I think Autonomous Vehicles will lead us here...but I certainly hope not!

[chuck peterson]

I say it is happening right now...driverless delivery vehicles will clog the city with perfectly safe boxes going The Speed Limit...

Think about how you felt when following someone at the speed limit...now put yourself in a conga line of 20 cars behind that vehicle...now fill the city with those...I'll bet a bunch of stuff stops functioning normally on that

[tris]

I think that is eminently possible that the technology is/will be capable of doing everything it says it will

It will be the legal ramifications that will cause the advancement to grind to a halt.

Who is responsible if a kid runs into the road and the autonomous vehicle "decides" to kill the kid rather than run into the truck coming the other way endangering the occupants of the vehicle

That conundrum should keep the lawyers in Ferraris' and Bentleys' for the rest of my life

[redhawk47]

Also the ball will begin to slow down as it approaches the core, because as it travels "down", the mass of Earth above it is increasing so the attraction "upwards" begins to take effect.
Even if the earth had no atmosphere and all this happened on a vaccuum, it would not be air resistance determining terminal velocity, there would be the gravity of the mass above providing some braking.
Whether or not the ball would make it past the core by some amount and then oscillate to and fro about the centre, is a good point of discussion.
But.
Gravitational attraction is a function of the relative masses of the two bodies, so mass between the ball and the surface is working opposite to that of the ball and the core.
Just sayin'...
Oh, and while we're on the topic..
Coriolis force would not drag the ball against the walls if you went through the North Pole to the South Pole because the Earth would be rotating around the ball and if it didn't touch the sides, no energy would be transferred into the system.
However, any other direction would cause trouble.

Which goes to show that there is no such thing as "simple" physics.

[oldbike54]

Which goes to show that there is no such thing as "simple" physics.

 There is for simple people like me 

 Dusty

[Huzo]

There is for simple people like me 

 Dusty

I've found that if you apply the appropriate principle, the answer CAN be simple, but quantifying the results can get complex in a serious hurry.
Trying to apply analogies that don't relate can be problematic and will often muddy the waters a bit.

[Lannis]

Also the ball will begin to slow down as it approaches the core, because as it travels "down", the mass of Earth above it is increasing so the attraction "upwards" begins to take effect.
Even if the earth had no atmosphere and all this happened on a vaccuum, it would not be air resistance determining terminal velocity, there would be the gravity of the mass above providing some braking.

'Fraid you're wrong there.   The Simple Harmonic Motion of an object falling through a hole drilled in a sphere is literally a Physics 101 problem.    The object will execute the same motion as a mass attached to a point by a spring, which is pulled back and released.

In both cases, the force on the falling object is F = Kx, where K is a constant and x is the distance of the object from the center of attraction.   The object has a force acting on it toward the center of the earth until it reaches the center, where the force on it is 0; since it has that force on it, it will continue to accelerate all the way down; however, it will have reached its maximum velocity at the center and will climb all the way out of the hole on the other side.

Here's the derivation for the equation of motion of the object dropped:

http://web.mit.edu/8.01t/www/materials/InClass/Raw/IC_Sol_W13D1-3.pdf

"Simple Harmonic Motion" is a "term of art".   "Simple" doesn't mean "easy" here ... it means that it's the basic statement of how the object moves.   Friction, hysteresis, and all the other effects have their force vectors on the object too.

Lannis

[Muzz]

But will the Breva still go bang bang?

[SmithSwede]

Back to the OP's stated concern.   I'm not sure I'm following that logic.

Assume we have the same number of insured vehicles on the road, but the use of automated technology becomes widespread and these automated vehicles are 99.9999% accident free.  Then the total $ amount of accidents being insured against goes way, way down.   But then any individual premium should go way, way down as well.   Less risk, less exposure, lower premiums. 

Even if the insurance companies were to discriminate, so to speak, against non-automated drivers, the aggregate $ amount of the risk for non-automated vehicles also goes way down.   If most motorcycle accidents are the other guy's fault (for example, left lane turner), and if automated vehicles essentially eliminate that risk, then the risk being insured against goes way down. 

I'm guardedly optimistic that automation could instead produce a golden age for motorcyclists.   Imagine being able to buy a small beacon or transmitter to put on your bike, that automatically makes all automated vehicles aware of your presence.   If the tech was good, then you would not have to deal with idiot cagers anymore, at least not the automated ones.   

[Huzo]

'Fraid you're wrong there.   The Simple Harmonic Motion of an object falling through a hole drilled in a sphere is literally a Physics 101 problem.    The object will execute the same motion as a mass attached to a point by a spring, which is pulled back and released.

In both cases, the force on the falling object is F = Kx, where K is a constant and x is the distance of the object from the center of attraction.   The object has a force acting on it toward the center of the earth until it reaches the center, where the force on it is 0; since it has that force on it, it will continue to accelerate all the way down; however, it will have reached its maximum velocity at the center and will climb all the way out of the hole on the other side.

Here's the derivation for the equation of motion of the object dropped:

http://web.mit.edu/8.01t/www/materials/InClass/Raw/IC_Sol_W13D1-3.pdf

"Simple Harmonic Motion" is a "term of art".   "Simple" doesn't mean "easy" here ... it means that it's the basic statement of how the object moves.   Friction, hysteresis, and all the other effects have their force vectors on the object too.

Lannis

Oh dear.
So if F = Kx, as x approaches zero, so the force acting to ACCELERATE it approaches zero.
So I am in error suggesting it begins to slow down, it just shows a reduction in the rate of ACCELERATION tending towards CONSTANT VELOCITY which it will achieve at the centre ?
Then the rate of DECELERATION will build as it heads towards the opposite side.
Have I got that right Lannis ?

[Muzz]

So will the Breva go BANG bang?

[Lannis]

Oh dear.
So if F = Kx, as x approaches zero, so the force acting to ACCELERATE it approaches zero.
So I am in error suggesting it begins to slow down, it just shows a reduction in the rate of ACCELERATION tending towards CONSTANT VELOCITY which it will achieve at the centre ?
Then the rate of DECELERATION will build as it heads towards the opposite side.
Have I got that right Lannis ?

Well, yes.  As long as the object has any net force at all acting on it, even if it's small and decreasing, it will continue to accelerate in the direction of that force.  (Newton's Second Law F=mass x accel).

Say the object weighs 5 pounds.   So at the surface, it has a force of 5 pounds on it, and accelerates in the direction of that force (toward the center of the earth).   Partway down, it has a force of (say) 3 pounds on it, and continues to accelerate toward the center of the earth.

Nearing the center, it has a force of 1 pound on it, and CONTINUES to accelerate toward the center of the earth, moving faster every second.   100 feet from the center, it has a force of (say) .001 ounce on it, so it CONTINUES to accelerate toward the center.   It's moving at its maximum velocity AS IT PASSES THROUGH THE CENTER.   At the center, the net force on it from all the mass of the earth is 0, so it passes through the center of the earth at a constant velocity (no force acting on it).   

But as it continues, the force of gravity is pulling BACK toward the center, which in physical terms means it begins slowing down, or accelerating with a vector pointed OPPOSITE to its velocity.   This force gets greater and greater as it approaches the other side of the earth, and reaches 5 pounds when it gets to the surface, at which point it stops, unless someone exerts a 5 pound force with his hand to hold it there.   Otherwise, it will repeat the cycle ....

Lannis

[Huzo]

Thank you Lannis, I can see you are correct there and beautifully put.
I would not have discovered my error any time soon but can see it now. I love that stuff.

[Yukonica]

Sounds like hell to me, I love to drive or ride. Internal combustion engines forever!! Thank god I was born and lived thru the super bike era and I discovered Moto Guzzi�s!!

 :1:
... and Moto Morini's. Bliss is a 3 1/2 and a twisty road. Next best is a small block.

[JJ]

:1:
... and Moto Morini's. Bliss is a 3 1/2 and a twisty road. Next best is a small block.

I have always admired the Moto Morini 3 1/2...almost bought an original example.... just like this when I lived in NORCAL, but the owner wanted too much money for it, ($6K-$7K as I recall)...and I passed. Cool bike!





 

[rodekyll]

And the effect of the Earth's magnetic field on this core tunnel trip?

[sbaker]

If was have developed self-driving cars.. have we not also inadvertently also developed self-crashing cars... Along the same lines as artificial intelligence has also begat artificial stupidity..

[JJ]

And the effect of the Earth's magnetic field on this core tunnel trip?

YES!!!  ...as a matter of fact...I am tingling right now...and might be having an OOBE (Out-Of-Body-Experience) as I read this!!   "Into the VORTEX!!"

[rodekyll]

Extra points if you can find JJ in any of those pics.   

[JJ]

Extra points if you can find JJ in any of those pics.   

I know...it's sad...is'nt it?!? (LOL) 

[Lannis]

And the effect of the Earth's magnetic field on this core tunnel trip?

None if the object that's falling isn't made of ferrous metal .... If it IS ... that's not Physics 101 any more!

Lannis

[rodekyll]

Extra points if you can find JJ in any of those pics.   

*sigh*

The answer we were looking for was "He's in all of them."

Read from the bottom up, the pictures show JJ's metaphysical journey through birth, life, transformation, ascension, and finally, becoming one with the universe.

Thanks for playing.