Would it be possible to have a planet with significantly more surface area than the earth and similar gravity (at ground level) by decreasing its density? [more inside]
posted by blue_beetle on Jun 18, 2009 - 5 answers

Is there anywhere on Earth, where you can't see the Moon? [more inside]
posted by Dub on May 24, 2009 - 16 answers

How many directions am I moving in while I'm just sitting here? Any idea of how fast? [more inside]
posted by zylocomotion on Mar 16, 2009 - 10 answers

What famous inventions have non-famous alternatives or competitors? [more inside]
posted by damn dirty ape on Mar 15, 2009 - 35 answers

Easy question: How do I get "Terrain" view in Google Earth the way it looks in Google Maps (i.e. a nice topographic view)? [more inside]
posted by wavejumper on Nov 28, 2008 - 3 answers

Candles vs fluorescent light bulbs smackdown: which produces more greenhouse gases? Which one is environmentally friendlier when you figure in all the emissions? [more inside]
posted by storybored on Sep 11, 2008 - 19 answers

How long should it reasonably take before 2 "Last Men on Earth" meet? [more inside]
posted by mr_book on Aug 23, 2008 - 24 answers

Help me find this logo... Earth, or a stylized globe, clutched in a fist... think SPECTRE, SMERSH, or KAOS, but it's not any of those... Where have I seen this? Subgenius art? Anyone?
posted by stenseng on Aug 7, 2008 - 14 answers

Is it possible to track things such as user movement and button clicking in Google Earth? [more inside]
posted by figTree on May 21, 2008 - 1 answer

ISO: Photo-like diagram of the ratio of total volume of water to total volume of land on Earth. NOT the surface area - the TOTAL respective volumes of the planet. [more inside]
posted by yoga on Jan 10, 2008 - 9 answers

Looking for unique schools or programs for the study of History. In the US or abroad. [more inside]
posted by Nillocsoc on Jan 3, 2008 - 13 answers

How to create Quicktime or AVI of Google Earth flythrough? [more inside]
posted by drinkspiller on Nov 26, 2007 - 4 answers

How would a metal bar built around the world react to gravity? [more inside]
posted by studentbaker on Nov 1, 2007 - 36 answers

I'm looking for some fairly high-quality geographical maps of the whole planet (preferably contained in a single map, instead of being spread over several), but without any details on it whatsoever to do with places or names, not even names of mountains or rivers - no country/state borders drawn in either - the only detail should be things like the geography (high/low land, desert, mountains, forest, etc) Thanks in advance!
posted by heylight on Oct 27, 2007 - 6 answers

Several years ago I listened to a radio show which mentioned that there was this chemist who invented a perfume that had the smell of earth after rain. I need to find out this guy's name. [more inside]
posted by Karcy on Oct 26, 2007 - 11 answers

If you travel through space at lightspeed, will the stars in the background appear to move relatively slow? [more inside]
posted by paulinsanjuan on Sep 20, 2007 - 16 answers

Is it true that the skies in the Southern Hemisphere appear brighter and clearer than Northern Hemisphere skies? I have read this several times from various unscientific sources. If so, what is the reason?
posted by vizsla on Sep 10, 2007 - 7 answers

Find post code with latitude & longitude. [more inside]
posted by BigBrownBear on Aug 19, 2007 - 6 answers

If Russia gets to claim the North Pole as its own based on geological origins, shouldn't India automatically get Antarctica? [more inside]
posted by riffola on Aug 3, 2007 - 20 answers

How can I test whether something (like a cold water pipe) is a ground? [more inside]
posted by blisterpack on Jul 25, 2007 - 7 answers

Is there a way to display a database of addresses on a map? [more inside]
posted by BigBrownBear on Jul 13, 2007 - 4 answers

What can I do, from the big changes on down to the minutae, to make a difference? I want a more environmentally conscious lifestyle! [more inside]
posted by iamkimiam on Jun 13, 2007 - 33 answers

Which great circle on the Earth has the largest proportion of its length lying on land (not water)?
posted by Wolfdog on May 10, 2007 - 23 answers

NYCFilter: What neighborhoods am I missing in my google earth mapping? [more inside]
posted by Mach5 on Mar 14, 2007 - 6 answers

I want a free-as-in-beer way to put in a ZIP+4 postal code and get back a latitude and longitude. Unless that's more precision than I need for terrestrial astronomy. [more inside]
posted by pax digita on Dec 12, 2006 - 6 answers

Google Earth: Is there a plug-in or standalone app that will make large (say 4000 x 4000 pixel) images of a certain region? [more inside]
posted by zek on Nov 13, 2006 - 9 answers

Why is it that if I enter the coordinates of Tiananmen Square (which are 39°54′12″N, 116°23′30″E) in any format, Google Earth responds with "Your search returned no results"? [more inside]
posted by disgustipated on Oct 9, 2006 - 3 answers

I'm on the hunt for sites and/or blogs about big ideas... Who wants to join me? [more inside]
posted by 0bvious on Jul 9, 2006 - 17 answers

What (bad) movies about science and nature have you seen? [more inside]
posted by kechi on Apr 26, 2006 - 31 answers

BostonFilter: I'm annoyed that I can't find info about this online anywhere, but is the MBTA doing their usual fare-free subway and bus rides on Earth Day this year (4/22)? I'm having a housewarming party that day, and I want to invite all my out-of-town friends up early to frolic around town. Their Web site tells me nothing, nor does Boston.com.
posted by mykescipark on Apr 19, 2006 - 5 answers

What are the Big Ideas for combating global warming? Who is proposing them? Which do you find most plausible? [more inside]
posted by Galvatron on Apr 3, 2006 - 15 answers

How many people have walked the earth? [more inside]
posted by Haarball on Mar 30, 2006 - 12 answers

How can we find the photograph DATES of the satellite images in Google Earth? [more inside]
posted by stst399 on Mar 23, 2006 - 5 answers

Gravity/Life/SocietyFilter: So the Earth is all lumpy, with more or less gravity in some places. Has anyone ever corroborated it with life/social/world things? Many questions inside... [more inside]
posted by amberglow on Feb 18, 2006 - 33 answers

Grounding my old Marantz stereo amp in a two-prong outlet? (We're talking American 110v.) [more inside]
posted by electric_counterpoint on Jan 5, 2006 - 8 answers

EducationalWallChart Filter. I'm looking for printable web page(s) (or, alternatively, a retail product) that show a timeline of astronomical-anthopological events like: when Big Bang occurred; when our galaxy and solar system formed; when life began; when major life forms began and ended (e.g. dinosaurs); when primates appeared; when various proto-humans appeared; when homo sapiens appeared. Must be in TimeLine form. Not something vague and basic -- needs to have lots of detail.
posted by nancoix on Dec 29, 2005 - 4 answers

Where can I get high-res color visible satellite images showing the approach of "night" (sample low-res link inside)? [more inside]
posted by idontlikewords on Dec 20, 2005 - 13 answers

It's obvious that none of the current energy producing methods we have has enough power to make say space travel affordable and fast for everyone. So no Star Wars / Jetsons type flying spaceships and cars for now. But are there any up and coming energy sources that will be able to do this? [more inside]
posted by riffola on Aug 9, 2005 - 8 answers

After a long and ridiculously heated quasi-scientific discussion last night, I absolutely must know: what would happen to life on earth if the moon suddenly disappeared? I say the results would be disastrous, but my friend doesn't think it would matter much. I'd be interested to know who is more accurate in her assessment and the specific problems associated with a moonless earth.
posted by TheGoldenOne on May 24, 2005 - 43 answers

Something I've never understood. It takes a giant rocket to achieve escape velocity and leave the Earth. The Apollo mission made it all the way to the moon. But in all the pictures I've ever seen, the only thing they've got on the moon is a lander, a small capsule on legs. Where's the rocket they used to get off the moon? How did they get off the moon? I know the moon is much smaller and has almost no atmosphere, but is leaving it really as easy as firing a few booster rockets? Why is the rocket to leave the Earth so much bigger?
posted by scarabic on May 18, 2004 - 29 answers