Re: The Olympics

[Leigh Palmer <palmer@SFU.CA>]

At 5:48 AM -0700 9/29/00, Justin Parke wrote:
> I just want to clarify since it was my post that started this whole
> discussion in the first place.
>
> I understand that angular position can be changed without violating
> conservation of angular momentum (i.e. the cat landing on its feet),
> however, it seemed to me as I watched the diving that the divers were
> terminating an existing rotation and it was THAT which seemed to violate
> the law.  I thought perhaps they were merely slowing the rotation by means
> of changing their moment of inertia but it really seemed that the rotation
> stopped.

There's been a lot of nonsense in this thread. Justin seems to have
known the correct answer all along; He explains it almost completely
in the note above. (The only thing missing, which he must also know,
is that the diver took off with the same angular momentum which she
exhibited in her tightest tuck.)

No explanation was needed, only reinforcement. Why did this thread
go on so long?

Leigh