Extreme gravity
Extremes are now again fashionable in many areas of life. But – extreme gravity? Is there anything to be gained by searching for those points on the Earth’s surface where gravity is highest, lowest, steepest?
Arago in love
In The Hunt for Earth Gravity there is a description of Jacques Arago’s last minute dash from Apra Harbour to Hågatña (and back) for a final farewell to a Chamorro girl with whom he had fallen, very temporarily, in love. Twenty years later he wrote much more about this.
Boeing
Ayn Rand wrote in America and for Americans, butI avoid in principle commenting on American issues. However, even foreigners are entitled to comment on today’s release of a flood of emails between Boeing employees about the 737 Max, because so many of us fly in Boeing aircraft.
Pendulum gravity on Guam
In 1819 Louis de Freycinet measured gravity on Guam using four pendulums, and in 1828 Fyodor Litke did the same thing, with just one pendulum. How well did they do?
Foreigners in the northern Marianas
Amongst the entertainments provided on Guam for the de Freycinets (and almost every other foreign visitor) was a performance of a close relative of the All Black’s haka, by a group of Hawaiians.
Lock-down
The Gladestry Old Men’s Lunch was unanimous in its opinion that there was not one person in the upper levels of any of the three main political parties for whom one could feel the slightest shred of respect. Ayn Rand would, of course, have agreed …..