xkcd #2898: Orbital Argument - eviltoast

https://xkcd.com/2898

Alt text:

“Some people say light is waves, and some say it’s particles, so I bet light is some in-between thing that’s both wave and particle depending on how you look at it. Am I right?” “YES, BUT YOU SHOULDN’T BE!”

  • dirtbiker509@lemm.eeEnglish
    4614·
    9 months ago

    No the comic is pointing out that the sun and the earth are both orbiting the milky way galactic center.

    Edit: While also true, I was wrong, they orbit the center of mass of the two body problem (earth and sun). I still think that’s too simple of a way to look at it. It’s not a two body problem and the other planets and the whole galaxy are also in play.

    • nonfuinoncuro@lemm.eeEnglish
      19·
      9 months ago

      I mean technically every body in the entire universe exerts gravity on everything else as long as it’s in your light cone

        • nonfuinoncuro@lemm.eeEnglish
          1·
          9 months ago

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_cone

          this doesn’t give a very good explanation but I’m sure there’s some good YouTube video that breaks it down. essentially maps out everywhere in space and time that could possibly interact with you in any way. this maximum is represented by how fast light can move away from you.

          for example if you stole my car and ran away from me, I can draw a circle on the map every hour for how far you could have gone (assuming I knew my car’s maximum speed). if I put those circles on top of each other it’ll make a cone.