Wondering about wild grapes

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Wondering What Time It Is at the Poles

Let me ask you, if you were standing at one of the Earth's poles, either north or south, and wanted to give someone directions, how would you start?  Well, I suppose if you where at the the south pole, you would start your directions with, "first you go north. . ."  It would be the opposite if you were at the north pole.

If you continued with your directions by telling that same person to meet you back at the pole at noon for lunch, what time zone would both of your watches have to set at to meet at the same time?  The problem is, all time zones run together at the poles.  OK, now I am starting to get dizzy. . . maybe that is why my nickname is "Dizzy".  Of course, if you take one step off the point that is the south pole, you then can go any of the four directions, right?  But, the Earth wobbles on its axis, so does that mean that poles move around in a small circle?  Actually, I believe it does.  Now, I am really dizzy.

Another question comes to my mind.  At the poles we wouldn't have any centrifugal force trying to throw us off the planet as we would at the equator where we would be spinning around at about a thousand miles per hour.  So, even though the Earth is fatter at the equator (probably because of its spin), we would probably weigh weigh more at the poles because there is no spin trying to throw us off.  Not sure about that, what do you think?

I don't believe that I want to visit either pole.  It gets cold enough here in Texas for me.  Now, you all have a great day and don't get too dizzy, you hear?

12 comments:

  1. I'll bet they us GMT at the poles... Why not? That's what it's there for...

    That is a GOOD question!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are very correct on that. I was planning on saying that on my posting today, but somehow, it slipped my mind while I was writing it. My mind is getting more slippery every day.

      Delete
  2. Replies
    1. Oh yes, both a hand held and a vehicle mounted one, but I still get lost.

      Delete
  3. Your post makes me think of something my son was curious about... he wondered where the exact opposite spot of the world would be from where he lives. So... we put in the same coordinates in my GPS, only used the South/East instead of the usual North/West... came up with a location in the Indian Ocean.. somewhere between Africa and Australia. I know... doesn't have anything to do with falling off the top of the world, but you know about curious minds.....

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think I would like to visit the North Pole, but only in summer!

    ReplyDelete
  5. There are a lot of "wonderers" out there because there are a lot of wonders out there. It is good that your son wondered about things.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gypsy, do you think it would be that much warmer? At least it would be brighter.

      Delete
  6. I wouldn't mind weighing more at the equator, the sunshine would make up for it! and asking me for direction, I do okay....following them or reading a map, forget about it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just go south in the winter and north in the summer. Follow the birds.

      Delete
  7. Guess I have never wondered about that, but it is a good question to which I have no answer.

    I don't even own a GPS or for that matter know how to operate one :-(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sometimes I wonder about things that I can't figure out for sure. I could argue the point both ways. I can even get lost using a GPS.

      Delete