# Does the design of a very large building have to account for the curvature of the Earth?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-design-of-a-very-large-building-have-to-account-for-the-curvature-of-the-earth/949455>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 24, 2021, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-design-of-a-very-large-building-have-to-account-for-the-curvature-of-the-earth/949455 "2021-08-24T20:22:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2021, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-design-of-a-very-large-building-have-to-account-for-the-curvature-of-the-earth/949455/81 "2021-09-06T12:08:00Z")

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Strictly speaking, the laser beams would bend, but by an amount far smaller than any tolerances the tubes could be built to.

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**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2021, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-design-of-a-very-large-building-have-to-account-for-the-curvature-of-the-earth/949455/82 "2021-09-06T13:32:22Z")

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> [@Chronos](#):
>
> Strictly speaking, the laser beams would bend […]

Wouldn’t it be more accurate to say that they travel in a straight line according to the warping of space, which viewed from distant side perspectives would show a bend?

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2021, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-design-of-a-very-large-building-have-to-account-for-the-curvature-of-the-earth/949455/83 "2021-09-06T14:03:25Z")

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That’s why I used the less-technical word “bend”, rather than the more-technical “curve”. One can define “bend” in such a way as to include what a light beam does, and in fact, someone not knowledgeable about Riemanian geometry who came up with a rigorous definition of “bend” probably would include a light beam’s behavior.

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**Author:** ![jjakucyk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3d9bf3/32.png) [@jjakucyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjakucyk)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2021, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-design-of-a-very-large-building-have-to-account-for-the-curvature-of-the-earth/949455/84 "2021-09-06T14:59:07Z")

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(post deleted by author)

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**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2021, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-design-of-a-very-large-building-have-to-account-for-the-curvature-of-the-earth/949455/85 "2021-09-06T19:20:35Z")

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**Moderator Note**

@jjakucyk I’m not sure what the intention was here. It looks like probably an attempt at humor, but could be taken as a threadshit or an insult (which is warnable). While we do allow animated gifs on the SDMB, please keep them appropriate to the forum that you are posting in.

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**Author:** ![jjakucyk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3d9bf3/32.png) [@jjakucyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjakucyk)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2021, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-design-of-a-very-large-building-have-to-account-for-the-curvature-of-the-earth/949455/86 "2021-09-06T19:58:17Z")

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> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#):
>
> humor

Yes, chill. The whole curve/bend/warping/Riemanian geometry thing was going deep into pedantry corner and it seemed like a little levity was due.

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2021, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-design-of-a-very-large-building-have-to-account-for-the-curvature-of-the-earth/949455/87 "2021-09-06T23:18:51Z")

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Maybe, but shouting “Nerd!” at someone isn’t exactly the height of humor. Especially when you’re not even doing it yourself.

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