When your walls are level, you have a problem. Usually you want your walls to be plumb.
this post was submitted on 05 Jul 2023
1 points (66.7% liked)
Showerthoughts
29723 readers
1120 users here now
A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. A showerthought should offer a unique perspective on an ordinary part of life.
Rules
- All posts must be showerthoughts
- The entire showerthought must be in the title
- Avoid politics
- NEW RULE as of 5 Nov 2024, trying it out
- Political posts often end up being circle jerks (not offering unique perspective) or enflaming (too much work for mods).
- Try c/politicaldiscussion, volunteer as a mod here, or start your own community.
- Posts must be original/unique
- Adhere to Lemmy's Code of Conduct-----
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
As a ~~pediatric~~ pedantic but fun point, in surveying, level lines are defined to follow the Earth's curvature. This means they are technically not straight. Horizonal lines, which are perpendicular to plumb lines, are often used as approximations for level lines.
Generally it's safe to use them interchangeably, but sometimes the distinction is important.
https://theconstructor.org/surveying/terms-in-leveling-uses/20077?amp=1
Did you mean pedantic?
Lol gotta love autocorrect 🤣
Quit being so Pedialyte about stuff, geez
Did someone call for a pediatrician?
You know how they say that gravity curves space-time?
And you remember from geometry class they told you all the rules you were learning were for “Euclidean” geometry, which had to do with flat space, and then they never mentioned it ever again?
Well basically this is a great example of where non-Euclidean geometry exists in the real world. Gravity bends space-time.
The original post has nothing to do with the curvature of space time, or non-Euclidean geometry.
This only has to do with the fact that on a plane (e.g floor of a building, of literally any size), above a gravity source (here, we can treat the earth as a point source), the gravitational vector will only be perpendicular to the surface at a single point. All other points will experience gravity at an angle.
Relatedly, some long structures that seek entirely straight have different lengths depending on the altitude you measure them. For example, an oft repeated tidbit is that the Lake Ponchartrain causeway is two inches longer when measured at the deck than at water level due to the earths curvature.