From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

On 04/09/2025 03:53, Cryptoengineer wrote:

On 9/1/2025 10:11 PM, Chris Thompson wrote:

Christian Weisgerber wrote:

On 2025-08-30, Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:

xkcd: Sea Level
-a-a-a-a https://xkcd.com/3135/

Yup, constantly changing with enormous energies expended.

Somewhat related: Larry Niven, "There Is a Tide".

(Jurer Ybhvf Jh ernyvmrf gung gvqrf ba n zbbayrff cynarg zrna gung
gur guvat va beovg gung rirelobql nffhzrq gb or na napvrag fgnfvf
svryq shyy bs Fynire gernfher vf ab fhpu guvat, naq lbh qba'g jnag
gb trg pybfr gb vg.)

And touching on the idea that perhaps the majority of races in the
galaxy might be unfamiliar with tides, Larry Niven's _Neutron Star_.

This is nonsense.

If the Earth's Moon were teleported far, far away, we'd still have
tides - about 1/3 of the current max height, since the Sun also
causes tides.

Aliens who live on planets with oceans will still observe tides.

Unless they live inland.

As a lot of humans do.

Although when they take a holiday, many of them
do like to be beside the sea side.
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

Robert Carnegie <rja.carnegie@gmail.com> writes:

On 04/09/2025 03:53, Cryptoengineer wrote:

On 9/1/2025 10:11 PM, Chris Thompson wrote:

Christian Weisgerber wrote:

On 2025-08-30, Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:

xkcd: Sea Level
-a-a-a-a https://xkcd.com/3135/

Yup, constantly changing with enormous energies expended.

Somewhat related: Larry Niven, "There Is a Tide".

(Jurer Ybhvf Jh ernyvmrf gung gvqrf ba n zbbayrff cynarg zrna gung
gur guvat va beovg gung rirelobql nffhzrq gb or na napvrag fgnfvf
svryq shyy bs Fynire gernfher vf ab fhpu guvat, naq lbh qba'g jnag
gb trg pybfr gb vg.)

And touching on the idea that perhaps the majority of races in the
galaxy might be unfamiliar with tides, Larry Niven's _Neutron Star_.

This is nonsense.

If the Earth's Moon were teleported far, far away, we'd still have
tides - about 1/3 of the current max height, since the Sun also
causes tides.

Aliens who live on planets with oceans will still observe tides.

Unless they live inland.

Lake Michigan has tides. Loch Ness has tides.

Small, but detectable.

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

In article <TQSBQ.51167$4UDd.40811@fx15.iad>,
Scott Lurndal <slp53@pacbell.net> wrote:

Robert Carnegie <rja.carnegie@gmail.com> writes:

On 04/09/2025 03:53, Cryptoengineer wrote:

On 9/1/2025 10:11 PM, Chris Thompson wrote:

Christian Weisgerber wrote:

On 2025-08-30, Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:

xkcd: Sea Level
-a-a-a-a https://xkcd.com/3135/

Yup, constantly changing with enormous energies expended.

Somewhat related: Larry Niven, "There Is a Tide".

(Jurer Ybhvf Jh ernyvmrf gung gvqrf ba n zbbayrff cynarg zrna gung
gur guvat va beovg gung rirelobql nffhzrq gb or na napvrag fgnfvf
svryq shyy bs Fynire gernfher vf ab fhpu guvat, naq lbh qba'g jnag
gb trg pybfr gb vg.)

And touching on the idea that perhaps the majority of races in the
galaxy might be unfamiliar with tides, Larry Niven's _Neutron Star_.

This is nonsense.

If the Earth's Moon were teleported far, far away, we'd still have
tides - about 1/3 of the current max height, since the Sun also
causes tides.

Aliens who live on planets with oceans will still observe tides.

Unless they live inland.

Lake Michigan has tides. Loch Ness has tides.

Yes, but those are due to Nessie entering & exiting the loch...
--
columbiaclosings.com
What's not in Columbia anymore..
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

Cryptoengineer wrote:

On 9/1/2025 10:11 PM, Chris Thompson wrote:

Christian Weisgerber wrote:

On 2025-08-30, Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:

xkcd: Sea Level
-a-a-a-a https://xkcd.com/3135/

Yup, constantly changing with enormous energies expended.

Somewhat related: Larry Niven, "There Is a Tide".

(Jurer Ybhvf Jh ernyvmrf gung gvqrf ba n zbbayrff cynarg zrna gung
gur guvat va beovg gung rirelobql nffhzrq gb or na napvrag fgnfvf
svryq shyy bs Fynire gernfher vf ab fhpu guvat, naq lbh qba'g jnag
gb trg pybfr gb vg.)

And touching on the idea that perhaps the majority of races in the
galaxy might be unfamiliar with tides, Larry Niven's _Neutron Star_.

This is nonsense.

If the Earth's Moon were teleported far, far away, we'd still have
tides - about 1/3 of the current max height, since the Sun also
causes tides.

Aliens who live on planets with oceans will still observe tides.

I liked the story very much, particularly as I read it at age 14 and had
no idea what tidal forces are.

While the puppeteers cannot possibly be as ignorant as I was, the
plausibility argument goes that without significant tides in their home
world, the idea of tides simply slipped their collective mind, which it
could not have if they were brought up on the bay of Fundy.

If their world was orbiting a giant star the gravitational gradient in
the habitable zone would be small, perhaps so small that a puppeteer
version of Dover Beach would be at a loss for a metaphor.

But this, of course, could not be the species' home world. Perhaps that
was what they really wanted to cover up.

I suspect the puppeteers agreed to Schaeffer's demands as part of a disinformation campaign (after all, he did let the secret out). Indeed
the whole expedition, including hiring a known blabbermouth, might have
been such. They knew all along that it was the tide, but thought it
would be useful to feign ignorance.

William Hyde


--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2