The latest theoretical question for the What If? series from Randall Munroe and Henry Reich (previously at Neatorama) is "What's the longest possible sunset you can experience while driving, assuming you are obeying the speed limit and driving on paved roads?" While theoretically intriguing, my first thought was that's the last thing you want to do. It's bad enough driving a few blocks with the sun in your eyes! But once we get past the practicalities, it's a valid question.
First, we get a definition of "sunset," the length of which can vary depending on where you are. Sunset in Antarctica can take days. However, at the equator, the earth is spinning at about a thousand miles per hour, and you can't drive fast enough to make a perceptible difference. Still, the video finds a place where you might make it happen. And unlike other What If? videos, we don't all die. -via Damn Interesting
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I remember reading some decades ago about people watching the first sunrise of the new year from the top of a building, then taking the elevator to the bottom to watch it again.
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I've seen a gif by Neil deGrasse Tyson in which he says that if you lie down on a perfectly flat surface and watch the sun set, then sit up or stand up, you will see the last bit of the sun again. I believe he was offering this as proof that the earth is not flat.
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