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From: dgary@ecsvax.UUCP (D Gary Grady)
Newsgroups: net.puzzle
Subject: Re: Polar paradox (* SPOILER *)
Message-ID: <1008@ecsvax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 2-Jan-86 12:59:15 EST
Article-I.D.: ecsvax.1008
Posted: Thu Jan  2 12:59:15 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 4-Jan-86 04:45:53 EST
References: <2667@sunybcs.UUCP>
Reply-To: dgary@ecsvax.UUCP (D Gary Grady)
Distribution: net
Organization: Duke U Comp Ctr
Lines: 23

In article <2667@sunybcs.UUCP> colonel@sunybcs.UUCP (Col. G. L. Sicherman) writes:
>Here's a new one: a practical joker tampered with the Great Explorer's
>gyrocompass, so it points 45 degrees off.  The Great Explorer thinks
>he's going due north on his way to the North Pole, but he's really going
>due northwest!
>
>Will he reach the North Pole anyway?  (Geographers keep out of this one!)

Presumably he'll starve, die of old age or exposure, or get fried by the
sun going nova (if he's really a toughie) first, as he spirals his way
northwestward.

Actually, gyrocompasses aren't that useful in polar regions (as sub
sailors know) because they point up!  (Hope I remember this right - I'd
hate to take the scorn of Usenet if I'm mistaken.)

Note that if it had been a magnetic compass the answer would depend on
the starting point.
-- 
D Gary Grady
Duke U Comp Center, Durham, NC  27706
(919) 684-3695
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