Fun with Zero Gravity

I'll bet most everyone has thought about what zero gravity is like, what it would feel like, and if you'd enjoy it. You can get a taste of zero gravity by being underwater--in fact, astronauts train underwater in full space suits because it is so very similar. But, the aspect of being completely weightless is still a really foreign concept. I won't get into the idea that zero gravity is really just an illusion, since you are really falling rather than weightless. But, the point is how it feels and what it can do.

Sometime watch how a flame behaves in space. Or, water droplets. Or smoke. It's amazing to witness, and challenges our understanding of how things respond. People have been sending all sorts of things into space to see what happens, what survives, and what doesn't. Even so, my guess is people love to play in zero gravity. There's even special planes that make it possible for us ground bound slobs to experience small pieces of zero gravity for the price of a few years salary.

There are already small things manufactured in space, and I expect that at some point there will be many things created especially in space. Mirrors and micro-beads are two that I know of. As the process improves there will be breakthroughs making everything easier, and those advances will follow through into terrestrial manufacturing. It's an exciting time to be alive.

Come to think of it, skydiving is another simulation of zero gravity. I've seen vertical wind tunnels, where you basically are pushed up by a giant fan and can fall as long as you can drift. Looks like an incredible amount of fun! I'd love to do it sometime.

- M