Q&A: Is the Earth Increasing or Decreasing in Mass? And More

In the StarShot program, you suggest using lasers to propel a solar sail. The problem you say is not being able to slow down on the other side. Why? If the probes have solar sails to receive laser propulsion from us, couldn't they simply turn their sail around and use the star in the other system to slow down?

One of my favorite books is The Eternity Brigade. However, I like Asimov's short stories. Favorite Sci-Fi movie, Edge of Tomorrow. Video game, was addicted to Everquest.

I have started reading "Ready Player One" only a few days ago—it was a late birthday gift from my best friend. I grew up in the 80ies, so all those references have me grinning from ear to ear. Speaking of the 80ies, if you haven't watched "Stranger Things" yet, I demand you do so, like, right now. And "The Expanse" is—hands down—the best Science Fiction show I have seen in a very long time. A Science Fiction book I've finished reading recently (Yay new glasses!) was "The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet" by Becky Chambers. It's not a super exciting book full of suspense and drama, but more one of the type which will give you warm and fuzzy feelings. It's all about the crew of a spaceship whose task it is to punch holes through space to set up an infrastructure of stable wormholes. It's very handwavey about the physics part, but since it's all about the characters anyway I can live with that. ;) The next Science Fiction book I plan to pick up is "Blindsight" by Peter Watts. Isaac Arthur mentioned it in one of his recent podcasts, and it caught my interest. Computer games I don't play all that often anymore, but I have played "Starbound" ever since it was Early Access in VERY early Alpha. It's an old school pixel graphics sandbox game not unlike "Terraria" (same developers even, I think?) but In Space. And you absolutely should play "West of Loathing". It's hilarious.

Another great explanation is that Foucault's Pendulum would spin the same direction (or not at all, depending) regardless of the observer's location if Earth were flat; in reality it spins in opposite directions in opposite hemispheres AND not at all if perfectly placed on the Equator. But you're right: it's a troll to begin with, so why bother? LOL, it's ALL Sir Pratchett's FAULT! ~_^

Fraser, here is another comment, off topic as usual, that everyone can ignore! You asked about good movies I've seen lately and this one has to do with humanity again and our lack of understanding other people's realities. I love our science based reality as it seems to give the best understanding of our predicament here but it really does ignore a lot of more important reality. Just for a high impact wake up call to another side of our 'American Persona' check out "I Am Not Your Negro". It's not just about our relationship with Negros but carries over to many of our current angry and belligerent attitudes today. It just helped me see and understand a lot of what I've been feeling but couldn't put my finger on.