Re: Time Compression

Date: 3 May 2016 17:54 (UTC)
nodrog: Protest at ADD designation distracted in midsentence (ADD)
From: [personal profile] nodrog




        As I put on pace, night followed day like the flapping of a black wing. The
        dim suggestion of the laboratory seemed presently to fall away from me, and
        I saw the sun hopping swiftly across the sky, leaping it every minute, and
        every minute marking a day. I supposed the laboratory had been destroyed
        and I had come into the open air…

        The twinkling succession of darkness and light was excessively painful to
        the eye. Then, in the intermittent darknesses, I saw the moon spinning
        swiftly through her quarters from new to full, and had a faint glimpse of
        the circling stars.

        Presently, as I went on, still gaining velocity, the palpitation of night
        and day merged into one continuous greyness; the sky took on a wonderful
        deepness of blue, a splendid luminous color like that of early twilight;
        the jerking sun became a streak of fire, a brilliant arch, in space; the
        moon a fainter fluctuating band; and I could see nothing of the stars, save
        now and then a brighter circle flickering in the blue…

        - The Time Machine


[N B  Wells was imaginative, but he was no physicist. A minute is hardly “hopping,” nor is it “twinkling” - and as for “excessively painful to the eye,” I should hope to tell you:  The Time Traveller was absorbing an entire day's worth of solar energy in moments.  Not only would everything be Dopplered up past extreme ultraviolet into gamma rays, so he'd perceive only darkness - but he would only perceive that for a moment before being flash-heated to stellar fusion temperatures!  Oops…]

What does any of this have to do with your own post?  Not a blessed thing.  How's your Mom, Ed?

This account has disabled anonymous posting.
(will be screened if not validated)
If you don't have an account you can create one now.
HTML doesn't work in the subject.
More info about formatting

If you are unable to use this captcha for any reason, please contact us by email at support@dreamwidth.org

Profile

gridlore: Doug looking off camera with a grin (Default)
Douglas Berry

October 2023

S M T W T F S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
2223 2425262728
293031    

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Aug. 1st, 2025 07:38 pm
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios