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Try reversing THIS!

In order to discover momentum, Galileo engaged in a thought experiment involving an infinitely long flat surface.  I propose to do something similar: suppose someone was skating downhill--only the hill is infinitely long.  Ridiculous?  Not any more than an infinitely long plane.  Such a process would not, however, be reversible.

I have no idea of what the point of the thought experiment is: I'm just fascinated with it, that's all.

Perhaps the inflationary universe is irreversible in an analogous manner.  I dunno....  Hey Tim, are you reading this?  Comments?

Comments

Tim D said…
The problem is, if the hill is truly infinite it breaks the laws of physics - ultimately parallel force lines would mean that the gravitating source is infinitely far away. (Unless the attracting body were an infinitely extended plane - in which case, you'd eventually hit it!)
9:15 PM
Leo White said…
Okay. And I guess eternally inflationary universe does not break the laws of physics... hence the disanalogy--right?
10:45 AM
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