Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: The vestibular system in rotating structures
Message-ID: <7270@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 31-Oct-86 12:12:41 EST
Article-I.D.: utzoo.7270
Posted: Fri Oct 31 12:12:41 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 31-Oct-86 12:12:41 EST
References: <12251039742.21.SOTOS@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 15

> There has been some discussion about rotating space colonies lately,
> mostly concerned with the reliability of bearings.  My recollection
> was that the idea of rotating structures to produce pseudogravity was
> out because of problems with Coriolis forces and the human vestibular
> system.  I have not seen this point made in print...

If you check out Gerry O'Neill's original book "The High Frontier" (1978?),
you will see it in print.  The problem has been known since quite early in
the history of the space-colony concept.  This is why O'Neill's definitive
large-colony designs spin at 1 RPM or less.  This does make for troublingly
large structures; he suggested that a small first colony, with crew selected
for resistance to such problems, might be able to spin at 2-3 RPM.
-- 
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,decvax,pyramid}!utzoo!henry