Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!rutgers!sri-spam!nike!ucbcad!ucbvax!XX.LCS.MIT.EDU!MINSKY%OZ.AI.MIT.EDU From: MINSKY%OZ.AI.MIT.EDU@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU Newsgroups: sci.space Subject: SPACE Digest V7 #30 Message-ID: Date: Fri, 31-Oct-86 14:18:00 EST Article-I.D.: MIT-OZ.MINSKY.12251248553.BABYL Posted: Fri Oct 31 14:18:00 1986 Date-Received: Sat, 1-Nov-86 04:55:45 EST Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The ARPA Internet Lines: 10 Gary Allen's buckling-sphere argument seems convincing at first, but can one really prove that a shpere is indeed the best geometry? Gary says, "The geometry that can best withstand compression is a sphere." However, I suspect that this is only "locally" true for homgenous materials, and the theorem does not apply to inhomogeneous - let alone, fractile - materials. For example, if you made a pressure-bearing container of solid polystyrene, I don't doubt that the best you could do would be to form it into a sphere. But wouldn't it be vastly more resistant to buckling if you made it into a much thicker spherical shell composed of styrofoam?