there's a name for it? and you know it??
totally propping my elbows on my desk and my chin in my hands to sigh dreamily at your intellect right now.
( rachelswipe with a fork, Tue 9 Nov 2010, 15:00, 2 replies, latest was 15 years ago)

I think you have placed me on the highest most wobbly pedestal ever
I am flattered, but it looks a long way down from up here...
( Colonel Dracula Two manky hookers and a racist dwarf, Tue 9 Nov 2010, 15:03, Reply)

yeah, all the coriolis effect does is make water go different ways in a sink....
water can go which ever way you want it too
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Tue 9 Nov 2010, 15:05, Reply)

It affects lots of things
sniping and missile trajectories. Long haul air travel.
(PsychoChomp, Tue 9 Nov 2010, 15:09, Reply)

I'm assuming you aren't explaining that for my benefit.

( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Tue 9 Nov 2010, 15:09, Reply)

what?
if i pull out the plug, it will do what it wants. how the hell can i make it go whichever way i want, by raising my voice and not using words of four letters and one syllable?

before you start, you should be aware that my brain cannot process the fact that north is not always directly ahead of me because that way is straight ahead.
( rachelswipe with a fork, Tue 9 Nov 2010, 15:15, Reply)

Put your finger in it
and swirl it the other way.
( Kroney, Tue 9 Nov 2010, 15:16, Reply)

Good advice
for a number of situations, that.
( Kroney, Tue 9 Nov 2010, 15:17, Reply)

Like when you need to get chunky vomit down a plughole.

(Zoz prayed for twink on, Tue 9 Nov 2010, 15:18, Reply)

poke it with your finger

( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Tue 9 Nov 2010, 15:17, Reply)

right
so this fantastic scientific sounding thing is actually...

my own finger?

science is rubbish.
( rachelswipe with a fork, Tue 9 Nov 2010, 15:19, Reply)

The Coriolis Effect is about the Earth revolving and having an effect on the inertia of stuff
I was being sarcastic above. It has bugger all to do with which way water goes in the sink. Things like the shape of the basin are far far more significant.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Tue 9 Nov 2010, 15:31, Reply)

so you are saying
that the water stays still but the movement of the earth makes it look as if the water is moving?

even though the water clearly IS moving, downwards at least?
( rachelswipe with a fork, Tue 9 Nov 2010, 15:34, Reply)

I am not saying that at all
for a start: gravity

water comes out of tap and falls due to gravity, and water pressure. Direction of water around sink is dictated by angle of attack, shape of sink, that sort of thing.

The movement of the Earth has a very small effect on how it moves, but it really is very small indeed.

The Coriolis effect works on things like hurricanes, where you have a long lasting vortex of low pressure. Big storms go different directions in the Northern and Southern hemispheres
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Tue 9 Nov 2010, 15:36, Reply)

Plug your hairdryer in
and then use it like a miniature outboard motor to get the water moving.
(Zoz prayed for twink on, Tue 9 Nov 2010, 15:21, Reply)

ok i am dumb
i am not THAT dumb
( rachelswipe with a fork, Tue 9 Nov 2010, 15:23, Reply)