🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <BzL7As.A81@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu> mkohlhaa@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (mike) writes:
>I've heard "the shortest distance between two points is not necessarily
>a straight line."  I'm not as knowledgable about physics as most of you
>probably are, and would like a explanation to this interesting
>statement. 

Depends on how you define "straight."  The shortest path between two points
on the Earth's surface is generally not a straight line if you're using a
map based on the Mercator projection, but _is_ a straight line in some other
projections.

A better analogy as far as curved space-time is concerned (which is probably
what you're thinking of):  Suppose you have a flat plain with a mountain in the
middle.  If a straight-line path between two points on the plain happens to 
pass over the mountain, a shorter path is probably one which "bends" to
skirt the mountain.

Jon Bell / Dept. of Physics & C.S. / Presbyterian College / Clinton SC