little chance of hitting land.
 
Directly in the center of the indian ocean.
 
South Pacific here, closer to antarctica than any other land.
 
closest to austrailia, but in the pacific... what'd be more useful is if they let us dig hole to anywhere, and then gave us the length of the hole and the angle we have to dig at.
 
okay... I did it again and I ended up off the coast of madagasgar... interesting
 
I end up square in the middle of the southeastern pacific, maybe about a couple thousand miles off the coast of south america
 
  • #10
A few hundred miles of the new zealand coast, figure i could swim that though.
 
  • #11
Indian ocean...

lol this is hilarious. All those jokes about "tunneling straight to China" don't even make sense anymore! The opposite side of China is in South America
 
  • #12
Pengwuino said:
lol this is hilarious. All those jokes about "tunneling straight to China" don't even make sense anymore! The opposite side of China is in South America
Yep, apparently yet another lie perpetuated by my parents! And to think of all that time wasted in the sandbox trying to dig to China.

Edit: I ended up in the Indian Ocean, a bit West of Australia (just a tad southwest of the westernmost projection of Australia).

Those Google images are also a few years out of date! My building is still a dirt lot on the image, and the new buildings behind me are still woods.
 
Last edited:
  • #13
Moonbear said:
Yep, apparently yet another lie perpetuated by my parents! And to think of all that time wasted in the sandbox trying to dig to China.

They probably assumed you'd want to avoid the core.
 
  • #14
Moonbear said:
Yep, apparently yet another lie perpetuated by my parents! And to think of all that time wasted in the sandbox trying to dig to China.
I used to mess with the other kids while we were digging the hole, and tell them I could faintly hear people speaking Chinese. :biggrin:
 
  • #15
Doesn't work on my computer.
I'll have to try at work tomorrow.
 
  • #16
Andy said:
A few hundred miles of the new zealand coast, figure i could swim that though.
Getting to the coast is no problem. Getting to the surface is the hard part :biggrin:
 
  • #17
Danger said:
Doesn't work on my computer.
I'll have to try at work tomorrow.

thats what you get mac boy!

i end up west of australia in the ocean :( but i do end up in china if i dig from my city of birth lol. tomororrow ill start the digging but ill have to get some tips from the very factual movie "The Core"
 
  • #18
Indian Ocean. If I jump in and free fall, it takes about 42 minutes to wind up at the other side.
 
  • #19
BobG said:
If I jump in and free fall, it takes about 42 minutes to wind up at the other side.
You could not free fall (neglecting air resistance) through a straight hole in the Earth unless that hole was drilled from one pole to the other.
 
  • #20
Kakarot said:
thats what you get mac boy!
No, it's because he has dial-up and an OLD mac. None of those google maps/satellite images worked for me when I was on dial-up, they're just too large of files and never finish downloading. Now that I have cable internet, no problem.
 
  • #21
Moonbear said:
No, it's because he has dial-up and an OLD mac.
Negative. The G3 is fairly old, I admit, but I'm on high-speed ADSL. The site came up just fine, but wouldn't display the map.
I'm at work now, and emerged almost exactly half-way between Argentina and the southern half of New Zealand. The water's pretty damned deep, but at least it's warm.
 

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