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Lyta_Underhill · 01-17-2005, 10:57 AM

Oh, goody! A thread on physics in Middle Earth! Just for jollies, I thought I'd add a link or two for those of you (like me) who have thought about such things before and sought out those more expert than ourselves (at least more expert than me!). TOR.net has a section entitled "Green Books," which contains an ongoing series called "The Science of Middle Earth," which is also being released as a book on Amazon.com here: The Science of Middle Earth
Articles on TOR.net include:
Introduction
What do your Elf-eyes see?
Notion Club Papers
Mithril
Fëanor's Laboratory
Yet Another Take on Balrog Wings
How Tall IS a Mallorn Tree?
My favorite bit in these articles must be the postulation that the palantiri are made of an alternating layered structure of lithium niobate and beta carbon nitride in order to lend it holographic properties and adequate hardness. What fun!

As for the stairs up to the top of Orthanc, wouldn't a well hidden trap door be enough; after all, Dwarf doors can be made invisible, so why not Numenorean doors?

As for Gimli-throwing, I'd think he would go pretty far, as he is short AND heavy, thus being built more like a cannonball than any of the other members of the Fellowship. I guess Aragorn would just have to give him a good initial trajectory and then the physics of ballistic motion would take over. (I may have enjoyed physics, but I can't remember the equation anymore!)

Plus, if we postulate that Legolas' arrow could have reached the level of the top of Orthanc, would it come down straight? If I'm not mistaken, wouldn't a long weighted object turn end over end as it traveled through the air? This, of course, doesn't rule out it having sufficient gravitational impetus to make disposition of Grima, but it does seem unlikely to me. However, a bullet fired in the air could easily accomplish this task and has (I read a news story of an unfortunate man in my area who fired a pistol in the air and was struck by his own bullet coming back down. What bad luck!) All that aside, I think Orli-Legolas should have kept his arrow in the quiver and not engaged in such reprehensible, if picturesque, behavior anyway!

Cheers!
Lyta

01-17-2005, 10:57 AM	#1
Lyta_Underhill Haunted Halfling Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: an uncounted length of steps--floating between air molecules Posts: 841	Physical Amusements Oh, goody! A thread on physics in Middle Earth! Just for jollies, I thought I'd add a link or two for those of you (like me) who have thought about such things before and sought out those more expert than ourselves (at least more expert than me!). TOR.net has a section entitled "Green Books," which contains an ongoing series called "The Science of Middle Earth," which is also being released as a book on Amazon.com here: The Science of Middle Earth Articles on TOR.net include: Introduction What do your Elf-eyes see? Notion Club Papers Mithril Fëanor's Laboratory Yet Another Take on Balrog Wings How Tall IS a Mallorn Tree? My favorite bit in these articles must be the postulation that the palantiri are made of an alternating layered structure of lithium niobate and beta carbon nitride in order to lend it holographic properties and adequate hardness. What fun! As for the stairs up to the top of Orthanc, wouldn't a well hidden trap door be enough; after all, Dwarf doors can be made invisible, so why not Numenorean doors? As for Gimli-throwing, I'd think he would go pretty far, as he is short AND heavy, thus being built more like a cannonball than any of the other members of the Fellowship. I guess Aragorn would just have to give him a good initial trajectory and then the physics of ballistic motion would take over. (I may have enjoyed physics, but I can't remember the equation anymore!) Plus, if we postulate that Legolas' arrow could have reached the level of the top of Orthanc, would it come down straight? If I'm not mistaken, wouldn't a long weighted object turn end over end as it traveled through the air? This, of course, doesn't rule out it having sufficient gravitational impetus to make disposition of Grima, but it does seem unlikely to me. However, a bullet fired in the air could easily accomplish this task and has (I read a news story of an unfortunate man in my area who fired a pistol in the air and was struck by his own bullet coming back down. What bad luck!) All that aside, I think Orli-Legolas should have kept his arrow in the quiver and not engaged in such reprehensible, if picturesque, behavior anyway! Cheers! Lyta __________________ “…she laid herself to rest upon Cerin Amroth; and there is her green grave, until the world is changed, and all the days of her life are utterly forgotten by men that come after, and elanor and niphredil bloom no more east of the Sea.”