David Jenkins
|
| posted on 9/5/06 at 02:21 PM |
|
|
Tuesday trivia
I've been looking at a map of Antarctica (just don't ask why). It is split into 2 regions, East and West Antarctica. How the hell does
that work? 
If you go West far enough you end up in East Antarctica, and vice-versa...
...my brain hurts.
David
[Edited on 9/5/06 by David Jenkins]
|
|
|
|
|
irvined
|
| posted on 9/5/06 at 02:50 PM |
|
|
Sounds a bit strange to me, it would be logical to seperate it by drawing a line through the south pole, problem is, if your standing on the south
pole, every direction is north. 
http://irvined.blogspot.com
|
|
|
Liam
|
| posted on 9/5/06 at 02:54 PM |
|
|
Anywhere in the world, if you go east enough you end up west. Just that in antarctica you could do it in a few steps! The prime meridian where east
and west are measured from is the good old Grenwich meridian! So 180 degrees round the world from there is where east suddenly becomes west and vice
versa. This is the international date line incidentally (although this tends to meander slightly from the 180 degree meridian to weave around various
islands/international territories).
Liam
|
|
|
David Jenkins
|
| posted on 9/5/06 at 03:04 PM |
|
|
But that answer is just too boring! 
|
|
|
emsfactory
|
| posted on 9/5/06 at 06:25 PM |
|
|
Its all to do with time. At one pole time speeds up due to the concentration of French men and at the other it slows down due to the lack of Burger
Kings. Its all very technical.
|
|
|
smart51
|
| posted on 9/5/06 at 07:58 PM |
|
|
If you're at the south pole looking towards China then you're looling east. Look towards argentina and you're looking west, I
guess. Don't ask me what happens if you look towards London.
|
|
|
Liam
|
| posted on 9/5/06 at 08:16 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
But that answer is just too boring!
Yeah sorry! I think emsfactory is probably right though. I just read what I posted in a book somewhere. Just goes to show you can't believe
everything you read.
Liam
|
|
|
Liam
|
| posted on 9/5/06 at 08:32 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by smart51
If you're at the south pole looking towards China then you're looling east. Look towards argentina and you're looking west, I
guess. Don't ask me what happens if you look towards London.
If you're actually at the south pole you can only look north. There is no east or west direction <spooy music - Woo-ooo-ooo-ooo>. Take
a few steps though, then run in circles round the south pole anticlockwise, i.e. keep the red and white stripey pole to your left, and you're
running due west. Run round the other way and you're running east.
Liam
|
|
|
