# On what if the world stopped spinning **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [December 24, 2000, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-if-the-world-stopped-spinning/47047 "2000-12-24T01:52:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rinninboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@rinninboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rinninboy)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-if-the-world-stopped-spinning/47047/1 "2000-12-24T01:52:20Z")
Cecil, This being my first comment on the SD boards, I’m reluctant to question any of your writing. That said , you missed most of the ramifications of the earth ceasing it’s rotation. On of the first things would be to determine the speed of deceleration. The sudden complete end of all rotational movement would likely result in major shifting in all objects attached to the earth’s surface. Imagine the results from the earth going from 1000 mph to zero mph in say one microsecond. I think that almost everything on earth including all man made structures and natural features would attempt to continue along at 1000 mph for a little while. After the dust settled, without any axial rotation, the day and year would be of equal length. It is possible that the Sun’s gravity would attempt to keep the same face of the earth always oriented toward it, but that would require one rotation per year. I am not an astrophysisist, I just play one on t.v. And the name is RIGGINBOY, stupid! ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-if-the-world-stopped-spinning/47047/2 "2000-12-24T02:43:01Z")
No doubt your are referring to [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a961122a.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a961122a.html) Sitting back, sipping a nice merlot, waiting for the ambulance to come. Thanks for dropping by. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-if-the-world-stopped-spinning/47047/3 "2000-12-24T14:52:07Z")
Welcome to the SDMB, and thank you for posting your comment. Please include a link to Cecil’s column if it’s on the straight dope web site. To include a link, it can be as simple as including the web page location in your post (make sure there is a space **before** and **after** the text of the URL). Cecil’s column can be found on-line at the link provided by samclem. * * * moderator, «[**Comments on Cecil’s Columns**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?forumid=1)» ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-if-the-world-stopped-spinning/47047/4 "2000-12-24T14:54:50Z")
By the way, the subject was also briefly discussed in these threads: [Earth Stops Spinning](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=41088) [Slug’s Illustration for The Earth Stops Spinning](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=40985) ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-if-the-world-stopped-spinning/47047/5 "2000-12-24T20:42:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rinninboy \* > And the name is RIGGINBOY, stupid! \*\* Not clear who you’re talking to, old bean. If your username got misspelled during the registration process, all you gotta do to change it is to e-mail any moderator ( **TubaDiva** is good at this, and isn’t expensive) and request a name change. No sweat. Her e-mail address is [tubadiva@aol.com](mailto:tubadiva@aol.com) Be that as it may, I agree with you that Cecil’s column covered hardly any of the practical ramifications of the Earth’s actually ceasing to spin. However, he’s not writing a “Mr. Wizard” script. He’s trying to be 50% informative and 50% amusing. I thought the column in question was amusing, and as for informative, well, I have to say that the part about how I’d actually weigh more if the earth ever stopped spinning got me so upset that I was hardly able to finish my 2 pound bag of Good N’ Plentys. According to scientists, the earth will stop spinning in the year 2003, on January 16, to be specific. Early predictions called for it to happen “within the next 30 years”, but new data has changed that. The original prediction: [http://www.weeklyworldnews.com/archive/stories/1471.html](http://www.weeklyworldnews.com/archive/stories/1471.html) The revised prediction:[http://www.weeklyworldnews.com/archive/stories/2057.html](http://www.weeklyworldnews.com/archive/stories/2057.html) ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-if-the-world-stopped-spinning/47047/6 "2000-12-24T22:45:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duck Duck Goose \* > \*\*According to scientists, the earth will stop spinning in the year 2003, on January 16, to be specific. Early predictions called for it to happen “within the next 30 years”, but new data has changed that. > > The original prediction: [http://www.weeklyworldnews.com/archive/stories/1471.html](http://www.weeklyworldnews.com/archive/stories/1471.html) > > The revised prediction:[http://www.weeklyworldnews.com/archive/stories/2057.html\*\*](http://www.weeklyworldnews.com/archive/stories/2057.html**) Ahem. **Are these people smoking crack???** ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2000, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-if-the-world-stopped-spinning/47047/7 "2000-12-24T23:09:02Z")
Yeah, Una, that’s kind of the point of Weekly World News. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2000, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-if-the-world-stopped-spinning/47047/8 "2000-12-25T02:44:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duck Duck Goose \* > \*\*According to scientists, the earth will stop spinning in the year 2003, on January 16, to be specific. > > … > > [http://www.weeklyworldnews.com/archive/stories/2057.html\*\*](http://www.weeklyworldnews.com/archive/stories/2057.html**) Hey, Ginchy…that’s my birthday! Whoo! Happy birthday to me! ---
**Author:** ![SpinneZiege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9e8a1a/32.png) [@SpinneZiege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpinneZiege)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2000, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-if-the-world-stopped-spinning/47047/9 "2000-12-25T19:45:29Z")
In Brian Greene’s book The Elegant Universe (Vintage Books, 2000), he explains that the earth, with its liquid core, would explode if it stopped spinning. I wish I could go into further detail, but I can’t seem to find a page number in my copy. If I find it, I’ll post it. If not, could somebody please help me? ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2000, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-if-the-world-stopped-spinning/47047/10 "2000-12-25T22:24:51Z")
Well, then, **Tengu** , I guess you’re gonna have one heckuva birthday party in 2003! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Bad\_Astronomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@The\_Bad\_Astronomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Bad_Astronomer)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2000, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-if-the-world-stopped-spinning/47047/11 "2000-12-28T00:35:58Z")
Of far more concern in Cecil’s column is the line: > [@](#): > > \*\* > The real difference, apart from the end of life as we know it, would be that, no matter what hemisphere you were in, the bathwater would go straight down the drain. \*\* I would hope he’s kidding, but the Earth’s rotation doesn’t really affect the way water drains in a tub, sink or toilet. Check this out: [http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/misc/coriolis.html](http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/misc/coriolis.html) ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2000, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-if-the-world-stopped-spinning/47047/12 "2000-12-28T00:56:07Z")
Hi, **BA**. Yeah, the boss sometimes likes to include injokes to his prior columns to ensure that we acolytes are keeping up. [Here](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_161.html) is **Cecil** on the Coriolis effect. ---
**Author:** ![SpinneZiege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9e8a1a/32.png) [@SpinneZiege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpinneZiege)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2000, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-if-the-world-stopped-spinning/47047/13 "2000-12-29T01:17:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by manhattan \* > \*\*Hi, **BA**. > > Yeah, the boss sometimes likes to include injokes to his prior columns to ensure that we acolytes are keeping up. > > [Here](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_161.html) is **Cecil** on the Coriolis effect. \*\* You wouldn’t happen to have a link to Cecil’s answer to where all the baby pigeons are, too, would you? ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2000, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-if-the-world-stopped-spinning/47047/14 "2000-12-30T21:30:28Z")
SpinneZiege, go to the straight dope home page ( **not** the message board home page) and click on _Search Archive_ at the top of the page to find past columns. First version of the column: [Where are all the baby pigeons? (7-Nov-1975)](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_015b.html) This column can also be found on pages 15-16 of Cecil Adams’ book «[_The Straight Dope_](http://www.straightdope.com/otheroutlets/books.html)». Second version of the column: [Where are all the baby pigeons? (22-Mar-1985)](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_069b.html) This column can also be found on pages 69-71 of Cecil Adams’ book «[_More of the Straight Dope_](http://www.straightdope.com/otheroutlets/books.html)». While I’m at it, I’ll throw in a link to this column: [Where are all the dead pigeons? (20-May-1988)](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_083.html) This column can also be found on pages 83-85 of Cecil Adams’ book «[_The Straight Dope Tells All_](http://www.straightdope.com/otheroutlets/books.html)». ---
**Author:** ![Phobos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Phobos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phobos)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-what-if-the-world-stopped-spinning/47047/15 "2001-01-08T18:26:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rinninboy \* > \*\*That said , you missed most of the ramifications of the earth ceasing it’s rotation. > \*\* Reread the questions Cecil was answering. He was not asked to write about every possible result.