Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Speculative biology is simultaneously a science and form of art in which one speculates on the possibilities of life and evolution. What could the world look like if dinosaurs had never gone extinct? What could alien lifeforms look like? What kinds of plants and animals might exist in the far future? These questions and more are tackled by speculative biologists, and the Speculative Evolution welcomes all relevant ideas, inquiries, and world-building projects alike. With a member base comprising users from across the world, our community is the largest and longest-running place of gathering for speculative biologists on the web.

While unregistered users are able to browse the forum on a basic level, registering an account provides additional forum access not visible to guests as well as the ability to join in discussions and contribute yourself! Registration is free and instantaneous.

Join our community today!

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Low gravity; A big low gravity Earth
Topic Started: Feb 25 2010, 02:26 AM (719 Views)
Pando
Member Avatar
Obey or I'll send you to the moon
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
This is a world that I've been thinking of for a while. In this universe, the law of gravity is half as this world, and this alternate Earth is 1.5x as big as Earth, so it has only 3/4 the gravity of Earth. The Earth is also still 70% water on surface. What would the climate be, how would the different continents be, and then, what kind of animals would inhabit this world, how would they take advantage of the lower gravity, and how would the PTr and KT extinctions of been with more Earth? The moon is as big and has the same amount of gravity compared to this world and real Earth.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
colddigger
Member Avatar
Joke's over! Love, Parasky
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
so the gravity is a 1/4 weaker?

i'm not very knowledgeable on these kinds of things but i would imagine that if we didn't just lose the Moon the tides would travel a lot further inland, if not by the moons pull then by the pull of the Sun. our atmosphere would probably be thinner too since the Earth wouldn't be pulling as hard on it and it wouldn't be pulling as hard on the Earth.

it's probably an exaggeration but i'm seeing things flying off the planet every which way when struck by meteors or when volcanoes go off since not only is the planets gravity weaker but so is the gravity of the objects themselves...

as for the critters, i'm thinking that the ones that get tall, will be really really tall. and probably thin. at least thin legged. the bodies might get thicker -at least proportionately to their legs-. but then again if the atmosphere is kicked out then they would have to be small, at least until something mutates a wicked awesome breathing system that lets them get as big as whatever. hum.
Oh Fine.

Oh hi you! Why don't you go check out the finery that is SGP??

v Don't click v
Spoiler: click to toggle

Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Pando
Member Avatar
Obey or I'll send you to the moon
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
This world has a moon that has the same effects of our moon of that world. So the tides are the same height. That would mean that that moon would proabably have to be bigger proportionately than our Earth to Luna.

As for the atmosphere, if it were made of heavy molecules like oxygen it could stay, so there is no hydrogen or helium on this world. Now I have to find a replacement for glucose...
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
colddigger
Member Avatar
Joke's over! Love, Parasky
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
but then there is no water and thus no tides at all.
Oh Fine.

Oh hi you! Why don't you go check out the finery that is SGP??

v Don't click v
Spoiler: click to toggle

Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Pando
Member Avatar
Obey or I'll send you to the moon
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
I forgot about water. But is it possible for hydrogen to be with 3/4 gravity?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Holben
Member Avatar
Rumbo a la Victoria

If the gravitic force is 1/4 weaker across the universe, space-time has to be seriously mucked up. For all we know, earth and the sun wouldn't have clustered from the dust of supernovae and perhaps quasars would never have formed. Black holes would prove odd, and as gravity came from the 'superforce' just after the big bang, you may have to fiddle with superinflation itself.
Time flows like a river. Which is to say, downhill. We can tell this because everything is going downhill rapidly. It would seem prudent to be somewhere else when we reach the sea.

"It is the old wound my king. It has never healed."
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Pando
Member Avatar
Obey or I'll send you to the moon
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
Lets say that stars, nebula, gas giants, black holes, galaxies, etc... are twice as dense, so they are the same as in this universe. The only difference I want is the Earth being bigger and the gravity being lower.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
KayKay
Adult
 *  *  *  *  *  *
What if, rather than gravity being altered, just alter Earth's (and the moon's) composition? I don't know if that's possible or not, but maybe if it was made of something a lot less dense than what it is made of just now, giving the planet an overall lower mass, it could be bigger yet still have lower gravity. Sound plausible? As I said I have no idea perhaps someone more knowledgeable could confirm it?

Anyway, it sounds to me like Earth is going to be transformed into a whole new planet, which might mean it could be better if you just made it alien. Unless you want all the continents and the atmosphere and everything to be similar.

edit: added mention of the moon
Edited by KayKay, Feb 28 2010, 06:18 AM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Pando
Member Avatar
Obey or I'll send you to the moon
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
I want to see what Earth life would be with a bigger, low gravity world. I don't think I can change the composition so much that it has only half the gravity.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
KayKay
Adult
 *  *  *  *  *  *
Well, it was just a suggestion.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
colddigger
Member Avatar
Joke's over! Love, Parasky
 *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
hang on, you want a super huge planet, but you want the gravity of the planet to be less than the Earth but with all the atmosphere and water etc.

got it.

if you were to even get the same groups of critters today then the bones would be thinner, the bodies would be fatter, and they would have less muscle. hopping would have more advantage over running, critters and plants would in general get bigger due to more resource and less strain on their structure.

although there would be plenty of "normal" critters running around too, not like they would disappear.
Oh Fine.

Oh hi you! Why don't you go check out the finery that is SGP??

v Don't click v
Spoiler: click to toggle

Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
« Previous Topic · Alternative Evolution · Next Topic »
Add Reply