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Garden Gnome Tests Earth's Gravity

Posted by samzenpus on from the he's-not-heavy dept.

sciencehabit writes "Researchers have long hypothesized that objects weigh less at Earth's equator because the planet's spin and shape lessen gravity's pull there versus at the poles. Satellite accelerometers have confirmed this, but a digital scale manufacturer decided to test things the old-fashioned way. Enter the Kern garden gnome. When placed on a scale at the South Pole, the intrepid ornament weighed 309.82 grams versus 307.86 grams at the equator, a difference of 0.6%."

6 of 144 comments (clear)

  1. Garden Gnome Tests Earth's Gravity? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    So it has come to this.

    1. Re:Garden Gnome Tests Earth's Gravity? by NicknameAvailable · · Score: 5, Funny

      http://xkcd.com/1022/

  2. Re:This is why by PacoCheezdom · · Score: 5, Insightful

    But if you bought them at the equator, you'd get a .6% discount! It's pay by weight, you know.

  3. Wrong units... by MrKevvy · · Score: 5, Informative

    "When placed on a scale at the South Pole, the intrepid ornament weighed 309.82 grams versus 307.86 grams at the equator..."

    The grams is a unit of mass, which is invariant depending on gravity. The metric unit of weight is the kilopond.

    --
    -- Insert witty one-liner here. --
    1. Re:Wrong units... by PRMan · · Score: 5, Funny

      That's why we in the US still use pounds. That way, it's always accurate.

      --
      Peter predicted that you would "deliberately forget" creation 2000 years ago...
  4. Hmm... by xstonedogx · · Score: 5, Funny

    Does it also test the Earth's travelocity?

    (I'm so, so sorry. I'm a sick man. I need help.)