# Are we moving?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-moving/42968>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 28, 2000, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-moving/42968 "2000-11-28T03:02:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![insider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@insider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/insider)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2000, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-moving/42968/1 "2000-11-28T03:02:56Z")

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If someone is sitting next to you and asks you are we moving, what would be the correct answer? Thanks

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**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2000, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-moving/42968/2 "2000-11-28T03:07:08Z")

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Another question - “Relative to what?”

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**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2000, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-moving/42968/3 "2000-11-28T03:39:07Z")

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The correct answer would be to shoot them a disparaging look, say “I am”, get up, and move to another chair.

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**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2000, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-moving/42968/4 "2000-11-28T05:53:45Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by porcupine \*  
> \*\*Another question - “Relative to what?” \*\*

I’d call that the correct answer. Well, the scientifically correct response, anyway.

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**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2000, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-moving/42968/5 "2000-11-28T11:05:44Z")

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Relativity be damned! I’d say “Yes!”

And leave without any other information… and you’d be right!

The Earth is spinning, Earth is orbiting, the sun is in orbit around the center of the galaxy, the galaxy itself is hurtling towards the “Great Attractor” at something like a million miles an hour (no joke), etc.

Regardless of what one were to cite as the frame of reference, I’d say the answer is “yes”… but to bolster that, you might want to sway back and forth…

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**Author:** ![Caldazar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Caldazar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caldazar)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2000, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-moving/42968/6 "2000-11-28T17:28:20Z")

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Yes. No. It depends, relative to what?

All correct answers.

It all depends on your choice of reference frame. It is perfectly acceptable to define your own perceived reference frame as a stationary reference frame with the Universe moving about; in this case you are not moving. It is equally acceptable to define, say, the Sun as the point of a stationary reference frame; in this case, you would be moving since you’d be moving in a slightly elliptical path around the Sun.