Why aren't people at the South Pole upside down?

SystemSystem Posts: 2,096,970
Forum Member
✭✭✭✭✭
I know this question has been asked loads and loads.

But how come??

Just imagine the Earth is a football for a second and an ant is crawling at the bottom end of the ball, (same place where the South Pole is), the ant would clearly be sticking to the bottom with its legs, and would appear upside down.
Well it wouldn't just appear IT WOULD be upside down.

How come say you went to the South Pole you wouldnt feel upside down?
«13

Comments

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 9,121
    Forum Member
    You just don't grasp the gravity of the situation do you? ;)

    Gravity pulls towards the centre of the football...err... planet, and wherever you stand on it, down is always towards the surface.

    If you did "feel upside down", you'd fall off the world... which of course doesn't happen due to gravity.
  • 100 monkeys100 monkeys Posts: 2,577
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    potatolegs wrote:
    Why aren't people at the South Pole upside down?

    They are !
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,425
    Forum Member
    The only reason people feel 'upside-down' normally, for example on a rollerocaster, is because of G-forces. As G-forces aren't acting on us as we move normally on the planet you don't feel upside-down although strictly speaking you are. The earth's gravity pulls us in at equal force all over the planet so you feel no different anywhere on earth.
  • SystemSystem Posts: 2,096,970
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    They are !

    So they really are upside down.

    And, the blood doesn't rush to their head because gravity pulls the blood back down their feet?
  • SystemSystem Posts: 2,096,970
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    Aspartame wrote:
    You just don't grasp the gravity of the situation do you? ;)

    Gravity pulls towards the centre of the football...err... planet, and wherever you stand on it, down is always towards the surface.

    If you did "feel upside down", you'd fall off the world... which of course doesn't happen due to gravity.

    Oh I see!!!

    I sort of thought it was to do with gravity but wasnt completely certain.

    Also if the world just stopped spinning suddenly, would we all fall off??
  • russellellyrussellelly Posts: 11,687
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    There's no up and down in space. Up and down are only useful relative to the surface of the earth, which is always 'down' regardless of where on the planet.
  • 100 monkeys100 monkeys Posts: 2,577
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    potatolegs wrote:
    So they really are upside down.

    And, the blood doesn't rush to their head because gravity pulls the blood back down their feet?

    Exactly! This would obviously mean the southern hemisphere brain is located in the feet. They also have tiny "suckers" on their feet to keep them from floating into space :).
  • russellellyrussellelly Posts: 11,687
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    potatolegs wrote:
    Also if the world just stopped spinning suddenly, would we all fall off??

    Not necescarily. That'd depend on what else was the cause of the earth stopping.
  • SystemSystem Posts: 2,096,970
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    Exactly! This would obviously mean the southern hemisphere brain is located in the feet. They also have tiny "suckers" on their feet to keep them from floating into space :).

    LOL -- I can't grasp it though thinking about it..

    But there heads are pointing downwards though!!! :eek:
  • SystemSystem Posts: 2,096,970
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    Not necescarily. That'd depend on what else was the cause of the earth stopping.

    Just say it just stopped like some brakes went on.
  • JJ2005JJ2005 Posts: 5,188
    Forum Member
    Everyone is upside down relative to others at the antipodes. i.e. that point on the globe exactly on the opposite side from you.

    Australia and New Zealand are approximately the antipodes of the UK.

    But we all feel gravity pulling us towards the centre of the earth, so nobody FEELS upside down.

    Unless you are pissed of course, in which case who cares. :D
  • RatinhoRatinho Posts: 5,129
    Forum Member
    And y'know, still a more intelligant start to a thread than most on this page. :)
  • muntamunta Posts: 18,285
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    potatolegs wrote:
    I know this question has been asked loads and loads.

    But how come??

    Just imagine the Earth is a football for a second and an ant is crawling at the bottom end of the ball, (same place where the South Pole is), the ant would clearly be sticking to the bottom with its legs, and would appear upside down.
    Well it wouldn't just appear IT WOULD be upside down.

    How come say you went to the South Pole you wouldnt feel upside down?
    You can't beat a potatolegs question to bring some light hearted relief to these forums. My Doctor thinks... Its just what we all needed. :)
  • JJ2005JJ2005 Posts: 5,188
    Forum Member
    potatolegs wrote:
    LOL -- I can't grasp it though thinking about it..

    But there heads are pointing downwards though!!! :eek:
    Look at a globe and see where the UK is.

    To an outsider looking at the globe with the North Pole at the top, we would look as if we were standing at an angle, and peolpe at the equatro would look like the were standing sideways.
  • TheCableGuyTheCableGuy Posts: 5,602
    Forum Member
    There's no up and down in space...

    Therfore no one is upside down. I think i am right in saying its because of the position of the moon and the face that people in the northern hemisphere started mapping, and so we are 'upright'.
  • SystemSystem Posts: 2,096,970
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    I know you guys keep saying we dont feel upside down because of gravity, but people in the south poles heads are like dangling downwards, if that makes sense, and I know gravity caused by the spinning holds you in, but that doesnt explain for me why they don't feel upside down when they truly are more upside down than the other of the Earths inhabitants.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,255
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    potatolegs wrote:
    and I know gravity caused by the spinning holds you in

    What? Gravity is caused by mass, not rotation.
  • SystemSystem Posts: 2,096,970
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    Nylex wrote:
    What? Gravity is caused by mass, not rotation.

    LOL - I was really listening in science wasn't I? :o

    Sorry I was getting centrugation mixed up with gravity.

    Ooh now I heave learnt why Jupiter has real strong gravity, is it because it has a larger mass?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 19,538
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    The only reason you could think that people at the south pole are upside down is just due to scientific convention. We could quite easily draw the solar system the other way up, or sideways, or any way really. Because there is no low/high point of the universe.
  • SystemSystem Posts: 2,096,970
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    So if there is no up or down in the universe, what is there, just space everywhere for infinity so you cannot determine what is the up part or the down part???
  • SystemSystem Posts: 2,096,970
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    When you consider the vast expanse that is the universe, how can you be so sure that we are the right way up?
  • SystemSystem Posts: 2,096,970
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭✭✭
    bob.bobsta wrote:
    When you consider the vast expanse that is the universe, how can you be so sure that we are the right way up?

    It makes our whole solar system look like a little speck!!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 9,121
    Forum Member
    potatolegs wrote:
    So if there is no up or down in the universe, what is there, just space everywhere for infinity so you cannot determine what is the up part or the down part???

    up and down have no overall meaning in the universe. it all depends on the local gravitational field.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 11,482
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Depends what perspective you are viewing from. But from the North, they are upside down, just not when you get there.

    Gravity has very little to do with it, just perspective.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,425
    Forum Member
    potatolegs wrote:
    I know you guys keep saying we dont feel upside down because of gravity, but people in the south poles heads are like dangling downwards, if that makes sense, and I know gravity caused by the spinning holds you in, but that doesnt explain for me why they don't feel upside down when they truly are more upside down than the other of the Earths inhabitants.
    The reason we normlly feel upside down is because the earth's gratitational field pulls our organs in the opposite direction to what they are used to. If your on the other side of the world the same force is pulling you in the same direction.
    To 'dangle' downwards you need the gravitational force acting on you to pull you from toe to head and as the gravitational pull comes from the centre of the planet nobody is being pulled from other ways.
Sign In or Register to comment.